Berlin – In a late-night vote during its 237th plenary sitting on 29 July 2026, the German Bundestag adopted the long-awaited Immigration Act 2026 (Einwanderungsgesetz 2026). The bill, which had been under negotiation for more than a year, sailed through its third reading with the votes of the governing CDU/CSU–FDP coalition and the opposition SPD. It now moves to the Bundesrat, where an expedited review is expected next week in order to allow the first provisions to enter into force on 1 January 2027. The new law consolidates and modernises the patchwork of more than 50 separate regulations that have governed labour immigration since 2005. Its centrepiece is a transparent, points-based “Opportunity Card” that awards up to 100 points for criteria such as academic qualifications, professional experience, German or English language ability, age and an existing job offer. Applicants who score at least 60 points will be entitled to a 12-month residence permit to look for work in Germany, with the possibility of converting it to a standard employment permit once a contract has been signed. The new scheme builds on pilot elements tested under the Skilled Immigration Act 2020 but introduces fully digital filing through the government’s Consular Services Portal, replacing the cumbersome paper process. For employers, the Act reduces Blue Card salary thresholds by roughly 15 %, caps processing times at 30 days for accredited companies and creates a “trusted sponsor” model that allows large multinationals to issue electronic invitations directly linked to the foreigner offices’ case-management system. A new federal Work-and-Stay Agency, funded with €120 million through 2030, will act as a one-stop liaison between companies, state labour offices and foreign missions, taking over many recognition tasks that used to delay onboarding by months. Corporate HR managers told BusinessTraveller Deutschland that the ability to track each step online and to upload apostilled documents “will finally bring Germany in line with Canada and the UK”. The legislation also tackles family mobility. Spouses and minor children of Opportunity-Card holders will obtain visas automatically once the principal applicant’s permit is issued, and same-sex partners are explicitly included. Moreover, foreign graduates of German universities will be able to move directly into the Opportunity scheme without first proving a concrete job offer, a measure aimed at retaining an estimated 20 000 international STEM graduates who currently leave the country each year. Political debate had centred on safeguards: the opposition Greens demanded stronger worker-protection clauses and pushed unsuccessfully for an in-country change-of-status option for rejected asylum seekers. Interior Minister Jens Spahn insisted that “the new system remains selective and demand-driven” and pointed to enhanced fraud-prevention tools embedded in the digital platform. Analysts expect the reform to boost net skilled immigration by 75 000 people annually—roughly a third of the labour shortage identified by the government’s 2026 Annual Economic Report. Companies with German operations should begin reviewing their mobility policies now, as application forms and sponsor registration will go live in October.
Source: Deutscher Bundestag
