New law to grant 'German Citizenship' to millions of immigrants

Highlights: Great news! New law to grant German citizenship to Millions

• The minimum residency period would be cut from 8 to 5 years.
• Proficiency in the German has become a key criteria for naturalization.
• Eligible for citizenship after 3 years of residence.
• Automatically granted citizenship for children born in Germany, if one parent has legally resided in Germany for at least five years.

*Willing to migrate to Germany? Check your eligibility to Germany through Y-Axis Germany Skilled Immigration Points Calculator.

New German citizenship plan

To make it easier for foreigners to become citizens of Germany, the German government has proposed a new citizenship law. The German cabinet has approved a draft law that would loosen citizenship requirements, hoping that a quicker route to citizenship will entice skilled immigrants to help Europe's largest economy deal with persistent labor shortages.

Berlin anticipates that skillful migrants will be drawn to the nation even though having German citizenship is not required for employment. Berlin wants to position Germany as a top destination for international capacity, alike to the United States and Canada.

The following are the main provisions of the bill, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Interior today after the new law was approved:

Future requirements for naturalization will include:

• Successful integration.
• Proficiency in the German language.
• The capacity to support oneself.
• Instead of the current eight years, citizenship by naturalization will be granted after five years of residence in Germany.
• Naturalization after three years will be possible for those who have established exceptional performance at work or in their volunteer actions, who speak German fluently, and who are financially independent.
• If at least one parent has been residing legally in Germany for more than five years, all foreign parents' children who are born in Germany will automatically receive German citizenship.
• The naturalization test will be abolished for visitors and contract workers who have significantly aided Germany's development.

However, the law establishes requirements that foreign nationals who want to obtain German passports must abide by, including a commitment to the free democratic basic order. Additionally, foreigners who practice polygamy or disregard gender equality will not be eligible for the new citizenship benefits.

You will need a residence title if you want to move to Germany from a non-EU nation. The kind of title depends on why you are living in Germany. In general, if you have a residence title and a law doesn't specifically prohibit it, you are free to work.

Willing to work in Germany? Contact Y-Axis, the Australia’s leading overseas immigration consultant.

For more immigration updates, follow Y-Axis News Page.