In Europe, the workforce is facing labour shortages because of demographic change. To address this, the EU economy increasingly relies on non-EU workers. Facilitating legal migration is therefore crucial for boosting the EU’s competitiveness.
Two recent developments at EU-level, will help attract the desired talent from abroad
- the rules in the updated Single Permit Directive becoming fully operational across the EU
- the EU Talent Pool, the first EU-wide digital platform connecting non-EU workers with EU employers, entering into force
Simplifying applications to work and reside in the EU
The Single Permit Directive makes it easier for people from outside the EU to apply for jobs, by providing one single permit for both the right to work and reside in the EU. An update to this directive was proposed to simplify applications and speed up the application procedure for a single permit. It
- allows holders of a valid residence permit to apply directly from the EU without having to go back to their country of origin
- obliges EU countries to decide on an application for a single permit within 90 days, including a potential labour market test
The new rules also better protect non-EU workers, including against labour exploitation – EU countries must inform them about their rights, allow them to change their employer under certain conditions and allow them to be unemployed and stay in the country during the validity of the single permit.
EU countries had until May 2026 to adjust their national legal frameworks. The rules do not apply in Denmark and Ireland.
Facilitating international recruitment into the EU
The EU Talent Pool will become the first EU-wide platform to facilitate international recruitment of jobseekers from outside of Europe, particularly for occupations facing labour shortages. Whilst this new initiative entered into force in June 2026, the Commission is currently still developing the platform. It is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2027.
The platform will allow jobseekers from third countries to register a profile on the platform with their skills, qualifications, work experience and language knowledge. EU employers from participating EU countries will also be able to post job vacancies.
Efforts to facilitate legal migration and resettlement are a key part of the EU’s balanced approach to migration and asylum. They complement what the EU is doing to tackle irregular migration, particularly through the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which sets out a comprehensive and strictly enforced set of rules to improve asylum and migration management.
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