The EU Blue Card: A Transnational Overview

In the face of demographic change and growing pressure for innovation, EU Member States are competing with other countries around the world for highly skilled workers. The Blue Card aims to promote and facilitate the permanent immigration of highly qualified third-country nationals into the EU. Although the validity period, the administrative fees, the applicable income limits and the number of Blue Cards issued vary per Member State, the Blue Card potentially has a positive impact on the immigration of highly skilled workers for all EU Member States. Blue Card reform, which Member States have been discussing since 2016, would benefit not only the target countries and applicants, but also internationally active companies and organisations – and thus the entire economic area of the EU.