EU blue card acquisition for highly-skilled workers

The EU Blue Card is sometimes compared to the US Green Card. The blue color is said to be the color of the European Union flag, for this reason the map should be blue. Its purpose is to give non-EU/EEA citizens a work and residence permit. It offers people the right to fit into the socio-economic landscape and embark on a path that leads to permanent residence in Europe. Put simply, people can live and work in Europe without restrictions if they have a Blue Card.

Purpose of introducing an EU Blue Card
It was introduced by the European Commission in 2007, proposed and implemented in 2009 and issued by 25 countries that are member states of the EU. According to Eurostat data, in 2016 most work permits issued were registered in Germany (more than 17,000), France (more than 700) and Poland (more than 600).

The second purpose of the EU Blue Card is to make Europe a more attractive destination for professionals from outside the European Union. A special EU Blue Card program has been created for all EU member states with the exception of Great Britain, Ireland and Denmark, which invites highly qualified people to the EU states. This scheme aims to make Europe the world's most popular migration destination.

This can be guaranteed through equal salaries and working conditions for foreigners, freedom of movement within the Schengen area, socio-economic rights, favorable conditions for family reunification, permanent residence prospects and freedom of association. Obtaining the EU Blue Card has several main benefits. These include very high chances of a permanent residence permit, which entitles you to any kind of employment under easier conditions, equal rights and equal opportunities to work in Europe's largest economy and a huge business market, and easy travel opportunities.

Prerequisites for applying for a Blue Card
Although the same basic criteria can apply to all 25 member states of the EU, there are smaller additional criteria that are determined by each member state for itself. In principle, the Blue Card can be applied for if three main requirements are met. These are: non-EU nationality, educational or professional foreigners (highly qualified or skilled workers, researchers, students and trainees) and with an employment contract or binding job offer (seasonal workers, internal transfers). A person can be considered a highly skilled worker if they have an employment contract of at least one year and if they can meet the conditions listed below. If a person is able to meet these mandatory requirements, they will be given an online profile on the EU Blue Card network, which has a dual function – to consult foreigners with employers to offer them an employment contract and to allow foreigners to change their employment contract to submit applications.

In recent years there has been a shortage of workers, which is noticeable in areas such as medicine, technology, computer science (IT), natural sciences and mathematics. This means that foreigners who work in the areas mentioned usually have a better chance of receiving the EU Blue Card.

In addition, a person who is self-employed or an entrepreneur can receive the Blue Card if they have sufficient financial resources, have a business that has a positive impact on the economy of the host country and can generate an economic interest that is active in the host EU -Member State is low.

When applying, it is important to consider the time frame it will take to gather all the required documents. It usually takes 4-6 months to prepare all the required documents. Some countries arrange appointments with the relevant embassies or consulates in foreigners' home countries, others offer online applications that can be filled out by foreigners themselves or their employer or a law firm. It is expected that after applying, the person will have to wait up to 3 months for the processing to be completed.