The German Immigration Reform 2023/2024 - March 2024 - Strategy Paper Summarising Key Changes to Migration Law

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Finn

Strategy paper summarizing key changes to German migration law introduced by the Act on the Further Development of Skilled Immigration. It covers reforms effective from 18 November 2023 and 1 March 2024, including updated EU Blue Card rules, altered residence permits for skilled workers, and new national measures to address ongoing labor shortages. Detailed sections explain impacts on EU Blue Card mobility and salary thresholds, extended student work allowances and accounting methods, easier residence-permit switching, a new specialist option, and expanded family reunification conditions for parents and parents-in-law.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Looking back: The main legislative changes since 18 November 2023

The main legislative changes as of 1 March 2024

Student permit: Extended periods of employment and new working day account

New option for specialists: Employment with extensive professional experience no longer just for IT specialists

Reunification with parents and parents-in-law: No longer only possible in exceptional cases

The German Immigration Reform 2023/2024 March 2024 The strategy paper summarises the most important changes to migration law contained in the Act on the Further Development of Skilled Immigration, passed by the German parliament on 23 June 2023 and came into force on 1 March 2024, after an initial part came into force on 18 November 2023. I. Looking back: The main legislative changes since 18 November 2023 Far-reaching changes to the law, particularly regarding the EU Blue Card and the residence permit for skilled workers with vocational training or academic qualifications, came into force on 18 November 2023. Of particular note here are the reduced annual salary limits of EUR 45,300 gross or EUR 41,041.80 gross in selected shortage professions required for the EU Blue Card, the newly introduced so-called short-term and long-term mobility for holders of the EU Blue Card, the abolition of them being tied to their employer after twelve instead of twenty-four months since taking up the employment and the waiver of a connection between the professional or academic training and the job description as far as the skilled worker permit is concerned. Read about the legislative changes in our previous policy paper on this topic here. II. The main legislative changes as of 1 March 2024 In addition to the new regulation of the EU Blue Card, which became necessary as a result of an amendment to the EU Highly Skilled Workers Directive (2021/1883) and was thus determined by EU law, the German legislator has created further important legal innovations at the national level to combat the continuing shortage of skilled workers in numerous German industries. These relate, in particular, to the residence permit for students, the creation of a new option for specialists, the facilitation of the reunification of parents and parents-in-law and the permanent residence permit. 1. Student permit: Extended periods of employment and new working day account Foreign students are now permitted to work 140 full or 280 half working days per calendar year instead of the previous 120 full or 240 half days, whereby student part-time work at universities and other university-related institutions, as well as compulsory internships, are still not counted. Also new is the introduction of the so-called favorability test and the so-called working day account: While, in principle, a work activity of up to four hours per day counts as half a day and over four hours as a full day, a further distinction is made between lecture period and lecture-free period: thus, during the lecture period, part-time employment of up to 20 hours per week can be counted as 2.5 working days per week, regardless of the distribution of working hours, and during the lecture-free period, employment can be counted as 2.5 working days per week, regardless of the actual weekly working hours. Tip: As the new working time regulations outlined above involve a degree of complexity that should not be underestimated, strict documentation and, above all, calculation of working hours, distinguishing between half days and full days as well as lecture period and lecture-free period, must be ensured. Any exceeding of the above-mentioned working time limits is subject to separate authorisation by the responsible immigration authority. In addition, it will be easier for students to change their residence permit before completing their studies: Under the old legal situation, the relatively far-reaching so-called ban on changing purpose applied, which only allowed students to apply for a residence permit for a different purpose before completing their studies in exceptional cases. From 1 March 2024, students can apply for a residence permit for another purpose before completing their studies, provided they meet the requirements. © 2024 Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Fragomen Global LLP and affiliates. All rights reserved. The German Immigration Reform 2023/2024 2. New

FAQs

What changes to EU Blue Card and skilled worker residence rules took effect on 18 November 2023?

The reforms introduced changes affecting EU Blue Card and residence permits for skilled workers, including reduced annual salary limits for selected shortage professions and new mobility rules. They also removed certain employer-tie limitations after the first twelve months and loosened the link between training and the job description for skilled worker permits.

How do the new student work rules work starting 1 March 2024?

Foreign students may work 140 full or 280 half working days per calendar year instead of 120 full or 240 half days. The rules also add a favorability test and a working day account that distinguishes lecture periods and lecture-free periods, with specific conversion into 2.5 working days per week depending on hours.

What is the new option for specialists and how does it differ from the prior IT-focused rule?

A residence permit for specialists is extended beyond IT specialists to qualified but non-regulated professions. Applicants must meet complex requirements, including relevant training recognized abroad, evidence of professional experience in the last five years, income-threshold conditions, and additional rules about language requirements no longer being required for applicants.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Finn