Employing international specialists

Information, support and funding

Employing international specialists is a good way for companies to meet the growing demand for workers in the long term.

The options for recruiting and employing international specialists vary depending on the region of origin and qualifications. Here you can find out what options are available, how the recruitment process works and what you should pay particular attention to. An overview of all relevant recruitment programs that support you in this process can be found at the end of this page.

Country of origin of the specialist

States of the European Union + EEA and Switzerland

Länderliste anzeigen

General conditions Employ workers, skilled workers, trainees

Citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA) (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) enjoy unrestricted freedom of movement for workers. This means that they can take up and pursue employment under the same conditions as German nationals and are treated equally to them under social and labor law.

General requirements

Visa and entry
Persons from the EU and Switzerland do not require a visa to enter Germany.
Recognition of qualifications
Recognition of a foreign qualification is only a prerequisite for practicing the corresponding profession in the case of regulated professions. For non-regulated professions, the recognition procedure is not mandatory, but can serve the purpose of transparency and enable you to better assess your professional skills.
The recognition procedure
The procedure usually takes three months from receipt of all documents and is subject to a fee.
Qualification and adaptation measures
Under certain circumstances, an adaptation period may be necessary for the recognition of foreign qualifications. During this time, your applicant may already work in your company in a subordinate qualification (example: in the case of an adaptation measure for nurses, you may also work as a nursing assistant).

Important notes / special features:

The working conditions must correspond to those of a comparable German employee.

Finding workers Selected job boards

If you would like to recruit specifically in the European Economic Area, you can advertise your vacancies free of charge on the following job boards:

Fachkräfteportal Brandenburg
advertise quickly and easily

Make it in Germany - job exchange
an offer from the Federal Employment Agency

EURES - Job exchange
an offer of the Federal Employment Agency

Programs, overviews and contact Funding opportunities for SMEs

Advice on recognition and qualification: Advice centers in Brandenburg.
Regional EURES advice on recruiting employees
EURES also offers regular recruitment events.
Employer service of the Federal Employment Agency https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/unternehmen
Funding program: Cost subsidy to finance recognition procedures for foreign professional qualifications.
Many of these adaptation measures are subsidized. Please contact the IQ Network Brandenburg.

Links and brochures Additional information

Country of origin of the specialist

Countries outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland

Länderliste anzeigen

General conditions Employ workers or skilled workers from third countries

If you want to hire someone from abroad, nationality plays a decisive role. In most cases, approval from the Federal Employment Agency is required if the future employee or skilled worker comes from a third country. Not only the nationality is checked, but also the professional qualifications of the person and the type of work in your company.

General requirements

Visa and entry
Third-country nationals generally require a visa, which they apply for at the German diplomatic mission in their home country. After entering the country and taking up work, a residence permit must be applied for from the relevant immigration authority.
Recognition of qualifications
It is important that the professional qualifications of skilled workers are recognized. This may be regulated differently depending on the profession and country of origin.
Qualification and adaptation measures
Under certain circumstances, an adaptation period may be necessary for the recognition of foreign qualifications. During this time, your applicant may already be working in your company in a subordinate qualification (example: in the case of an adaptation measure for nurses, they may already be working as a nursing assistant).
Welcoming culture
A welcoming culture can help foreign employees feel at home in your company. A welcome folder or integration aids can be helpful.

Important information / special features

There are easier conditions for certain nationalities, e.g. visa-free entry for citizens of certain countries (e.g. USA, Canada, Australia).

If you need further support, you can also contact the Employer Service of the Federal Employment Agency. There you will receive advice and support in the search for and recruitment of skilled workers from abroad.

Finding workers Selected job boards

You can post your international job vacancies here free of charge:

Brandenburg skilled workers portal
Advertise quickly and easily

Make it in Germany - Job exchange
an offer of the Federal Employment Agency

EURES - Job exchange
an offer of the Federal Employment Agency

Programs, overviews and contact Funding opportunities for SMEs

Advice on recognition and qualification: Advice centers in Brandenburg.
Regional EURES advice on recruiting employees
EURES also offers regular recruitment events.
Employer service of the Federal Employment Agency https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/unternehmen
Funding program: Cost subsidy to finance recognition procedures for foreign professional qualifications.
Many of these adaptation measures are subsidized. Please contact the IQ Network Brandenburg.

