‘Tolerated Stay’ permits ease residency rules for foreigners; Taking a closer look!

A new bill approved by the German lower house of parliament will make it possible for foreigners with temporary ‘tolerated stay’ permits to apply for a permanent residency permit. According to news source IANS, those who are in fact required to leave the country but whose departure is now impractical are given ‘tolerated stay’ permits.

A ‘tolerated stay’ or temporary residence permit holder who has been residing in Germany for at least five years by October 2022 will now be given an 18-month ‘opportunity right of residency. The new law will make it simpler for individuals to enter the job market and grant them legal status for an additional year and a half. They are able to provide documentation for the right of permanent residency throughout this time.

Nancy Faeser, the federal minister of interior, said in a statement on Friday that ‘we want persons who are already well integrated to have a fair opportunity of staying’. An 18-month visa with the possibility of permanent residency after just three years will be given to young persons under the age of 27. Exclusions include criminals and those who actively misrepresent themselves or make false assertions to avoid deportation.

Additionally on Friday, the Bundestag resolved to quicken the asylum process. Both legislative measures are a part of a larger overhaul that, in the government’s words, would result in the ‘most advanced immigration legislation in Europe’. The biggest economy in Europe is suffering from both an ageing population and a serious labour shortage. Lowering the income requirements for the Blue Card for work migration will help recruit more foreign employees.

For those with great potential, a ‘opportunity card’ will also be introduced. Hubertus Heil, Germany’s minister of labour, unveiled the proposals on Wednesday, saying, ‘In the race for talent and helping hands, we are proposing new, and above all easier, methods to work in Germany’. He emphasised that the lack of trained employees should not act as a ‘permanent brake on progress’.