Germany – an immigration country
Germany is one of the most popular immigration countries. New regulations as well as numerous programmes and projects at home and abroad are making the Federal Republic increasingly attractive.
Every fifth German citizen has family roots abroad. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Germany is the most popular country among immigrants, following the USA. But it is not simply these figures that are making Germany into an immigration country. Over the past years and decades, Germany has managed to establish an open culture that helps people to make a new start in life.
Many people gain their first contacts with Germany abroad, for instance via one of more than 200 German diplomatic missions. Another equally important connecting factor is language and culture. “The Federal Foreign Office has put a special emphasis on learning German, because this starts abroad throughout the educational spectrum ranging from the German schools abroad, to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Goethe Instituts,” explained Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a speech. The cultural relations and education policies abroad have proved to be a particularly sustainable instrument in making immigration attractive. Numerous mediating organizations, such as the Goethe Institut and the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, reach thousands of people abroad with their cultural and educational offers.
Free app Career Compass Germany
From the legal point of view, an important foundation stone for future immigration policy was laid in 1999 with the introduction of dual citizenship. However, children who were born and raised in Germany and whose parents were foreign had to opt for a single citizenship before reaching the age of 23. This policy of so-called compulsory-elective citizenship was abolished in 2014. Now, in certain cases, multiple citizenship is permitted. In addition to this, the Federal Recognition Act which came into effect in 2012 considerably eased the acceptance of vocational qualifications gained abroad.
The Career Compass Germany shows just how attractive the German labour and education market is for people from abroad and which first-class opportunities it offers. The free app is up-to-date and provides quick and clear insights into the topics of education, studying or jobs in Germany. It provides reliable information in German and English about the most important contacts and openings and helps users to find their way to all of the important internet portals via some 200 links.
The Career Compass Germany for smartphones, tablets and BlackBerrys can be downloaded free from Google Play, iTunes and the Amazon App Shop.
