Germany Launches ‘Chancenkarte’ Job-Search Visa, Opening New Door for Non-EU Talent
Eurowings Slashes Winter Capacity and Seeks Kurzarbeit as Jet-Fuel Costs Soar
Security Scare Closes Leipzig/Halle Runway After Night-Time Fence Breach
Latest News
Bundestag clears Digital Identity Act, paving way for EU-wide EUDI Wallet from 2027
Parliament has passed Germany’s Digital Identity Act, enabling the launch of the EU Digital Identity Wallet from January 2027. The wallet will let users store digital passports, residence permits and eventually visas on their phones, with significant efficiency gains for employers, border agencies and service providers. Firms should prepare backend systems for API integration and updated onboarding workflows.
Federal Employment Agency warns against halving West-Balkan labour quota
Germany’s Federal Employment Agency (BA) says cutting the West-Balkan work-permit quota from 50,000 to 25,000 in 2027 would worsen skills shortages and hurt business. More than one million West-Balkan nationals already work legally in Germany, half of them in shortage occupations. Employers’ groups back the BA and warn that the current quota is exhausted each year well before December. The Interior Ministry still intends to halve the cap, but growing resistance could delay or block the measure – a key risk factor for corporate workforce planning.
Görlitz border unit stops 15 irregular migrants in three days as Entry/Exit System flags overstays
German border police near Görlitz refused entry to 15 people in three days after the new EU Entry/Exit System revealed prior overstays and missing permits. The incident underscores stricter enforcement under EES and the potential liability for firms employing irregular third-country nationals. Businesses should double-check contractors’ right-to-work documents and brief travellers on Schengen time-limits.
Police union calls for continued German border checks, claiming ‘proven deterrent’
In a televised statement, the German Police Union urged that land-border controls introduced in 2023 be maintained beyond their current expiry date, arguing they deter irregular migration. The call adds momentum to the Interior Ministry’s plan to extend checks into 2027, prolonging uncertainty for cross-border commuters and businesses.
German visa application portal to undergo one-hour maintenance; ‘Chancenkarte’ D-visa live
TLScontact will take its Germany-visa portal offline for routine maintenance on 16 October from 23:00–00:00 UTC. Applicants should avoid uploads during this hour. The notice also confirms that German missions have started issuing the new Chancenkarte D-visa, allowing skilled third-country nationals to enter Germany for a year to look for work under a points-based system – a new pathway global mobility teams can leverage.