Europe agrees to Blue Card for skilled migrants

European Union officials agreed to develop a so-called Blue Card, a fast-track work visa they hope will attract skilled migrant workers from devleoping countries. Engineers and health care workers are in high demand.

In a bid to attract high-skilled workers from developing countries, the European Union will push forward a Blue Card scheme, an EU official told Reuters news agency.

The Blue Card, which will be good for up to four years, will speed up the application process and make it easier for workers to bring families, get housing and acquire long-term resident status.

The EU hopes that the coordinated system for allocating work permits will allow the EU to compete with other Western countries for educated migrants such as technology workers and hospital staff. As Europe grows older, the shortage of skilled professionals is expected to increase.

Currently, skilled workers make up less than 2 percent of migrants in the EU. That’s compared with 10 percent of migrants in Australia, 7.3 percent in Canada and 3.2 percent in the United States, according to EU data.

Read the rest of the story: Deutsche Welle, 22 October 2008