Just one day before the Greens’ initiative, the coalition government itself set the tone for Germany’s talent agenda. In the Bundestag’s 100th session on 28 July 2026, Interior State Secretary Mahmut Özdemir presented the draft law “to further develop the Skilled Immigration Act” (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz). The bill fine-tunes the reforms that entered into force in March by lowering Blue-Card salary thresholds again, widening the shortage-occupation list, and turning the pilot ‘Chancenkarte’ (opportunity card) into a permanent, points-based entry permit for non-EU jobseekers. Key changes include an across-the-board 5 % cut of the Blue-Card minimum to €45,934 and an additional 10 % discount for graduates under 30. Craft trades such as plumbing, welding and electrical installation will for the first time count as shortage occupations, reflecting massive order backlogs in the construction sector. Holders of a Chancenkarte will be allowed to work up to 30 hours per week in any role while job-hunting, up from the current 20, making the card a viable bridge into full-time employment. The bill also addresses employers’ pain points. Recognition of foreign vocational qualifications will move to a fully digital portal operated by the new federal Work-and-Stay Agency, promising decisions within eight weeks. Companies with certified onboarding programmes—so-called „A-Arbeitgeber“—will benefit from a blanket pre-approval that waives the Federal Employment Agency’s labour-market test for most hires. Industry associations welcomed the draft. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) said the proposed rules could reduce unfilled positions by 200,000 within two years. Trade unions, however, demand stronger safeguards against wage dumping, warning that lower salary thresholds must not become a back door to cheap labour. Opposition CDU politicians fear the easier switching of residence titles could drive up immigration numbers beyond absorption capacity. If the law passes before the parliamentary recess in October, the bulk of changes would apply from 1 January 2027. Mobility teams should start recalculating salary offers for Blue-Card candidates and consider whether the Chancenkarte could replace costly assignment visas in junior talent programmes.
Source: Deutscher Bundestag
