International Skilled Workers from Third Countries

International skilled workers come to FrankfurtRheinMain (FRM) from all over the world. People from third countries are granted residence and work permits to stay and work under certain conditions. Third countries are all of the countries outside the European Union and the European Economic Area.

The Immigration Office governs residence permits and there is one in every district and city. You can easily find them by using the search function on our map.

A residence permit for the purpose of employment is usually subject to approval by the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). However, there are exceptions for highly qualified people with a settlement permit, for holders of an EU Blue Card, for graduates from German universities and German schools abroad, and sometimes also for senior executives, i.e. top managers or shareholders.

Basically, citizens of certain countries have a privileged position when it comes to entry and residence. Such countries include Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and the USA.

The Skilled Labour Immigration Act (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz), which came into force on 1 March 2020, has made it easier for people from third countries to enter Germany to find a job or apprenticeship. This is also of benefit to companies. You will find a brief summary of the main points here.

Further information on access to the job market can be found on our page for Visa and Entry Requirements.