Acquiring the Danish green card and work permit program - Official requirement

The Danish Green card is a pathway for those who want to stay and earn a living in Denmark for a period of three years to do so. The Danish Green card becomes a necessity because a foreigner can work in Denmark only if one has a work permit. It is illegal to work in Denmark without a green card, and if someone decides to work without the required documentation, those along with the employer receive a penalty.

                              

There are a few exceptions to obtaining the Danish Green card. For example, Nordic people do not need work permit to be able to work legally in Denmark. EU/EEA citizens or Swiss citizens can stay in Denmark based on EU rules of Free Movement though they may have to follow some rules. Persons who may already have a residence permit based on humanitarian grounds or family reunification or asylum too, do not require a work permit, prior to obtaining the Danish Green card.

Denmark’s immigration policy, similar to the United Kingdom’s skilled immigration program, utilizes a point-based system called the Danish Green Card Scheme. Selection factors that form part of the point- based system includes applicant’s educational and professional qualifications, language proficiency, number of years of experience in claimed occupation, age of the applicant and various other factors such as educational qualification. The green card applicable for non-Europeans, migrants come to Denmark under a renewable 3 years permit for finding work. If they meet the eligibility criteria, they can file an application and receive their visa in 6 to 12 months. This allows an individual to enter Denmark and live there on a PR Visa and as soon as they get a job, they acquire a permit to work.

Summary

Individuals, who meet the eligibility criteria, can file an application to receive their Danish visa in 20-50 days. The Danish visa helps them to travel to Denmark and look for work there. As soon as they find a job, the Danish authorities issue the Danish Green Card immediately, which acts as a permit to work and live in Denmark or any other EU country.

The official requirement under the Danish Green card scheme and employment permit program

It is possible to obtain residence authorization for the purpose of seeking work, and subsequently working, in Denmark. Residence and work permit under the Green card scheme is issued based on an individual evaluation using a point scheme planned to assess the likelihood that the candidate will be able to find qualified work in Denmark.

Green card scheme
When an individual receives a residence permit under the Green card scheme, they do not need to obtain a work permit. A residence permit under the Green card scheme gives them the right to carry out paid or unpaid work, apart from self-employment.

For those who already hold a Danish residence permit based on family reunification or asylum, or hold a residence permit on humanitarian grounds, they do not need a work permit in order to work in Denmark.
In order to receive residence permit under the Green card scheme, an individual must attain a minimum of 100 points based on the educational level, language skills, work experience, adaptability, and age.
In addition, a full health insurance cover that covers any accompanying family member, until the Danish National Health Insurance, is issued is required.

Individuals must document that they are able to support themselves, and any accompanying family member, during the first year in Denmark. The documentation that is required can be a recent bank statement that clearly states in which currency and on which date the statement was issued.

The residence permit under the Green Card Scheme is issued for up to three years, but is can prolonged for one year for individuals with permanent work of a certain scope or has had permanent work of a certain scope and have been made redundant at the most three months prior to applying for an extension.

In conclusion

Individuals who have obtained residence permits based on the Green Card Scheme may also bring their spouses, a registered partner, cohabiting partners and children under the age of 18 years residing at their home. If any of these obtains a residence permit, they are entitled to work as long as the residence permit remains valid.

Who qualifies for the Danish Greencard?

Denmark is rated among the top immigration destinations among the EU countries. Due to its flourishing economy, rapidly expanding it industry and high standard of lifestyle, many skilled individuals are attracted to the country.

The Danish government introduced a Danish Greencard system to facilitate the immigration of people into the country. These schemes ensure that people whose skills are useful to Denmark are allowed to immigrate and acquire work permit and a residence visa. Holders of the Danish Greencard can look for jobs in Denmark or any other country in the Schengen region.

A point based system is used to vet each applicant. Points are awarded under different criteria. The higher the amount of points an applicant earns, the higher the chances of being selected for the Danish Greencard scheme. This is because high scoring individuals are likely to be able to find useful employment in Denmark to help plug the employment deficit in certain areas of the economy. Certain professional areas in Denmark lack the correct number of skilled workers to fill the jobs. Such areas are included in the positive list. Applicants whose professional area is listed on this list have earned points which raise their chances of getting the Danish Greencard.

Apart form educational and professional qualification, age citizenship, work experience, language skills are also factored into the point based scheme. Young, highly educated professionals with the right experience and linguistic skills have the highest chance of successful applying for a Danish Greencard under this scheme.

Successful applicants must prove that they can comfortably support themselves in Denmark for the first one year. Usually a recent bank statement would suffice. This is to minimize the number of Danish Greencard holders who seek social support during their stay.