The top 20 professions that can land you a European work visa

Source: Schengen Visa Info

An astonishing number of 400 different occupations have been classified as shortage occupations in at least one European Union or Schengen Area member state, while another 321 different professions have been listed as a surplus in at least one of these countries.

A report by the European Labour Authority (EURES) on labour shortages and surpluses based on 2022 data has shed light on the occupations which the EU countries struggle to fill in with their own labour force, and those for which there are too many professionals and not enough workplaces.

“The fact that a large number of shortage and surplus occupations were identified does not mean that many occupations are a shortage in some countries and in surplus in other countries,” the report reads, further explaining that such a finding would have established the possibility of successfully addressing the issue of labour market imbalances in Europe between the Member States.

As this is not the case, the EU countries have to turn to attract foreign workers, as the quickest way to fill in open vacancies that are crucial for the further development of their economies, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

The situation has pushed several countries, like Germany, to develop employment strategies targeting youngsters from specific countries, while also making it easier to get a work visa.

Other EU countries have also adjusted their work migration policies to become more alluring to foreign workers, in particular to those they desperately need.

In a recent recommendation, even the EU Commission has suggested promoting targeted labour migration from non-EU countries in specific skills groups, as one of the ways to tackle the absence of workers in key sectors across all Member States

The report by the EURES has published a list of some of the most sought-after professions in the EU, with some of them being a shortage occupation in as many as 16 countries. Foreigners who have the expertise or education in these professions have way higher chances of getting a work visa for Europe, compared to those in other occupations.

According to EURES, the following professions are the top 20 most wanted across the EU:

1. Bricklayers and related workers
2. Carpenters and joiners
3. Heavy truck and lorry drivers
4. Metal working machine tool setters and operators
5. Nursing professionals
6. Plumbers and pipe fitters
7. Building and related electricians
8. Welders and flame cutters
9. Concrete placers, concrete finishers and related workers
10. Sheet metal workers
11. Floor layers and tile setters
12. Software developers
13. Cooks
14. Building construction labourers
15. Electrical mechanics and fitters
16. Applications programmers
17. Generalist medical practitioners
18. Bus and tram driver
19. Motor vehicle mechanics and repairers
20. Specialist medical practitioners

Professions like graphic and multi-media designers, administrative and executive, journalists, interior designers and decorators, shop sales assistants, etc., will have a hard time getting a work visa for the EU as they are surplus in the majority of the Member States