Many people want to know what would make them eligible for the European Union's proposed Blue Card. Currently, as the Blue Card skilled immigration scheme continues to be hammered out, there are a few ideas being tabled by EU authorities.

The following are the main requirements for obtaining a Blue Card that have been voiced so far:

Job offer in a European Union member state

This is probably the number one requirement, if enacted. As the proposal stands now, a skilled worker would need to have a valid job offer to be eligible for a Blue Card. Many critics feel that this makes the Blue Card scheme weak compared to skilled immigration schemes in other countries -- the very countries the European Commission feels that the EU needs to compete with to attract top talent from around the world.

While employment-based Green Cards in the United States operate in much the same way as employment requirements for the Blue Card, skilled migration programs in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia do not require a job offer in all cases.

In addition, EU employers will most likely be required to show that an EU citizen could not be found to fill the position.

Previous experience or qualification

This is one the requirements that is still under consideration. The debate centers around requiring either a qualification with at least three-year's study or at least five years of experience in a relevant field.

Salary level

Under the current plan, Blue Card applicants will be required to show that they will be making as much as 1.7 times the average base salary in their chosen EU member state of residence.

Must be a Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen

This may seem obvious unless you are familiar with recent European Union history. New member states, such as Romania and Bulgaria who joined in 2007, currently have many restrictions placed on them for where they can work in the EU.

For instance, Romanian and Bulgarian nationals must obtain special permission to work in the UK, France, and other western European nations until transitional arrangements have expired or the imposing nations decide to relax these restrictions.

This also affects eight other states: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland. These countries also have work restriction placed on them in a number of countries, although not as many as Romania and Bulgaria.

Many new-member state nationals are wondering whether the Blue Card will give them a way around these restrictions. Unfortunately, the answer is no -- the Blue Card is specifically for skilled workers from beyond the EU/EEA and Switzerland (the European Economic Area and Switzerland have special agreements that allow for easy employment in each others' nations).

Because of this, some countries such as the Czech Republic refuse to support the Blue Card proposal unless all member states drop work restrictions for their citizens.

Early vote in November

At the start of November, MEPs in the Civil Liberties Committee will give their vote on a report on the Blue Card. Later that month, the full EU parliament will vote on the agreement, according to the EU Parliament's website. Once this takes place, some of these requirements will be better known, clarified, or possibly changed.