The proposal revamps the existing rules and aims to improve the EU’s ability to attract and retain highly skilled third-country nationals, since demographic patterns suggest that even with the more skilled EU workforce the New Skills Agenda aims to develop, there will still be a need to attract additional talent in the future.
The new proposal establishes a single EU-wide scheme, replacing parallel national schemes for the purpose of highly skilled employment to provide more clarity for applicants and employers and make the scheme more visible and competitive.
It enhances intra-EU mobility by facilitating the procedures and also allowing for shorter business trips of up to 90 days within the Member States who apply the Blue Card.
It lowers the salary threshold by creating a flexible range within which Member States can adjust the threshold to their labour markets contexts, and foresees more appropriate conditions for recent third-country national graduates and workers in areas with a labour shortage.
Under the new Blue Card scheme, highly skilled beneficiaries of international protection will be able to apply for a Blue Card.
The proposal strengthens the rights of both the Blue Card holders (allowing for quicker access to long-term residence status, immediate and more flexible labour market access) and their family members (ensuring they can join the EU Blue Card holder simultaneously), which should make the EU a more attractive destination for the highly skilled employees which our economy needs.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-2041_en.htm
