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If you've ever wanted to live in Germany or anywhere else in the EU, today's video is for you. We're going to talk about the EU Blue Card, an incredible program for skilled professionals that lets you live and work in the EU and eventually become a permanent resident. Be sure to watch the whole video, because I will also talk about the new rules of the EU Blue Card that just went into effect last month. Let's start with the basics. What is the EU Blue Card? The EU blue card allows foreign nationals from outside of the EU to live and work in 25 out of the 27 EU countries. Denmark and Ireland are the two countries that do not participate. The EFTA member countries like Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland also do not participate. The goal of the program is to bring more skilled professionals to the European Union countries. It does require for you to have a job and be a paid employee in an EU country. So if you're self-employed, there are other ways to live and work in the EU for an extended period of time. I would check out this video to learn more about those options. The most attractive thing about the EU Blue Card is that it gives you a path to permanent residency and eventually citizenship. After 33 months of working, you can apply for permanent residency. If you can achieve a B1 language level of that country, you can actually apply in 21 months. And of course, they're going to test your language ability. One thing that has become easier with the new rules is that EU Blue Card holders can now move to another EU country after 12 months in the country that originally gave them their EU Blue Card. So who is eligible for the EU Blue Card? Here are the criteria you have to meet and keep in mind that some of these were revised in September, 2021. Generally, you need at least a bachelor's degree. And this is where you need to look at country specific requirements because some countries will accept three to five years of professional experience in certain industries even if you don't have the right degree. Next, you need to show proof of employment through a job offer or work contract of at least six months. This used to be one year and it was just reduced to six months. A lot of government sites still show one year because they probably just haven't caught up to the new rules yet. You also have to meet the minimum salary threshold for the country in which you'd like to work. Now for most countries, that's somewhere between one to 1.6 times the average national salary of that country. So in countries like Austria or Germany, we're talking about roughly 65,000 euros a year. The general application process for the EU Blue Card is same across all these EU countries, but some countries require the employee to take on the paperwork. And whereas others may require the employer to file the paperwork on behalf of the employee. More often, you will find that you, the employee are expected to file the paperwork in your home country through an EU embassy or consulate. Every country also has minor requirements that differ from country to country. For example, some countries ask for medical reports, and if you'd like a video that goes into more detail about the actual application process, just let me know in the comments, along with which country you are interested in. Now, let's go through a few common questions that come up about the EU Blue Card. The first being, how long does it take to get the EU Blue Card? So generally up to 90 days, which in the spectrum of immigration is very quick. And these EU Blue Cards are typically valid from anywhere from one to four years, depending on the country. For example, Austria issues an EU Blue Card for two years, Germany for four years, and Spain for 12 months. And of course, if your work contract gets extended, you can also renew your EU Blue Card for a longer period. Can you move to another EU country? Yes. After 12 months you can move to another EU country, but you will have to apply for a new EU Blue Card. And as for switching jobs, the rules vary by country. But remember, eventually if you want to live in Europe long term, you will be applying for permanent residency in one specific country. So let's say you've been living and working in Germany, and you've really mastered the language quite well enough to meet that B1 language level. Then you'd be able to apply for permanent residency in 21 months. And once you're a permanent resident, you actually have a lot of freedom to move around Europe. And that might be the faster path. So if you hop around countries after 12 months, you will have to check how they count that time towards permanent residency. Usually, it's faster to accrue all your time that you need to build towards permanent residency in one place and get it out of the way. But again, you'll have to check this. So just keep this in mind before you decide to move after 12 months to another EU country, if your goal is to get to EU residency as fast as possible. Moving on to the next question, can my family come with me to the EU? Yes. Your family can use actually come with you and be on your application for an EU Blue Card as long as they meet some basic conditions. I will share some resources in the description below for those of you that are interested in learning more about the EU Blue Card and generally living in the EU. If there is a topic that you'd like me to go into greater detail about, just please let me know in the comments. And if you found today's video helpful, hit the like button below, share this with anyone who this might benefit. And of course, I will see you in the next video.