We have been supporting companies for over 20 years when skilled professionals are hired from overseas and our procedure with the assignees has changed in that time.
In the past, I accompanied families to kindergartens, various educational concepts were presented and the parents selected the facility that came closest to or matched their idea of raising their children. Today we have to register in badly maintained online portals, end up on long waiting lists and are lucky if a kindergarten place is allocated within 3-6 months.
It’s a similar story with the immigration authorities, (here I must praise the authorities in Koblenz, Bonn and Trier as everything in these offices runs smoothly). We are also confronted at this point with interminable waiting lists, inaccessibility by phone, outdated processes and often no answers from the case workers. It takes forever to receive an appointment, which is not good for the assignee. It creates a sense of uncertainty and the new hires are unsure why the process is taking so long, which is usually due to the system. Both our team and the assignees are happy and breathe a sigh of relief when they hold the EU Blue Card in their hands. Right from the start, when applying for the entry visa in the home country, it is not made easy for assignees, where once again long waiting times and numerous hurdles in family reunification are the order of the day.
The housing market is extremely tight in Germany – which also does not contribute to a welcoming culture. The new immigration law will simplify it for skilled workers to immigrate, but I already foresee the problems that will arise upon arrival here. Day after day, our team strives to ensure our assignees have a good start and a seamless integration to life in Germany. The work is still fun and fulfilling for us, the clients who commission us and the newcomers value our relocation service.