Cooperation agreement on skilled labor immigration signed

04.03.2024 - Region and state capital, as well as IHK and HWK streamline processes

Gemeinsam für verschlankte Prozesse bei der Fachkräfteeinwanderung: IHK-Abteilungsleiterin Silke Richter, Hannovers Erster Stadtrat und Ordnungsdezernent Axel von der Ohe, Hannovers Oberbürgermeister Belit Onay, Regionspräsident Steffen Krach, Christine Karasch, Dezernentin für Öffentliche Sicherheit und Zuwanderung und Dr. Carl-Michael Vogt, Stellvertretender Hauptgeschäftsführer der Handwerkskammer Hannover. — Working together to streamline processes for the immigration of skilled workers: IHK department head Silke Richter, Hanover's First City Councillor and Head of Public Order Axel von der Ohe, Hanover's Lord Mayor Belit Onay, Regional President Steffen Krach, Christine Karasch, Head of the Department for Public Security and Immigration and Dr. Carl-Michael Vogt, Deputy Managing Director of the Hanover Chamber of Skilled Crafts.

The shortage of skilled workers also poses major challenges for companies in the Hannover Region. One solution to this is to attract potential skilled workers from third countries to the German labor market even more easily and quickly. The amended Skilled Immigration Act takes this goal into account and consists of three stages. The second stage came into force today, March 1. Among other things, new grounds for residence have been created and existing requirements have been made easier.

Nevertheless, the entire process remains complex. For this reason, the Hannover Region, the City of Hannover, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Chamber of Skilled Crafts have joined forces to agree a strategic partnership to accelerate the immigration of skilled workers. The new cooperation agreement has now been signed by Regional President Steffen Krach, Lord Mayor Belit Onay, IHK Department Head Silke Richter and the Deputy Managing Director of the Hanover Chamber of Skilled Crafts, Dr. Carl-Michael Vogt.

The IHK, the Hanover Chamber of Crafts, the immigration authorities of the Hanover region and the state capital of Hanover as well as the employment agency and the job center as network partners want to support companies with a joint offer for the immigration of skilled workers. This is to take the form of a comprehensive and transparent information and advice service in order to relieve the workload of the immigration authorities and facilitate rapid processing.

One focus here is on more closely dovetailing the existing cooperation structure with the Hannover Region Economic and Employment Promotion Agency and the Employer Service of the Hannover Employment Agency and the Hannover Region Job Center.

"We want to make the processes as simple as possible for everyone involved. Immigration of skilled workers is also playing an increasingly important role here in the Hannover Region. Last year alone, 149 accelerated skilled worker procedures were successfully completed here - in 2021 there were 40. This shows how important it is to focus on this and work together to become faster and more efficient."

Steffen Krach, Regional President

"With this cooperation agreement, we are strengthening Hannover as a business location by facilitating the immigration of skilled workers. We are making better use of our resources by enabling all parties involved to recognize more quickly which procedures have a chance of success. Fixed contact persons will ensure short lines of communication between the parties involved. This will benefit our companies, the chambers and the immigration authorities in equal measure."

Belit Onay, Lord Mayor of Hanover

Faster and more transparent processing andgreater predictability of processes for the immigration of skilled workers.
Passing on information tocompanies about immigration opportunitiesat an early stage
Initial consultationand preliminary examination of documents bythe IHK and Hanover Chamber of Crafts ensures that applications in the accelerated skilled worker procedure are submitted in full, and procedures with no prospect of success can also be identified more quickly
This increase in efficiency relievesand accelerates the processing procedures in the immigration authorities

The Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Hanover Chamber of Crafts are thus specifically involved in the process. They should inform the companies in advance about the official procedures and the expected time and resources required in order to develop realistic expectations.

An important task that may sound trivial, but will help in practice: In addition to the documents for professional recognition, the IHK and the Hanover Chamber of Crafts will now also check the documents for the implementation of an accelerated skilled worker procedure for completeness and then forward them electronically to the relevant immigration authority.

"In the accelerated skilled worker procedure, companies invest money, time and energy in order to recruit urgently needed specialists and skilled workers abroad and persuade them to relocate to Germany.Companies must be able to rely on the fact that the process will go through quickly and has a chance of success. Otherwise, qualified specialists will quickly migrate to other countries. With the agreed closer integration of administration and business, we can significantly speed up the entire process."

Silke Richter, IHK Head of Department

"The Skilled Immigration Act offers many opportunities. The Welcome Centers reflect the good approach. However, it will only succeed if all channels work. Administration can and must be reliable for companies. On the other hand, companies are cordially invited to recognize and use the potential as a real opportunity. In day-to-day operations, this will mean that SMEs in the skilled trades sector will have to further develop and professionalize their HR work."

Dr. Carl-Michael Vogt, Deputy Managing Director of the Hanover Chamber of Skilled Crafts

"With this broad-based cooperation, we now offer a complete and coordinated service package. We guarantee end-to-end processing, from advice from the IHK and HWK to application processing by the relevant immigration authority and additional questions that may arise from family members and their professional background: No one is sent from A to B, we guarantee a guiding function, all services interlock and are coordinated with the partners. Through this division of labor and coordinated action, we want to bring workers and jobs together more quickly."

Christine Karasch, Head of the Department for Public Security and Immigration

"The recruitment of skilled workers is already a megatopic today and will become even more important in the future. This also applies to Hanover. The new cooperation between the IHK, HWK and the immigration authorities is helping to make processes faster and more efficient. It is based on three pillars: improved communication, process improvement through digitalization and increased staffing. We are doing all of this in order to be attractive as a city of immigration for skilled workers and companies."

The Hannover Region Economic Development Agency is also actively involved in the process and is consolidating its "Welcome to Region Hannover" project into a Welcome Center. Region President Krach: "We are setting up a permanent service point in the premises on Vahrenwalder Straße that all those involved can contact. We have had good experiences with the previous project here and assume that the greater networking with the cooperation partners will give the project even more momentum.

Axel von der Ohe, Hanover's First City Councillor and Head of Public Order

At the Welcome Center, employers and potential employees have the opportunity to take part in training courses on intercultural competence in companies and exchange formats on the topic of skilled immigration. There will also be an initial consultation for companies, regular information events and a joint online platform. More information at:https://www.wirtschaftsfoerderung-hannover.dedocument:9667