An Interview on Green Card Program

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Question: As a non-immigration country, it is quite unusual for Germany to offer foreign experts this opportunity for an overseas working experience. And the rules concerning Green Card program have come into effect, but for what reasons?
Answer: With the “ Green Card” initiative the German government has created a suitable instrument for eliminating an acute shortage of skilled workers in the IT sector. And the industry needs to take advantage of this opportunity. The new Green Card rule coming into effect on August 1st 2000 can ease the shortage of specialist staff in the booming information technology sector. As a result, IT specialists from non? EU countries will also be able to work in Germany.
Question: Who will be allowed to come to Germany under the “ Green Card” program aimed at alleviating the current shortage of IT specialists? Will the issuance of entry visas be limited to persons from specific countries?
Answer: Computer specialists with university and polytechnic qualifications, e.g. Bachelor\\'s or Master\\'s Degrees, will be allowed to work in Germany for a limited period of time. Additionally, specialists without a degree can also work here, provided the employer is willing to pay an (annual) salary of at least 100,000 DM. This arrangement will apply to all job applicants from non-EU countries. There will be no limitation to persons from any specific countries.
Question: How many IT specialists will be allowed to come to Germany?
Answer: A total of 20,000 under an agreement reached between the German federal government and the industrial associations in the information and communications technology sector. After 10,000 work permits have been issued a monitoring procedure is to be carried out to determine if there is further need for computer specialists.
Question: Is the period of employment in Germany to be subject to a time limit?
Answer: Yes. Over the medium term the need for IT specialists is to be satisfied on the domestic labour market. The period of employment for top? level computer specialists from abroad is to be limited to three years with the possibility of getting an extension for up to two more years, i.e. for a maximum total of up to five years.
Question: Will these people be allowed to bring their families with them to Germany?
Answer: Yes. The IT specialists in question are to be granted residence permits. Under German law residence permits entitle holders (as long as all the other pertinent provisions of law governing foreign residents have been complied with) to bring their families to Germany right away or, failing that, to bring them to Germany at a later point in time.
Question: Can foreign computer specialists already be hired under the “ Green Card” program or will it be necessary to wait until the requisite changes have been made in the laws governing the issuance of work and residence permits? Can preparations for hiring computer specialists be made now?
Answer: The Federal Employment Agency is already able to say what its personnel requirements are. It is now checking to see whether there are any suitable applicants from Germany or other EU countries, since they would have to be given priority for job placement. If this is not the case, then the first step will have been taken towards opening up the procedure for allowing foreign computer specialists to take jobs in Germany.
Question: Whom can foreign IT specialists wanting to work in Germany turn to? How can they document their qualifications?
Answer: Persons wanting to work in Germany should apply to the “ Zentralstelle fü r Arbeitsvermittlung” (ZAV) in Bonn. It can be reached by e-mail at the following address: “ Bonn-ZAV.IT- Experts@arbeitsamt.de” . Mail in your request. ZAV will take it from there. ZAV will be responsible, for instance, for checking applicants\\' qualifications on the basis of certificates presented and, if necessary, their translations.
Question: When will the first IT specialists from non? EU countries be allowed to come to Germany?
Answer: The requisite legal regulations went into effect on August 1st 2000. After that it is possible to start admitting job applicants.
Question: According to your statistics, how many “ Green Card” have you issued till now?
Answer: Since the German government\\'s “ Green Card” initiative began on August 1st 2000 a total of 4,441 foreign IT specialists have been hired by German companies (figure as of 5 January 2001).

就德国绿卡计划的采访
问：德国是个非移民国家，所以它向外国专家提供海外工作机会是很不寻常的，而且有关绿卡计划的法规已生效。这是出于何原因呢？
答：由于实施“绿卡”计划，德国政府找到了缓解信息技术部门熟练工人严重缺乏的适当途径。而这一产业需要充分利用这个机会。于2000年8月1日生效的绿卡法规可以缓解蓬勃发展的信息技术产业专业人员缺乏的状况。其结果是，非欧盟国家的信息技术专业人士也可到德国工作。
问：依照旨在缓解目前信息技术专家缺乏状况的“绿卡”计划，什么样的人可以获准赴德工作？入境签证会局限于只签发给某几个国家的国民吗？
答：大学和理工专科学校毕业的计算机专家，例如有学士或硕士学位，可获准在德工作有限的一段时间。另外，没有学位的专家也可在德工作，前提是其雇主愿付给他至少10万马克的年薪。这一安排也适用于所有非欧盟国家的申请者。并不局限于任何特定国家的国民。
问：将会批准多少信息技术专家赴德？
答：据德联邦政府与信息和通信技术行业联合会的协议，总共会有2万人。在签发完1万份工作许可证后，会进行一项检测程序来决定是否有必要继续引进计算机专家。
问：在德工作是否有时间上的限制?
答：是的。该计划进行到中期时，国内劳务市场对信息技术专家的需求将会获得满足。对来自海外的高级计算机专家的雇佣期就限制在3年之内，并且有可能再延长两年，即最长可达5年。
问：这些雇员可携带家属赴德吗？
答：可以。这些信息技术专家会获居留许可。依照德国法律，只要符合所有其他有关外国人居留法律条款的规定，获居留许可者可马上携家属赴德，如未能立即成行，可在晚些时候再携带家属赴德。
问：依照“绿卡”计划，外国专家可以受雇了吗?还是要等到有关签发工作和居留许可的相关法律做出改动之后才可受雇？能在目前为雇佣计算机专家做准备吗？
答：联邦就业机构早已获悉对雇佣人员的要求了。现在正在进行的是核实在德国或其他欧盟国家有无合适人选，因为他们有获得工作安置的优先权。如没有，则会开始启动允许外国计算机专家在德国工作的程序。
问：想赴德工作的外国信息技术专家应向什么机构提出申请？他们该如何提供资格证明文件？
答：有意赴德工作的人员应向设在波恩的工作介绍所（ZAV）提出申请。可通过如下地址发送电子邮件：Bonn?ZAV.IT?Experts@arbeitsamt.de。用邮件发来申请，工作介绍所会从上述地址接收申请。该机构将根据申请人提供的证书和——如有必要——证书的翻译件，核实申请人的任职资格。
问：何时第一位非欧盟信息技术专家才会获准入境德国呢？
答：必要的法律规定按计划已在2000年8月1日生效。之后就可以开始批准工作申请了。
问：据你们的统计数据，迄今已签发了多少份“绿卡”？
答：自从德国政府的“绿卡”计划于2000年8月1日开始生效以来，已有4441名外国信息技术专家受雇于德国公司