The proposed European Union blue card has been getting a lot of press lately, with member states haggling over the details of how it would work and countries such as the United States grumbling about the competition for skilled overseas workers that could ensue. However, governments are notoriously known for moving slow and it could take some time before the blue card is actually implemented. What options are available for skilled migrants hoping to go the European Union in the near future?

With 27 separate member states -- each with their own immigration policies -- sifting through all the requirements, laws, restrictions, etc, can be a bit daunting. With some patience and perseverance, an individual intent on making their way in the EU can find something that will fit his or her needs.

It's generally the case that most EU member states require a job offer of some kind before a work permit can be issued. Not only that, but the employer wishing to hire from outside the EU must prove that a suitable worker could not be found within the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

However, finding a job and acquiring a work permit is not the only way for someone to get permission to live in a European Union country and engage in profitable activities. Another route that some member nations offer is to enter the country as an entrepreneur. If an individual has enough capital, a business plan, nothing bad on their record (medical or criminal), and in some cases, the required language skills, a residence permit with permission to work as an entrepreneur can be granted.

Unfortunately, different EU member states have different entrepreneurial requirements, mainly in regards to the amount of capital that a migrant must have in the bank when starting the business. It can range anywhere from USD $4,000 to half a million USD or more. It's also not easy to start a business that will actually be profitable -- at least in the short term.

Some countries offer special schemes designed to reduce shortages in the labor market for specific sectors or occupations, while others provide schemes in an effort to generally increase their global economic competitiveness.

For instance, the United Kingdom has already expressed its desire to opt out of the blue card immigration scheme and go it alone with its new points based system. This system, designed to replace 80 or so immigration routes that are currently in existence, is broken into five "tiers" which range from highly skilled workers to temporary workers and students.

Details are still sparse, but if the first tier is like the current Highly Skilled Migrant Programme it's designed to replace, than skilled individuals with the right criteria of age, past earnings, past experience, etc, can score enough points to receive a visa that will allow them to come to the UK without a specific job offer and look for employment.

As for coming to the UK as an entrepreneur, the investment capital requirement of GBP 200,000 can make this route somewhat unattractive.

Many highly skilled individuals hope to find work in countries such as France and Germany. Unfortunately, immigration requirements for these countries are somewhat strict. Germany requires an migrant worker with a job offer to make a minimum of 85,000 euros a year, after a timely process by the employer of proving that the position could not be sourced from within the EEA or Switzerland.

Before 2004, the EU was only composed of 15 nations. With the accession of the former communist Central and Easter European states, an immigrants options for working in the European Union increased by almost 50 percent.

Many people feel that these new EU members might not be the best choice for an immigrant to think about. However, the economies of these nations are growing dramatically, English is widely spoken in most of these nations, and they generally have attractive immigration requirements for getting permission to live and work.

One good example is Latvia, a country many people still profess to having never heard of. The capital, Riga, is very cosmopolitan, English is widely spoken alongside Latvian and Russian, and there is a large foreign population in the center of the city.

While there are still requirements for job offers and labor market assessment considerations, an non-EU entrepreneur can set up a business in Latvia with a base capital investment of USD $4,000. In this case, a temporary residence permit will be issued that is renewed yearly. After five continuous years of living in the country, permanent residence can be applied for.

The Czech Republic has recently introduced a plan to create their own "green card" program to help them fill gaps in the labor market for highly skilled occupations.

The program is designed to streamline the application for a work permit and residence permit which was previously a time consuming process. A worker from outside the European Union can be granted work and residency permission in as little as 30 days. It's expected to go into effect in the first half of 2008.

The Czech Republic also allows entrepreneurs to set up shop with a fairly reasonable capital investment of approximately USD $11,300.

These examples are just a glance at the requirements for immigrating to these countries so it is recommended to research the various government websites to get further information. Hopefully, the European Union blue card will streamline all these requirements, at least for member states that decide to sign on to the program.

Further Information

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Working in the UK

Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs - Latvia

Working in the Czech Republic