The experience route (§ 6 BeschV): hiring Filipino technicians without prior recognition

The rule

The Federal Employment Agency approves skilled employment for a third-country national who has at least two years of relevant professional experience in the last five years, a job offer at or above 45 % of the pension contribution ceiling — €45,630 gross a year in 2026 — and a professional qualification that is state-recognised in the country where it was obtained and required at least two years of training, or a state-recognised degree. If the employer is bound by a collective agreement and employs the worker at tariff conditions, the salary threshold does not apply. IT specialists need no formal qualification. Workers aged 45 or over at first entry must earn 55 % of the ceiling — €55,770 — or show adequate pension provision.

No German recognition procedure, no language requirement in the ordinance, no priority check. The qualification's existence and duration are confirmed through the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) before the visa.

Which Filipino qualifications pass the two-year test

• Pass: Bachelor's degrees (engineering, nursing, business); two- and three-year technical diplomas (Diploma in Industrial Technology, Associate degrees, three-year technical-vocational programmes); TESDA diploma programmes of two years or more.
• Do not pass on their own: TESDA National Certificates (NC II, NC III) obtained through short courses of weeks or months — the certificate is state-recognised, but the training length is below two years. Candidates with NC II plus a two-year diploma pass; NC II alone routes to the vocational-training visa or a full recognition procedure.

We check the training length of every candidate's qualification before presenting them, because the Embassy in Manila will.

Who this route suits

Tariff-bound industrial employers — metal and electrical industry, chemicals, automotive suppliers — hiring welders, electricians, industrial mechanics, CNC machinists and maintenance technicians with diplomas and Gulf or Asian plant experience. Non-tariff employers must meet the €45,630 threshold, which excludes many trades at entry level. Everything here is subject to applicable German recognition, immigration, licensing and labour-law requirements.

Frequently asked questions

• We are not tariff-bound — can we still use the route?

  Yes, if the gross salary is at least €45,630 a year (€55,770 for candidates aged 45 or over). Below that, the recognition partnership or the training visa may be alternatives, if their separate conditions — the two-year qualification and A2, or a training contract and B1 — are met.

• Does a TESDA NC II count?

  Only if the training behind it took at least two years. Most NC II courses do not; a two-year diploma plus NC II does.

• Is there a recognition procedure later?

  Not required. Workers can pursue recognition voluntarily in Germany; many do for career reasons.