PM welcomes Germany's move to grant 90,000 skilled labour visas to Indians

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed Germany's move to significantly increase the annual cap on skilled labour visas and work permits for Indian professionals.

In Short

• Germany to raise skilled labour visas for Indians to 90,000
• PM Modi praises move, says it will boost Germany's growth
• Germany to simplify visa process and recognise Indian qualifications

Germany has unveiled plans to significantly increase the annual cap on skilled labour visas and work permits for Indian professionals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Germany's step, saying it will give new momentum to the Western nation's growth.

On Friday, PM Modi hosted Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is on his third India visit. Addressing the media after the meeting, PM Modi said the Scholz administration had decided to increase the number of visas granted annually to skilled Indian workers to 90,000, up from 20,000.

"When India's dynamics and Germany's precision meet, when Germany's engineering and India's innovation meet... a better future is decided for the Indo-Pacific and the entire world," PM Modi said.

In 2022, India and Germany signed a migration agreement to facilitate mobility for professionals and students.

Germany has also pledged to ease its visa application process and to improve the recognition of Indian professional qualifications in Germany.

According to the German Economic Institute, the country is grappling with over 5.7 lakh unfilled job vacancies across various industries. The new visa policy is seen as an essential step in attracting foreign talent to alleviate these labour shortages.

With inputs from agencies