Germany opens doors for skilled Indians as Canada, US, Aus restrict visas
Updated: Nov 15th, 2024
Amid the increasing uncertainty and difficulty of the ‘foreign dream’ for Indians, Germany is turning out to be the preferred choice. With Canada, the US, and Australia tightening immigration laws, Indians are looking for other options.
In this scenario, Germany has come as a ray of light for India due to its shortage of skilled workforce. German Labour and Social Affairs Federal Minister Hubertus Heil who was on a visit to India in October had said, “Germany views India as an especially important partner when it comes to the issue of skilled labour migration”.
A ‘Joint Declaration of Intent in the field of Employment and Labour’ was signed during the meeting between Heil and Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Labour & Employment. Germany has also decided to increase the annual number of visas granted to skilled Indian workers from 20,000 to 90,000.
With Donald Trump taking over as the new President-elect of the US, the H1B1 visa policy for Indians remains uncertain.
“During the Trump administration, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) initially denied a larger percentage of H-1B petitions than in the preceding four years,” according to a study by the American Immigration Council.
Denials of new H-1B petitions for initial employment rose from 6% in FY 2015 to a high of 24% in FY 2018.
The housing and job crisis led Canada to cut international student permits by 35%.
After a large influx of international students following Covid-19, Australia also limited new international student commencements to 2,70,000 for the calendar year 2025 under the National Planning Level.
Also read:
