Scoring Systems for Qualified Immigration by International Comparison

In the competition for international specialists, some traditional destinations for immigration rely on so-called point systems. Although point systems are often part of potential-oriented immigration systems, they allow for demand-oriented control. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Austria already apply this type of potential-oriented immigration. In terms of design, the countries' point systems differ considerably in some respects, including the criteria taken into account, procedure, quotas and fees. In Germany, Baden-Württemberg is now the first region to test the points-based immigration of skilled workers.