EU Blue Card

EU Blue Card approved

EU Blue Card — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:51:58 +0000

Europe’s governments this afternoon approved an EU “Blue Card” scheme to attract highly-qualified migrant workers.

The new rules are designed to reverse a situation in which 85% of unskilled migrant labour currently goes to the EU countries, and only 5% to the USA - while 55% of skilled migrant labour goes to the USA and only 5% to the EU.

EU to introduce European ‘blue card’ immigration scheme

EU Blue Card — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:53:45 +0000

Britain, may be indirectly forced by the EU to open its borders to an extra 20-million workers from Asia and Africa. The European Union is planning to introduce a new ‘blue card’ scheme modelled on the American ‘green card’ Work Permit.

EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini announced: ‘The Blue EU Labour Card’ would allow qualified migrants from Asian and African countries the right to live, work and travel in the 27 member states. “The plan will be unveiled next month,” he said.

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Blue Card

EU Blue Card — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:52:50 +0000

The idea behind the Blue Card is a system similar to the US Green Card system for foreign workers. If approved, workers would be permitted to stay in an EU state and work for 2 years, with the possibility of extending that time or spending time in another EU state. The plan is to be unveiled on Oct. 23.

Note, though, that this would be for *skilled* workers in professions for which there is a shortage of workers in various EU countries. Your best bet for working abroad is still finding a niche that permits international work/flexibility and gearing your education/experience toward that.

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EU mulls ‘blue card’ for skilled immigrant workers

EU Blue Card — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:48:27 +0000

Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini, in a speech at an immigration conference in Lisbon, said he would unveil his “Blue EU Labour Card” to the 27-country EU on October 23 to help entice qualified job-seekers to Europe.

“The challenge is to attract the workers needed to fill specific gaps,” he said, noting that only five percent of people who migrate to the EU were skilled workers, compared to 55 percent arriving in the United States.

The “blue card,” which takes its name from the main color of the EU flag, would entitle highly qualified third country nationals to a series of rights in any of the EU nations.

A fast-track system would be set up to allow such workers to enter the bloc — they could stay for an initial period of two years which would be renewable — and obtain longer-term residence status more quickly, Frattini said.

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EU Blue Card

EU Blue Card — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:50:25 +0000

Politicians and bureaucrats on the European Union level have been watching the big picture for some time now, and came up with a somewhat awkwardly titled paper called “On an EU Approach to Managing Economic Migration” in January 2005. The originator of the idea, the EU commissioner for justice Franco Fratini, called the idea a “Blue Card” after the color in the European flag. The plan is part of a wider set of rules which are destined to overhaul working rights rules for legal residents of the European Union.

Full details on the Blue Card are expected in the fall of 2007. In 2006, the EU passed a law on permanent residency which significantly expanded the rights of non-EU citizens who are permanent residents in most EU states.

Among the rights which the Blue Card might give include the ability to move between EU member states on a periodic basis without having to get work permits to change jobs. The number of people taking advantage of the Blue Card scheme, though, may be subject to local conditions. Governments may decide that they need only a certain number of holders at any one time. The practical effect may be to spread talented non-EU citizens between traditionally popular and less popular destinations (i.e. “Paris is full-up, how about Lisbon or Bratislava?”) Indeed, some national governments may opt not to take anyone, but that will be their economic loss.

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European Union “Blue Card” work permit gathering steam

EU Blue Card — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 20:48:28 +0000

First discussed in 2005, the idea of an EU-wide employment permit seems to be gaining a foothold. The European Union may put forth a newly dubbed “Blue Card” scheme inspired by the U.S. Green Card program. Its aim is to attract top talent to the European Union to combat the aging population and declining birth rate problems.

The card will allow migrants to travel and work in any country within the European Union, rather than deal with the all the different visa and work permit requirements of each member nation. The card also allows workers to bring along their immediate family.

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