German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday said that his government wants to ease the path for Indian information technology experts to obtain work visas in Germany, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported.
“We want to simplify the issuing of visas. We intend to modernize the whole bureaucratic process in addition to legal modernization,” Scholz said while visiting India’s Silicon Valley in Bengaluru on Sunday. The plan would be to make it easier for the skilled workers needed in Germany to come to the country with their families, Scholz said.
Scholz was on an official visit to India from February 25-26. He was accompanied by senior officials and a high-powered business delegation.
The latest remarks by Scholz came on the second day of his India visit.
According to the German chancellor, Germany will need many skilled workers to meet the demand for software development in the country.
He said that it should be possible, initially, for people to arrive in Germany without a concrete job offer.
Relaxing language requirements would also help to make Germany a more attractive destination to sought-after professionals who might otherwise be lured to English-speaking countries.
“It is clear that anyone who comes to Germany as an IT specialist can first easily converse with all his or her colleagues in English because many in Germany can speak English,” Scholz said, adding that German could be learned later, DW reported.
“A lot of reform proposals have already been collected and we are continuing to work on them,” Scholz said.
Scholz on Sunday visited IT companies in Bengaluru, including a site operated by the German software company SAP. He was accompanied by business representatives
He also met officials and players from the Indian Premier League cricket team Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Scholz on Saturday said that India has undertaken an enormous rise and stressed that it is “very good” for the ties between the two nations. Speaking at a joint press meet along with PM Narendra Modi, Scholz noted that the development of IT and software is booming in India.
“India has undertaken an enormous rise, much has happened and that is also good for the relations between both our countries. The world is suffering because of the consequences of Russia’s aggression. Ensuring food and energy supplies right now,” Scholz said.
He further said, “We need talent, we need skilled workers. The development of IT and software is booming in India and many capable companies are here in India. India has so much talent and we want to benefit from that corporation. We want to recruit & attract that talent in Germany.”
In his remarks at the joint press meet, Scholz said that around 1800 German companies are active in India and have given thousands of jobs.