EU BLUE CARD SCHEME

[Obalende]

I read about the EU blue card scheme today enabling highly skilled non-EU workers to immigrate to and live and work in EU.

Does anyone know when prospective candidates can apply for this scheme?

[avjones]

It'll be a while - it doesn't exist yet. It's only a proposal. It may not even happen at all.

The BBC website says:

The plan will need the approval of all member states to come into force.

Some politicians in the Netherlands and Germany are hostile and the Austrian government has condemned the plan as "a centralisation too far".

[Administrator]

.

We posted a summary of news on it from yesterday & today here:

EU's Franco Frattini to unveil 'blue card' immigration scheme
23 October 2007

Also, watch closely. There should be several more news bits on it tomorrow and during the week.

Possibly by 2009 if the negotiations and agreements are smooth and swift. 2011 or never if everyone starts fighting over it.

On the up side, most European businesses are quite in favor of it, and the general push for it by businesses is why it has progressed this far.

And, yes, we're pushing for & encouraging it in any small ways we can. There will be a crush of people seeking it if it happens, as there will also be a crush of new immigration services attempting to make businesses out of it.

Even if it passes, expect the UK to opt out of it, or to place heavy restrictions on EU Blue Card holders being able to leverage the card to work & reside in the UK.

the Admin

[archigabe]

Germans Reject EU Fast-Track Immigration Scheme

http://www.spiegel.de/international/eur ... 41,00.html

Politicians in Germany have voiced their opposition to a Blue Card fast-track migration scheme for the EU. But the country's business leaders say the economy desperately needs more workers to meet the growing skills shortages.The EU would like to see more highly trained experts from India and elsewhere working in Europe.it looks as if German politicians are determined to resist the Blue Card. And they have not been alone in their cool response to the scheme.Austria and the United Kingdom are also opposed to the idea, with British Immigration Minister Liam Byrne telling the London Times on Wednesday: "Frankly we do not support these proposals. This is why we have secured an opt-in for all immigration measures and stay outside EU legal migration directives."

[gani999]

This is just more nonsense from Brussels, sorry for the language. As a non-EU national who has been in the EU for 8 years (6.5 years in The Netherlands, 1.5 years in France) I am sick of the way the politicians play with this issue. The main problem seems to be that the buffoons (again sorry for the language) in Brussels keep coming out with harebrained policies and the other governments couldn't care less about implementing them. These two examples should give you and idea about how illogical these people can be

1. There is an EU directive that states that if a non-EU national holding a permanent residence permit in an EU state relocates to a new job in another EU state, he/she can get the same type of permanent residence in that country as well. Unfortunately only Austria and a couple of others (can't remember which) have implemented this, while the others don't give a damn.

2. and here is another example. http://www.workpermit.com/news/2007-10- ... st-due.htm


For our part, we non-EU professionals work hard in the EU and pay our taxes and are asked to leave once our job contracts expire. On the other hand refugees and illegal immigrants who entered after us are given permanent staying permits, passports and state study loans. It is clear that the EU doesn't want foreign professionals.

The EU can debate, decide , fight and cry about blue, green, yellow and red cards to it's heart's content, while we educated professionals move to the United States or Australia. Sorry for the rant!

[Dawie]

If the EU can't even implement Directive 2004/38 which is to help the non-EU family members of EU citizens move freely, then I very much doubt they will ever be able to successfully get EU governments to agree to this.

[archigabe]

The EU can debate, decide , fight and cry about blue, green, yellow and red cards to it's heart's content, while we educated professionals move to the United States or Australia. Sorry for the rant!

Seems like even the U.S is more open to 'regularizing' illegal immigrants and asylum seekers rather than skilled workers who've lived there for years and paid taxes.

U.K/Australia and New Zealand seems to be the best places to move for skilled workers.

Skilled immigrants suffer US limbo

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7002296.stm

Meenal Sinha is an IT professional who has been living in the US for the past nine years.

She says not having a Green Card means you have to stick with the same company that got you a work visa - and that means fewer promotions and salary rises.

"We have given the most productive years of our careers to this country. We have always played by rules, yet this endless delay," she says

[Marco 72]

Seems like even the U.S is more open to 'regularizing' illegal immigrants and asylum seekers rather than skilled workers who've lived there for years and paid taxes.

I remember about ten years ago an American friend of mine complained that it was much easier for a skilled European to move to the US than for a skilled American to move to London (or elsewhere in the EU). Now getting a work visa for the US has become incredibly difficult, and obtaining permanent residence afterwards is sometimes impossible. On the other hand the HSMP has made skilled immigration to the UK a great deal easier.

[Fairtrade]

The EU consist of 27 countries. The problem with the EU is that it strives for equality, free movement of people etc etc but what they don't acknowledge is that this wonderful EU was no more than 60 years ago at war with one another. Some of these EU countries was until the late 80s still communist states. Wealth amongst these EU countries are also unevenly spread meaning alot of people from Eastern Europe are now moving to Western Europe.

That also influence the way people see the EU. Most countries in Western Europe (the developed) Europe are sceptical about the EU. While other coutries in Eastern Euorope would be more pro EU.

Look at what happend when the French and Dutch were given a referendum on the EU.

If these countries can't even agree on basic things then what is the chance they will agree on a Blue card for the EU. Some countries may see the Blue Card as a necessity to fill their job shortages or look for highly skilled migrants while other countries ( I won't mention which ones) will feel there are too many foreigners in their countries and there are more than enough migrants to choose from within the EU.

The bottom line is the EU countries will never agree on one thing. Meaning the EU will say one thing and the countries within Europe will say another. I would not hold my breath waiting for a Blue Card.....