Exactly twelve months after Germany launched its much-touted online system for skilled-worker visas, practitioners say the platform’s ‘operational maturity’ has yet to translate into faster approvals. A Global Mobility Lawyer investigation published on 26 February finds that while end-to-end digital filing is now possible at all 167 German missions abroad, physical biometrics appointments remain scarce in high-demand locations such as Bangalore, São Paulo and Manila. Average processing times for EU Blue Card applications have indeed fallen—from 66 days in 2025 to 42 days year-to-date—but remain well above the government’s 30-day target. Employers blame limited appointment slots and inconsistent document-check standards between missions. In Tehran, for example, applicants are asked to upload diplomas twice in different formats, adding delays. The Foreign Office counters that 78 percent of filings are now ‘right-first-time’, up from 41 percent before digitalisation, and says it will hire 120 additional consular staff by July. It also plans to pilot remote-identity verification, using smartphone biometrics, in South Africa and Canada later this year. Until then, corporate mobility managers are advised to book appointments the moment contracts are signed, use embassy-specific document templates and schedule German registration appointments for week 9 rather than week 5 of an assignee’s arrival window. Failure to build in these buffers, the report warns, could still jeopardise project start dates and breach posted-worker notification rules.
Source: Global Mobility Lawyer
