Grace Ochieng (not her real name) began the visa application process to study in Germany a year ago.“And then the visa madness began,” she told DW.She already spoke German, but it didn't help the 26-year-old Kenyan navigate the maze of German bureaucracy.Despite holding a scholarship for research in international relations, the student's work was confirmed and a thick folder filled with documents was required, but it took two months to obtain the required visa.“This shouldn't be. It took a big blow to me and the beginning of my research. Some people don't make it here because of the visa process,” she said. Meanwhile, Grace's friend encounters an even greater hurdle. Her visa for the semester abroad was stuck in a bureaucratic quagmire until half of that semester was already gone.“It's not that much of a visa process that's so tired,” Grace told DW. “It's mainly communication. When you call the German embassy, they don't answer. When you write an email, they don't reply. You don't know if you say “yes” or “no”, so you're constantly holding your breath. ”
Foreign skilled workers opportunities behind red tape
Grace is not alone in her difficult battle with German red tape for foreigners. Thelesia Treutlein came to Germany in 2007 as AU-PAIR.At the time, she wasn't just about to endure the battle against bureaucratic issues, but the language itself.Ultimately, these experiences will help future trained nurses. Truäutlein runs a care service institution near Heidelberg with her husband. They employ over 20 African caregivers and trainees.“We are currently helping a group from Kenya come to Germany. We are stuck due to the bureaucracy that was involved in getting a visa,” she told DW.In her experience, the notarization process takes an excessive amount of time. As cultural integration and housing shortages bring about major challenges along the way as people arrive in Germany.
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants were needed every year.
Nevertheless, based on estimates from the German Employment Institute (IAB), a 2024 survey by the Bertelsmann Institute found that Germany still needs to have between 288,000 and 400,000 foreign skilled workers moving there.Without this immigration rate, Germany would face a significant labor shortage by 2040, which would have a major negative impact on economic growth and international competitiveness. In April 2025, federal employment agencies reported approximately 646,000 employment vacancy, primarily in information technology, healthcare and education.However, most of these positions have not yet been met.
Does Germany want foreign workers?
Since June 2024, Germany has issued so-called opportunity cards. This is a visa designed so that skilled workers from non-European Unions come to Germany without an existing work contract and seek employment from scratch.Prerequisites include at least two years of vocational training or university degree, as well as basic German or English skills.It is based on a point-based system that assesses the professional experience, age and skills required in Germany.Since 2025, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs' re-edited consul services portal allows skilled foreign workers to apply for visas online.The portal is believed to make the process faster and more efficient by simplifying the application process for various visa categories, including opportunity cards.Former Home Minister Nancy Pheaser said, “We use language skills, qualifications and experience to attract people who are motivated and talented to Germany.”However, most applicants will find that the portal is still too late.
Immigration deals with Africa amid high rejection rates
Germany signed a migration agreement with Kenya in 2024, attracting skilled workers, particularly with nursing and hospitality.Former Prime Minister Olaf Scholz said at the time of his signing that Kenya has “an incredible number of IT experts” who will benefit from training in Germany.Kenya so far is the only African country that Germany has been able to reach such a migration agreement, but as of late 2024, only 90 Kenyan nursing workers came to Germany using this route.Again, the bureaucracy involved was a major deterrent for many qualified applicants.At the same time, a significant portion of the contracted visa applications were denied amid the overall high rejection rate of sub-Saharan visa applicants to Germany.Left party Clara Bünger highlighted the issue in April 2025, refusing to exceed 3,400 of the 7,914 student visa applications from Nigeria in 2022, and 8,150 to 1,972 from Ghana.
“Opportunity cards for some”
In 2022, Germany granted all Africans a total of 50,815 visas, of which 20,545 (40%) were intended for employment purposes such as academics, highly skilled workers, interns, AU pairs, volunteers and others.However, along sub-Saharan Africa, only 22,668 visas were issued, of which 7,966 (35%) were for employment.“Visa is the biggest issue,” Kadi Kamala of the German and African Business Association told DW.“Opportunity cards are just opportunities cards for some people. They must first meet the prerequisites. These are not necessarily important to employers, but are important criteria for the federal government.”There may be problems simply by obtaining the documents required for your visa.“German officials want the original document, but that is sometimes impossible. After that, applicants need to prove how self-sufficient they are, and even if the employer covers the applicant's costs, even that may not be fully considered.”
A new home in the heart of Europe?
Meanwhile, some have repeatedly questioned whether Germany has what it takes to become an attractive destination for skilled workers.“It's very relevant to consider the political situation in Germany. It's not only taking into account how enthusiastic the government is to bring people here, but it's also very important whether Germany can become a new home for Kenyans, Ghanaians, Sierra Leonians or South Africans,” Kamala said.For Kamala, that includes eliminating language barriers.“In other countries, you don't have to meet the requirements of a particular language, which is probably why they're more attractive. Last year, Christian Lindner (the then-Minister of Finance in Germany) was at a university there and asked who he wanted to work in Germany. No one raised his hand.”However, Teresia Truäutlein and Grace Ochieng say in their experience that speaking German has proven that speaking German requires a fully integrated life in Germany.Traäutlein adds, “If the government wants to attract skilled workers to Germany, it will need to support German training overseas. Without the language, we won't get much here.”
Germany's economy is looking for a solution
Kamala says he must recognize that Germany is actually competing for skilled workers against other players.For German companies like Teresia Truäutlein's Agency, the most important thing is that bureaucratic hurdles will be removed.She and her husband are trying to simplify the process of taking over new employees from Kenya, and decided to start building a private language and nursing school there.“We're a small company, but we have one goal to fight unemployment in Kenya and bring in these workers that we need to be in Germany,” she said.According to Traäutlein, immigration of skilled workers to Germany is ultimately a “victorious situation for all involved.”
