Berlin – November 03, 2026 -- Germany's construction industry says a planned halving of the Western Balkans visa scheme would leave the sector almost 9,000 workers short, according to calculations by the Central Association of the German Construction Industry (ZDB). The federal cabinet is due to discuss the cut on Wednesday.
Labor ministry draft would cap first-time approvals at 25,000 from 2027
Under a draft from the Federal Ministry of Labour, the Federal Employment Agency would grant only 25,000 initial approvals per year from January 1, 2027, down from 50,000. The scheme links legal labor migration to a concrete job offer. The ZDB is urging the government not to wave the reduction through.
Construction firms receive about 35% of visas issued
No sector would be hit harder, the ZDB says. Roughly 35% of visas under the scheme go to construction companies. According to the Federal Employment Agency, 98% of people who entered under the scheme took up employment.
One in seven construction employees holds a foreign passport, said ZDB Managing Director Felix Pakleppa. He argued that Germany cannot expand housing, repair bridges and build out energy grids while restricting access for the people who do that work. He called the scheme the industry's most successful model for recruiting workers and skilled labor from non-EU countries, and said small and mid-sized firms in particular need simple, legally secure and plannable recruitment routes.
Industry cites missing Work-and-Stay Agency as timing problem
The ZDB also objects to the timing. The government's announced improvements to labor migration, above all the Work-and-Stay Agency, are not yet in place. Pakleppa said the old bridge should not be torn down before the new one stands.
The ZDB wants the halving withdrawn and the scheme developed further with faster, digital procedures.