Germany wants to ease visa application for Indian IT workers

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during the latter's ceremonial reception at the Indian Presidential palace, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday that his government wants to make it easier for information technology experts from India to obtain work visas in Germany as the country struggles with a shortage of skilled labour.

Scholz said improving the legal framework so Germany becomes more attractive for software developers and those with IT development skills is a priority for his government this year.

"We want to make the issuing of visas easier," he told reporters during a visit to India's high-tech hub of Bengaluru.

"Aside from the legal modernization we want to modernize the entire bureaucratic process as well," Scholz said.

Asked about workers who don't speak the language when they come to Germany, he said it should not be seen as a hurdle if people arrive in the country speaking English first and then acquire German later on.

Scholz was speaking on the second day of his trip to India, after meeting Saturday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the fallout from the war in Ukraine.

The German leader last year invited Modi to attend a summit of the Group of Seven leading industrial nations he hosted in Bavaria, and said he favours India joining this year's meeting in Japan, too.