Germany’s official migration portal “Make-it-in-Germany” quietly rolled out an extensive update late on 19 October 2026 that spells out how the latest phase of the Skilled Immigration Act will work in practice. HR and mobility teams should take note: the minimum annual salary for most EU Blue Card holders is now €45,934.20 – a 5 percent rise on 2025 to reflect higher social-insurance ceilings. Crucially, the update confirms that non-EU professionals who earned their university degree within the past three years can qualify for a Blue Card at the lower threshold, while specialists in shortage occupations (IT, engineering, healthcare, construction) may qualify at 45 percent of the pension contribution ceiling. The portal also clarifies that Blue Card holders may obtain permanent residence after just 21 months if they demonstrate B1-level German, down from the previous 24. Family mobility is set to improve as well. From 1 November 2026 parents and – where the spouse already holds a settlement permit – parents-in-law can join the principal skilled worker under facilitated conditions. Adult children over 18 can accompany skilled workers if they are financially dependent and living in the same household. These rules give Germany one of Europe’s most generous family-reunion regimes for economic migrants. For employers, the higher salary floor means assignment cost projections must be tweaked immediately. Companies relying on global benchmark data from earlier in the year could underestimate gross payroll by more than €2,000 per hire. On the upside, faster settlement eligibility is expected to reduce churn: surveys by the IW Institute show that 48 percent of engineers on Blue Cards left Germany after five years due to residency uncertainty – a trend the new rules aim to reverse. The portal’s FAQs hint that a digital application channel will go live “in Q1 2027” and will integrate with the Work & Stay Agency. Mobility professionals should monitor that timeline, as federal police and local foreigners’ offices will require biometric capture appointments to be booked through the new platform.
Source: Make-it-in-Germany