Links and brochures Additional information

Official portal of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on the topic of "International workers and skilled workers" https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/de/unternehmen
Information on the Skilled Immigration Act (FEG) https://www.bq-portal.de/Anerkennung-f%C3%BCr-Betriebe/fachkraefte-aus-dem-ausland
An overview of the locations of all immigration authorities and further information can also be found on the Goehte website https://www.goethe.de/prj/mwd/de/hilfefinden/wichtigeadressen.html

Special regulations

Western Balkans regulation

Länderliste

General conditions Simplified employment possible

The Western Balkans regulation enables companies in Germany to employ workers from the Western Balkan states (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) under simplified conditions. The regulation applies to all types of employment; recognition of professional qualifications in Germany is not required, except for regulated professions such as doctors.

General requirements

Company requirements
The working conditions must correspond to those of a comparable employee in Germany. An employment contract or a binding job offer must be available
Personal requirements
The person must be a national of one of the Western Balkan countries and must not have received any benefits under the German Asylum Seekers Benefits Act in the last 24 months. For workers over 45 years of age, additional requirements apply with regard to income or pension provision.

Important information / special features:

The Western Balkans regulation has a fixed quota. The Federal Employment Agency can issue up to 50,000 residence permits per calendar year.

Programs, overviews and contact Further information: Summary of the conditions in the PDF download at: make-it-in-germany.com/...

Links and brochures Additional information: You can apply for prior approval under the Western Balkans regulation online here
https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/unternehmen/fachkraefte-ausland/westbalkanregelung

People with nursing training

Special regulation for nursing assistants

General conditions EU/EEA and third countries

If you would like to recruit nurses from abroad, you should first find out about the country of origin. The recruitment process differs depending on whether the nurse comes from an EU/EEA country or a third country. In many countries, training to become a nurse is academic, so recognition of professional qualifications is important. Nurses from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland generally have their qualifications recognized automatically.

General requirements

Visa and entry: Nurses from third countries generally require a visa to enter Germany. The application is made at the German diplomatic mission in the home country.
Recognition of qualifications: Nurses must have their professional qualifications acquired abroad recognized in Germany. This is a prerequisite for obtaining a work permit.
Accelerated skilled worker procedure: This procedure enables faster processing of visa applications and recognition procedures. Employers can submit the application to the relevant immigration authority.
Approval of the Federal Employment Agency: In many cases, the approval of the Federal Employment Agency is required. This agency checks whether the working conditions meet German standards and that no preferential employees are available.
Employment contract: There must be a binding employment contract or a concrete job offer. The working conditions must correspond to those of a comparable German employee.

Programs, overviews and contact Further information

Programs and overview

Service Centers for Skilled Immigration NorthWest & SouthEast
https://www.ihk-projekt.de/servicestellen-fachkraefteeinwanderung-brandenburg/

Contact

Contact IQ Service Center Skilled Immigration NorthWest
Location Eberswalde: IHK-Projektgesellschaft mbH Ostbrandenburg, Heegermühler Str. 64, 16225 Eberswalde
www.ihk-projekt.de/servicestellen-fachkraefteeinwanderung-brandenburg/
Contact IQ ServicestelleFachkräfteeinwanderung SüdOst
Location Frankfurt (Oder): IHK-Projektgesellschaft mbH Ostbrandenburg, Puschkinstraße 12b, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder)
Finsterwalde location: IHK-Projektgesellschaft mbH Ostbrandenburg, An der Schraube 26, 03238 Finsterwaldehttps://www.ihk-projekt.de/servicestellen-fachkraefteeinwanderung-brandenburg/

Links and brochures Additional information

Working as a nursing assistant in Brandenburg
5 steps for successful employment migration.
Official portal of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on the subject of "International workers and skilled workers "Nursing staff from abroad
https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/de/unternehmen ...
The Federal Employment Agency provides information: PDF brochure:
Nursing staff for Germany: Ways of recruiting from third countries

Trainees, employees, skilled workers

People with a refugee background

General conditions Third-country nationals who are already in Germany

If you wish to employ foreign nationals who are already in Germany, you can see from their residence permit whether they are permitted to take up gainful employment. If the residence permit states "Gainful employment permitted" or "Employment (unrestricted) permitted", it is possible to take up employment. The residence permit is usually created as an electronic document and issued in check card format by the foreigners authority. In some cases, residence permits are also affixed to passports as adhesive labels.

If you wish to employ foreign workers who are already in Germany without a work permit, an application for permission to work can be submitted to the Foreigners' Registration Office. This applies, for example, to asylum seekers and persons with a tolerated stay permit whose residence permit or certificate contains the restriction: "Employment only after permission from the foreigners authority".

Permission for employment is clarified in an internal coordination procedure between the Foreigners' Registration Office and the International Placement Services of the Federal Employment Agency. A draft employment contract and the "job description" form completed by the employer should be submitted for the assessment.

