Germany Opens Gate for Indians, Offers Study Visas, More Jobs Amid Geopolitical Shifts

Amid geopolitical tensions with the U.S. and the country tightening rules on Indian visas, Germany has accelerated efforts to attract Indian workers and students.

While on a two-day visit to India, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Wednesday that Berlin wanted to “create more opportunities for Indian skilled labour and students”. He was addressing a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Wadephul said, “With 60,000 students currently in Germany, Indian students make for the largest group of international students in the country.” “Many of these students choose to stay back and cater to the urgent need we have for highly skilled labour,” he added.

Germany’s Call for Skilled Talent

The German Minister further described the contribution of Indians as a “genuine success story”, while stating that they often earn above the average income. He mentioned that the process for issuing visas should be “digitised” to make it faster and more efficient.

In addition to that, he stressed on the need for language learning. “We are working with a good institute for expanding infrastructure for German language tuition and language exams,” Wadephul highlighted. The country wants to expand its partner schools in India from 58 to 1,000.

On the other hand, Germany’s labour shortages are acute. At the end of 2024, companies reported 1.4 million unfilled positions across healthcare, IT, education, construction, and public transport. As per a Business Standard report, one in five nurses is now an immigrant, and foreigners make up over 16 per cent of the total workforce — double the share in 2010.

Cross-Industry Demand

Germany’s ambassador to India, Dr Philipp Ackermann has been vocal about the shortage. In June, Ackermann said, “We are really looking for talent. We are looking for the smartest, the brightest ones—the ones who maybe had an idea to go elsewhere.” He further said, “There is first-class education in Germany, especially in STEM, and most of it is in English.”

In May 2025, the German ambassador estimated that the country needed 500,000 skilled workers every year. “We need bakers, butchers, plumbers—people across the skills spectrum,” he added.

What IAB Survey Suggests?

Despite rising opportunities, Germany faces challenges in retaining migrants. As per a survey conducted by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) between December 2024 and April 2025, 50,000 foreign-born individuals aged 18 to 65 were interviewed. It excluded asylum seekers without recognised residence status.

According to the findings:

• 57 per cent, about 5.7 million people, want to stay long term

• 12 per cent, around 1.2 million, see their stay as temporary

• 30 per cent, nearly 3 million, are undecided

Nearly 2.6 million immigrants said they had considered leaving Germany in the past year. Among them, 300,000 already had concrete emigration plans.

Speaking to Business Standard, Yuliya Kosyakova, head of migration and labour market research at the IAB said, “Twenty-six per cent, or around 2.6 million people, say that they actually considered leaving Germany last year,”. The official noted, “Around 3%, or 300,000 people, already have concrete plans to leave.”

Why Foreigners Want to Leave Germany

As per the IAB findings, there are several reasons for return or onward migration:    

• Family ties drawing people back home

• Higher pay and career growth in other countries

• Dissatisfaction with bureaucracy, taxes and political climate

According to Gallegos Torres, a researcher at the institute, “Almost two-thirds of immigrants report perceived discrimination, for example at work, on the housing market, in public spaces or in contact with the police.” The researcher further said, “A third of immigrants also feel either not at all or only slightly welcome. These are factors that significantly increase the tendency to emigrate.”