EU Blue Card Network Live and work in Europe

• FEB 7
  Germany leads the field when it comes to issuing EU blue cards

  One in five blue card issued in Germany go to Indian nationals.

• JAN25
  Key indicators and labour market analysis for the main blue card issuing European countries.
• JAN 8
  Commission launches public consultation on a European Labour Authority and a European Social Security Number

  The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather views of the public.

• DEC 12
  Net migration to the United Kingdom falls by more than 106,000 after Brexit
• DEC 5
  EU: The EP LIBE Committee supported the revision of the Blue card

  'We need an instrument or at least one way of having a partnership or a sensible way of managing migration for the needs of the EU.'

• NOV 13
  EU: Euro Economy Is Heading Towards a Golden Period

  Economists have raised their growth forecasts eight times this year.

• OCT 24
  EU: The Blue Card is gaining popularity amongst Turkish professionals

  The blue card is available to all non-EU citizens.

• OCT 3
  DE: Increasing number of Chinese and Indian people have blue cards

  106% increase in Indian blue card holders and 62% increase in Chinese BC holders.

• NOV 10
  ADV: Check your Eligibility for the European Blue Card

  Download a free eligibility certificate and expand your employment opportunities in Europe

• SEP 11
  EU: European Alliance for Apprenticeships - Assessment of progress and planning the future

  The EAfA is a part of the EU’s strategy to tackle youth unemployment and to provide the skills that are needed to ensure sustainable growth.

• AUG 30
  EU: A different way of issuing a blue card.

  Feasibility study to offer blue cards based on a lottery system. Not yet operational.

• AUG 16
  EU: Integrity and privacy of candidate data is built-in by design

  Blue Card Network profiles are viewable only by entities that have been given exclusive permission. It is not public.

• JUL 28
  ES: Spain’s economy has returned to its pre-crisis size

  Foreign workers are needed to meet demand from an increasing number of Spanish industries.

• JUL 14
  DE: Companies increasingly appreciate their human capital

  In the global race for talent, the EU Blue Card can play a vital role for Europe.

• JUN 21
  EU: MEPs back changes to the Blue Card

  National schemes for attracting highly-qualified workers to be abolished.

• JUN 19
  EU: Smart migration expected to swift from United States to Europe

  A booming economy and a series of immigration reforms have turned Germany into a magnet for smart immigrants.

• JUN 8
  EU: June 8^th 2012-2017: Celebrating five years of helping people obtain an EU blue card.

  Over 120,000 candidates connected to European employers. Over 8,000 applications successfully submitted.

• MAY 11
  DE: German government releases brochure 'Erfolgreich Arbeiten'

  EU Blue Card enables employers to hire the professionals they urgently need.

• APR 26
  EU: Employment rate of people aged 20 to 64 in the EU reached a new peak

  The employment rate stood at 71.1%, higher than the previous peak recorded in 2008 (70.3%).

• APR 12
  UK: Good prospects for skilled British workers in a post-Brexit EU

  Report says Blue Card scheme is on route to become the work permit of choice.

• MAR 23
  SK: The Slovak economy is approaching full employment

  Slovak authorities will extend the validity of the blue card from three to four years.

• MAR 7
  EU: New US immigration policy set to make EU more attractive for the highly skilled

  The US may no longer be the destination of choice as the H-1B system is overhauled.

• FEB 23
  NL: 31% of knowledge migrants to OECD countries choose the EU

  It is the European Commission’s intention to increase this number by making the blue card more attractive.

• JAN 27
  EU: Proposed blue card directive to promote innovative entrepreneurship

  Blue card holders would have the right to start their own company in parallel.

• JAN 10
  AT: More voices in favour of replacing the Rot-weiß-Kart with the blue card

  One single program makes it more inviting for the highly skilled to consider Europe.

2016

• DEC 14
  SE: Calls for Swedish immigration to simplify procedures

  A Syrian doctor’s plea to work in a country desperately in need of his skills.

• NOV 29
  EU: Commissioner for migration Avramopoulos wants the blue card to be more like the U.S. green card.

  The best choice would be a single regulation for highly skilled immigration, not 28 different programs

• NOV 3
  DE: Already 49,000 blue cards issued in Germany

  The positive correlation between the issuance of blue cards and economic growth

• OCT 13
  EU: Website is now also available in the Ukrainian language
• SEP 29
  AT: Austrian Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte to be replaced by the EU Blue Card.

  EC proposed changes includes replacement of all national highly-skilled permits by the Blue Card.

• SEP 8
  NL: Skilled migrants urgently needed in the Netherlands

  OESO says 2.4 million highly skilled persons needed by 2025, only 1 million available in current population.

• AUG 31
  DE: More blue cards are issued to qualified professionals

  Professionals are urgently needed in Germany. With the Blue card, its holder receives a permit with perspective.

• AUG 4
  IT: Italy to make the blue card application procedure more efficient

  The Italian employers' (Confindustria) federation signs a memorandum of understanding with the ministry of interior to speed up the required procedures.

• JUL 20
  BG: Bulgaria supports easing Blue Card issuance

  Bulgaria backs the efforts of the European Commission for easing the administrative procedure on the issuance of the Blue Card for highly qualified foreigners.

• JUL 15
  EU: Blue Card Network launches affiliate program

  Key objective of the affiliate program is to raise awareness of the EU Blue Card Program.

• JUN 24
  EU: The UK leaving the European Union does not affect the Blue Card Program

  It is not sure if UK nationals will be able to apply for the EU Blue Card in the future.

• JUN 22
  EU: Main proposed changes compared to the current EU Blue Card Directive

  Faster procedure, lower salary threshold, shorter contract term and more.

• JUN 6
  NL: The Netherlands needs some 80.000 non-European migrant workers annually

  'Not only academics and technical people, but mid-segment migrant workers as well.'

• MAY 23
  LT: Reforms to streamline EU Blue Card procedures for skilled migrants to Lithuania
• APR 13
  EU: Results of the 2015 blue card stakeholders survey

  A Fast-track entry procedure and a uniform scheme are considered most important to improve the scheme's attractiveness.

• MAR 24
  DE: In the first three quarters of 2015, Germany issued over 11 thousand blue cards.

  Most German blue cards went to people from India, Ukraine and Russia.

• MAR 8
  GR: More leaders speak out on loosening blue card regulations

  Mr Kefalogiannis, Greek MP: 'A revision of the blue card should be undertaken so that it applies to lower-skilled migrants as well'.

• FEB 25
  NL: Start-up permits available for the Netherlands

  You can now start your business in the Netherlands with the help of a facilitator.

• FEB 4
  EU: ALDE coalition proposes the blue card to be available also for non-skilled workers

  'We call for an revision of the EU Blue Card making it possible to obtain for both skilled and non-skilled workers based on objective criteria, that if fulfilled allow a Blue Card to be issued.'

• JAN 12
  GR: Blue cards to be issued for projects in Greek port

  Greek government exclusively promotes the issuance of Blue Cards for projects in the port of Piraeus.

• Archive