The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) is a new residence permit under Germany’s Skilled Immigration Act.
It lets non-EU professionals come to Germany without having a fixed employment contract and look for a job on site.
During the 12-month validity, holders can do a “trial work” (up to 2 weeks per employer) or part-time work (up to 20 hours/week).
There’s a points-based system: to qualify via the “potential pillar,” you need at least 6 points.
Work experience (i.e., professional experience) is one of the key criteria in the points system. It helps assess how much “potential” a candidate has to contribute in their field in Germany.
Here’s how it works:
2 years of professional experience (in the last 5 years) → 2 points
5 years of professional experience (in the last 7 years) → 3 points
These work experience points are in addition to your basic qualification (vocational training or university degree) and language skills.
There are (roughly) two “routes” to the Opportunity Card, depending on your background:
Direct route (Skilled Worker):
If you already have a recognized qualification (university degree or vocational training), you might qualify directly without needing to go through the points system.
In this case, work experience is not strictly required as part of the points-route, but being “skilled” already gives you access.
Points system route (“Potential Pillar”):
You must fulfill some basic requirements (min. 2 years vocational training or a degree, plus language proficiency)
Then you collect points for:
Recognition of your qualification (up to 4 points)
Work experience (2 or 3 points)
Language skills (German / English)
Age, prior stay in Germany, etc.
To claim points for work experience, you need to provide evidence:
Employer’s references or certificates of employment. According to the Indian Foreign Office’s checklist, proof must come from previous employers.
It should be “in connection with the qualification” — meaning your experience should be relevant to what you studied or trained in.
The Opportunity Card info document (from the German mission) also stresses this relevance.
Understanding how work experience scores can help you optimize your application:
If you have 5+ years of experience:
That gives you the maximum points (3) for work experience.
Combined with other strong criteria (good qualification recognition, language), this can strongly boost your total.
If you have 2–4 years of experience (recent):
You still get 2 points, which is decent.
Make sure it’s within the last 5 years — older experience may not count as per the rules.
If your experience is not “relevant” to your qualification:
This could be tricky. The rules say experience should be “in connection with the qualification.”
In practice, “relevant” means the job role should ideally align with what you studied or trained for. If not, your points claim may be challenged or questioned.
If you lack formal qualification but have very strong experience:
This card is not primarily for “pure experience” without qualification. Unlike some visa schemes (e.g., for IT workers for Blue Card), here qualification + experience is more central.
There is a special case for IT professionals under some paths, but that’s more relevant to other visa categories and not the standard Opportunity Card route.
Documentation risk: If you don’t have proper employment letters, or your job titles/role descriptions are vague, you may struggle to convincingly prove “relevant experience.”
Timing matters: Your experience must lie within the allowed “window” (last 5 or 7 years as per the rule).
Combine criteria smartly: If your work experience alone doesn’t get you enough points, compensate via other criteria (language, qualification recognition, etc.).
Use the self-check tool: Make use of tools like the “Self-Check: Chancenkarte” on the Make It in Germany portal to estimate your points.
Professional help: If your situation is complicated (non-linear work history, mixed job roles), consider consulting immigration/legal experts who specialize in German skilled immigration.
Balancing flexibility with quality: By not only relying on formal qualifications but also valuing relevant experience, Germany opens doors to a broader set of skilled workers.
Encouraging practical readiness: Real-world work experience often means the candidate is “work-ready” — not just theoretically trained.
Reducing brain waste: Recognizing work experience helps skilled workers from diverse backgrounds who may not have “ideal” academic credentials but have proven skills.
Long-term integration: Experienced professionals may integrate and contribute faster, especially if they secure a job during their 12-month stay.
The annual requirement for the blocked account (to prove financial sufficiency) was updated: as of 1 Jan 2025, for example, the standard requirement is € 13,092.
The law came into effect on 1 June 2024, per Make It in Germany.
For regulated professions (e.g., doctors, nurses), recognition of qualification is more complex; but for work experience, the same point logic applies.
Work experience is a key criterion in the Opportunity Card’s points system.
You can earn 2 or 3 points, depending on how many years of relevant experience you have.
Having good, well-documented experience significantly improves your chances, but you should combine it with a recognized qualification and language skills to hit the minimum 6-point threshold.
Be strategic: verify your documentation, understand how “relevance” is judged, and use all scoring levers (age, qualification, language) to maximize your eligibility.
