Up to 60% of companies rely on the recruitment of foreigners. However, the process of obtaining a work visa and residence permit takes up to 4 months
A survey conducted by AFI among investors who have invested in industry and services in the Czech Republic in the last 25 years has revealed several obstacles that need to be removed in order to make further investments. According to the survey, every second company is bothered by a lack of qualified workers. Businesses lack IT developers, electricians, CNC machine operators or designers, which, according to company representatives, should be addressed by long-term support for the attractiveness of vocational schools and technical universities, closer cooperation with companies and updating of study fields. There is a consensus among companies on the need to invest in digital skills training for employees. Every seventh company also sees a way out in hiring foreign workers, but it is necessary to simplify the employment of foreigners.
Foreign workers in our country often hold jobs that are not attractive to Czechs and are not interested in it. This most often applies to manufacturing or agricultural enterprises. Since January of this year, unemployment has been gradually declining and the number of vacancies still significantly exceeds the number of vacancies. Covering these jobs by foreign workers is thus a great rescue for many employers.
"Recruitment of foreigners is very time-consuming and administratively demanding and needs to be simplified. The whole process of obtaining a work visa and residence permit takes 3-4 months and sometimes even longer, in neighboring Poland only 14 days. We therefore propose speeding up the process and introducing the possibility of obtaining short-stay visas for more than 3 months, the possibility is up to 12 months. Recruitment can be accelerated, for example, by digitizing the immigration process, ie submitting and processing all applications electronically via data boxes, "says Gabriela Hrbáčková, a member of the Steering Committee of the Association for Foreign Investments - AFI, about employing foreigners.
The intentions of the current government were restrictive and sought, for example, to reduce the flexibility of agency employment, which will not help the labor market much. It is much more effective to focus on simplifying these processes, complying with legislation and opening up the labor market to foreigners, without whom we cannot do without in many sectors.
"The situation would also be improved by the abolition of the condition of two years of existence on the Czech market for the possibility of including the company in the economic migration program for the employment of workers primarily from Ukraine. Currently, 57% of companies rely on recruitment from abroad. The Czech market cannot do without foreigners; according to our survey, up to 60% of industrial and manufacturing companies count on their employment, ”adds Gabriela Hrbáčková about employing foreigners.
Contact: Ivona Novotna, PR Manager, ivona.novotna@afi.cz, 731 889 963
About the Association for Foreign Investment - AFI
The AFI Association is an organization for comprehensive support of investments and investors in the Czech Republic. It was established in 1996 as a platform for public-private cooperation with the aim of continuously improving the Czech investment environment, conditions for investors, legislation and communication and information exchange. AFI brings together 40 top companies supporting premium investments, which have a long history in helping all types of new investors to the Czech market.
Domestic investors, from the largest global brands to medium-sized Czech companies with Czech owners, are constantly appearing on the radar - from joining the EU through the economic crisis of 2008 to the COVID pandemic. AFI has facilitated a number of key foreign investments, including Honeywell, Toyota, Johnson Controls, NEXEN Tire, Denso, Yankee Candle, Canpack and A123.
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One of AFI's most important roles is to be the first point of contact for foreign investors, providing them with assistance with navigation and decision-making processes for any foreign incoming business. For this purpose, AFI regularly publishes a unique Business Guidebook in the Czech Republic. It presents the Czech Republic comprehensively in all macroeconomic perspectives and provides newcomers and current investors with comprehensive information on investing in the Czech Republic.