With the Ausbildungsduldung or the Ausbildungsaufenthaltserlaubnis, you as a company and refugee receive planning security for your stay in Germany for the entire duration of the training and then for two subsequent professional years.

IMPORTANT:

Refugees from Ukraine who receive a residence permit in accordance with §24 AufenthG (temporary protection) do not have to go through an asylum procedure and can take up employment immediately after submitting their application.

General requirements

Recognition and qualification
Recognition of a foreign qualification is only a prerequisite for exercising the corresponding occupation in the case of regulated professions. For non-regulated professions, recognition of a foreign qualification is only a prerequisite for practicing the corresponding occupation. For non-regulated professions, the recognition procedure is not mandatory, but can serve the purpose of transparency and enable you to better assess your professional skills.
The recognition procedure
The procedure usually takes three months from receipt of all documents and is subject to a fee.
Qualification and adaptation measures
Under certain circumstances, an adaptation period may be necessary for the recognition of foreign qualifications. During this period, your applicant may attend
an adaptation
period
may be necessary for the recognition of the foreign qualification. During this time, your applicant may already work in your company in a subordinate qualification (example: in the case of an adaptation measure for nurses, they may already work as a nursing assistant).

- Accelerated skilled worker procedure: not applicable

- Approval of the Federal Employment Agency: not necessary

- Employment contract: The working conditions must correspond to those of a comparable German employee.

Finding workers Selected job boards

If you would like to recruit specifically in the European Economic Area, you can advertise your vacancies free of charge on the following job boards:

Fachkräfteportal Brandenburg
advertise quickly and easily

Make it in Germany - job exchange
an offer from the Federal Employment Agency

workeer job exchange
Workeer is a job exchange for international & refugee talent in Germany

Programs, overviews and contact Funding opportunities for SMEs

You can find free support and preparation for integration at the bea-Brandenburg company support agency.
You can also contact the KAUSA regional office in Brandenburg if you would like to recruit trainees.
Advice on recognition and qualification: Advice centers in Brandenburg.
Recognition finder
Funding program for the financing of recognition procedures for foreign professional qualifications.
Many of these adaptation measures are funded. Please contact the IQ Network Brandenburg.
Regional employer service: Entry qualification (EQ), assisted training "2flex" (AsA flex), vocational training allowance (BAB)
BAMF: vocational language courses for trainees, vocational language course
Support in filling vacant training and employment positions with refugees: Welcome guides(HWK Potsdam, HWK Ostbrandenburg)

Links and brochures Additional information

Network - NETZWERK Companies integrate refugees
Regulations on work permits and information on which residence titles entitle you to take up gainful employment can be foundat
: https://www.bmas.de/DE/Arbeit/Migration-und-Arbeit...

Support programs

Der Bund und das Land Brandenburg stellen zahlreiche Programme bereit, die Unternehmen bei der Rekrutierung, Anstellung, Qualifizierung und Integration internationaler Fach- und Arbeitskräfte gezielt unterstützen.

Unterstützung für Arbeitgeber

Rekrutierungsprogramme zur internationalen Fachkräftegewinnung

African Skills 4 Germany (AS4G) Ein Projekt zur Vermittlung von Fachkräften aus Afrika an deutsche Unternehmen

Name des Programms
African Skills 4 Germany (AS4G)

Fokusberufe/-branche(n)
Handwerk, Industrie, IT, Pflege, Hoga uvm

Herkunftsländer
Afrika: Ägypten, Algerien, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenia, Marokko, Nigeria, Südafrika, Tansania, Tunesien

Qualifikationsniveau

Auszubildende und qualifizierte Fachkräfte

Bemerkung

Seit 2015 arbeitet Adler Management im Auftrag des Brandenburger Gesundheitsministeriums mit internationalen Fachkräften und Auszubildenden. Finanziert wird das Programm durch das Ministerium und die beteiligten Ausbildungseinrichtungen.

Adler Management steuert die Kooperation Brandenburger Einrichtungen mit Partnern in Pristina, Tetovo und in Tirana.

Profil der Auszubildende und Fachkräfte

Deutschkenntnisse auf Niveau B2

Kontakt

DIHK DEinternational GmbH
Breite Straße 29
10178 Berlin

Tel.: + 49 30 20308-2433

Information, support and funding

States of the European Union + EEA and Switzerland

General requirements

Important notes / special features:

Countries outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland

General requirements

Important information / special features

Western Balkans regulation

General requirements

Important information / special features:

Special regulation for nursing assistants

General requirements

Programs and overview

Contact

People with a refugee background

General requirements

Support programs

Rekrutierungsprogramme zur internationalen Fachkräftegewinnung

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