Green Card Scheme Denmark

Important Note:: Please note that the Danish Green Card Scheme is presently not active and not sure if it will be reinstated at any time soon. This page is kept up for those who are interested in the old scheme. The program was cancelled due to the fact that it did not work in attracting those people that were needed to fill the job vacancies, yet had other unfortunate unexpected consequences.

During the past few years, there has been a large influx of people seeking employment in Denmark and in response, the government has tightened restictions. As a result, we now have the Green Card scheme, which allows you to live and work in Denmark if you can score enough points.

There are several type of visas available that can get you into the Danish job market and later a resident of Denmark. Suggest you check out the www.nyidanmark.dk website which goes into very good detail of the various programs.

You score points on the following 5 criteria: your education, work experience, age and language skills. If you score at least 100 points, you can qualify for a work permit and 3 year residence permit.The Green Card Scheme for resident purposes will allow you to live in Denmark in order to search for work if you can also meet the following conditions.

You must also have enough money to support yourself while you look for a job. If you bring your family you will also have to be able to support them. I suggest you come alone and obtain work before bringing your family. it will be easier on your budget, especially when the economy is still struggling and work is still scarce. Below our the financial guidelines.

The going rate for 2015 is 10,849 per adult per month and 42,804 per child per year. You must have your own health insurance to cover you until you get a job and the required permits.

DKK 303,180
(12 x 10,849* + 12 x 14,416**)

So for example if you and your spouce with one child move to Denmark you would need to have 303,180 kr in the bank to prove you can live in Denmark for a year.

That works out to 10,849 + 10,849 x 12 + 42,804   .... 303,180 per year.

Remember you will not have access to any public assistance (welfare, benefits, etc.) while under the green card scheme.

Five Criteria for the Green Card Scheme

The five criteria are education, age, work experience, language skills and adaptabilty. If you can garner at least 100 points, you will be granted a work permit. This only gives you the right to seek work - it is no guarantee that there is a job waiting for you.

Education

You will have to have an equivalent of a Bachelor's degree in Denmark standards. Since education standards vary from country to country, you will need to submit your education qualifications to Cirius, a government agency that will access their value.

You get the following points:

Bachelor's degree: 30 points.

Bachelor's degree plus 1 year masters: 50 point.

Graduate Degree: 60 points.

Phd: 80 points

There are also bonus points if you graduated from one of the top 400 schools on the school list.

Place in the top 400: 5 points

Place in the top 200: 10 points

Place in the top 100: 15 points

You can also get an additional 10 points if your degree is in a field that is one the positive list.

Age

You will also get points depending on your age.

If you are 35 - 40 years old, you get 10 points.

If you are 34 or younger you will get 15 points.

No points for being over 40 and wiser. Guess that is its own reward!

Work Experience

Work Experience also plays arole in the Green Card Scheme.

You get 5 points if you have worked in your field for 3-5 years within the past 5 years.

You get 10 points if you have worked 1 - 2 years within the past 5 years as a researcher or within a field on the positive list.

You get 15 points if you have worked 3 - 5 years within the past 5 years as a researcher or within a field on the positive list.

Language Skills

You can also earn points for the green card scheme via language skills which includes knowledge of Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German.

Points can be earned for both one Scandinavian language (Danish, Norwegian or Swedish) and either English or German, but not for both English and German or two or more Scandinavian languages.

You will be required to show that you have passed an exam equivalent to at least a Danish Language Test, Level 1.

Alternatively, you can prove language proficiency through a statement by your previous employer stating that you used Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German while performing your job for at least one year, or by proving that you have completed at least one year's study in higher education which was taught in one of these languages.

In the case of these last two requirements, you will have shown a language proficiency equal to a Study Test in Danish as a Second Language.

Language Proficiency Level Points

Level 1 - 5 Points

Level 2 - 10 Points

Level 3 - 15 Points

Test in Danish as a 2nd Language - 20 points

Note:You can only get a max of 30 points in the language criteria.

Adaptability

Another way to get points is for your ability to adapt to the Danish labor market.

These points will be given for educational and social ties to the EU. In other words if you have gone to school or lived in the EU/EEA/ Switzerland, it is possible to add a few points since Denmark believes this experience will help you adapt easier.

Points are awarded as follows:

You get 5 points for having at least one year of education completed with an exam, if it was in the EU/EEA or Switzlerland.

You get 10 points for having at least three years of education completed with an exam, if it was in the EU/EEA or Switzlerland.

You can also get 5 points if you have at least 1 year of continuos employment in the EU/EEA or Switzerland.

You can also get 10 points if you have 2 years of continuos employment in the EU/EEA or Switzerland.

If you can pass a proficiency test in Danish at a level 2 or higher you will get another 5 points.

You can accumulate a maximum of 15 points in the adaptability category.

Other Conditions

Do not lose out on getting approved via the green card scheme by overlooking the other documents required to apply. It is important to send all relevant documents to the Immigration Department or the Danish Embassy. Copies can be issued, but they must be stamped by an official stating that they have seen the originals.

If the originals are not in German, Swedish or Norwegian, they must be accompanied by a translation in Danish or English.

It is also possible to extend your work permit up to 4 years as long as you have been working.

Any missing or incorrect information can end up in a rejection, so make sure to double check and fill out everything, so your chances of acceptance is increased. This process is not quick, so be patient if you decide to apply and best of luck.  There are new changes being made to the Green Card Scheme, due to a lot of problems with applicants still not being able to find good paying jobs when they arrive in Denmark.

Studies have shown that many applicants end up taking menial labor jobs in order to survive. Read about the latest updates to the scheme here.

Other helpful pages are:

• Documents for Denmark
• CPR number and registration
• National Registers Office
• Getting started guide
  

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