Just wanted to share something I’ve been looking into recently. If any of you are studying or working in IT, software, engineering, or even logistics, you really need to look at what Germany is doing with their immigration laws right now.
Compared to how brutal the visa market is in the UK, the US, or even parts of Scandinavia, Germany is basically throwing passports at tech workers because their demographics are collapsing.
They lowered the EU Blue Card salary threshold for "shortage occupations" (which is basically all of tech) to just under €46,000. If you're a junior or mid-level dev, hitting that in Berlin, Munich, or Frankfurt is incredibly easy.
But the real crazy part is that for IT specialists, they completely waived the university degree requirement. If you can prove you’ve worked in tech for 3 out of the last 7 years, they will give you a Blue Card based entirely on your experience and a job offer. No degree needed.
They also launched this thing called the Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card). It’s a points-based job seeker visa. If you get enough points based on your age, experience, and English skills, they give you a full year to live in Germany just to look for a tech job, and you're allowed to work part-time to pay your rent while you hunt.
Once you actually get the Blue Card, the path to permanent residency is cut down to just 21 months if you pass a B1 German test, or 27 months with basic A1 German. And since they passed their dual citizenship law recently, you don't even have to give up your original passport anymore.
If you're stressed about finding a sponsor in London or feeling stuck in a high-tax loop here in Scandinavia, moving to a German industrial hub looks like a highly practical route right now. I don't know all the intricate legal details, but it is highly recommended to check the official “make-it-in-germany.com” portal to see if you qualify.