27.04.2022

LEGAL MIGRATION: ATTRACTING SKILLS AND TALENTS TO THE EU

The European Commission is proposing an ambitious and sustainable policy for legal migration. As part of the comprehensive approach to migration set out in the Migration and Asylum Pact, the Commission is proposing legal and operational initiatives that will benefit the EU economy, strengthen cooperation with non-EU countries and improve overall migration management in the long term. The set of proposals also includes concrete actions to facilitate access to the EU labor market for people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Commission proposes to revise the Single Permit Directive and the Long-Term Residents Directive.

The introduction of a simplified procedure for a single combined work and residence permit will make the process faster and easier for applicants and employers, and the revision of the Long-Term Residents Directive will facilitate the acquisition of long-term residence status in the EU by simplifying the conditions for reception. In order to better match skills and labor market needs, the Commission proposes to strengthen operational cooperation at EU level between Member States as well as with partner countries. Following the launch of the Talent Support Partnerships in June 2021, the Commission is currently proposing a number of steps so that the first partnerships can be agreed by the end of 2022.

The Commission is also proposing to set up the first EU-wide platform and a matching tool, the EU's talent pool, to make the EU more attractive to non-EU nationals looking for opportunities and to help employers find the talent they need. The Commission is exploring possible additional opportunities for legal migration to the EU in the medium and long term, taking into account the potential for focusing on future-oriented policies in three areas of action: care, youth and innovation.