Anyone recruiting internationally for the first time will quickly come across four terms: assistant, skilled worker, specialist, and expert. They sound like a hierarchy. In fact, they represent a legal classification—and this classification determines which residence permit is even eligible for your open position. If you categorize someone incorrectly here, you’ll choose the wrong procedural path and waste weeks before the first document is even submitted.
What “Requirement Level” Means
The qualification level refers to the level of qualifications required for a job, as determined by the type and duration of the necessary training. The key point is that it describes the position, not the individual. An applicant may be overqualified—the qualification level is based solely on what the job absolutely requires.
The Federal Employment Agency uses this system in its classification of occupations and bases a large portion of its labor market statistics on it. Across all four levels, the average time a position remained vacant between April 2025 and March 2026 was 165 days (Federal Employment Agency, 2026)—meaning a position remains unfilled for about five and a half months on average. However, this average masks significant differences among the four levels, which we will discuss further below.
For employers, the tier is not just a bureaucratic label, but the first decision point in any international recruitment process. It determines whether a recognition procedure is necessary, which residence permit applies, and how long the process is realistically expected to take.
The four steps in detail
The classification system has four relevant levels. In the restaurant and hotel industries, most positions fall into the bottom two levels—service, kitchen, and housekeeping are primarily in the assistant and skilled worker categories, while management roles extend into the upper levels.
Assistant and Trainee Positions
An assistant position does not require completed vocational training. At most, it requires a short training period of up to one year. In the restaurant and hotel industries, these typically include kitchen assistant, dishwasher, housekeeping staff, or service assistant. These positions can be filled without formal qualifications—which significantly simplifies the legal process.
Skilled Worker
A skilled worker has completed at least two years of vocational training or holds an equivalent qualification obtained abroad. This is the level of a trained chef, restaurant manager, or hotel manager. In Germany, this is by far the most common qualification level—and, as the figures show, the hardest to fill.
Specialist
In addition to vocational training, a specialist has completed further training—for example, as a master craftsman, technician, or business administrator—or holds a bachelor’s degree. In this industry, this corresponds, for example, to a master chef, a hotel management specialist, or a service staff member with recognized sommelier training.
Expert
An expert has at least four years of college education or an equivalent, long-standing qualification. In the restaurant and hotel industry, this primarily applies to academically trained management positions, such as hotel managers with a degree in hospitality management or F&B managers at large establishments.
Which Residence Permit Is Appropriate for Which Level?
This is the real crux of the matter—and a common misunderstanding. The BA qualification levels and the residence permit categories under the Skilled Workers Immigration Act are not part of the same system. However, the level provides a reliable indication of which path is applicable: whether you qualify under the Skilled Workers Immigration Act or the Western Balkans Regulation, and whether a recognition procedure is necessary.
An overview of the main routes:
Volunteer work without formal qualifications. In practice, the Western Balkans Regulation (Section 26(2) of the Employment Regulation) applies here. It allows nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia to engage in any type of employment in non-regulated occupations—even without vocational training. The annual quota is 50,000 approvals from the Federal Employment Agency, allocated by month and nationality (Federal Employment Agency, 2026). For workers over the age of 45 who are approved for the first time, a minimum gross annual salary of 55,770 euros or proof of adequate retirement benefits applies in 2026.
A skilled worker with recognized vocational training. The process is governed by Section 18a of the Residence Act (AufenthG)—the residence permit for skilled workers with vocational training. The requirement is a qualification that is recognized in Germany or has been determined to be equivalent.
A professional, specialist, or expert with a college degree. Section 18b of the Residence Act (AufenthG) applies here (skilled workers with academic training). If the salary meets the requirements, the EU Blue Card (Section 18g of the Residence Act) may also be an option. The salary thresholds were lowered in 2026: 45,934.20 euros for occupations facing labor shortages and entry-level positions, and 50,700 euros for all other occupations (Make it in Germany / Skilled Worker Immigration Act, 2026).
Experienced professionals without formal recognition. Under the “experience-based” category (Section 19c(2) of the Residence Act in conjunction with Section 6 of the Recognition Ordinance), since the 2024 reform, individuals who hold a recognized degree from their country of origin and have at least two years of relevant professional experience in a non-regulated profession may also enter the country — without having to obtain German recognition in advance. For chefs and service staff with practical experience, this is often the fastest route.
For those who are just starting to look for a job. Since June 1, 2024, the Opportunity Card (Section 20a of the Residence Act) has allowed entry into the country to seek employment based on a points system. A minimum of six points is required; qualifications, work experience, language skills, age, and ties to Germany are taken into account.
One restriction applies across the board: In regulated professions—such as the medical professions—recognition of qualifications is always mandatory. In the restaurant and hotel industries, most jobs are not regulated, which makes it easier to enter the field.
What the vacancy periods across the four levels reveal
The vacancy period refers to the time span from when a position was supposed to be filled until it is officially removed from the Federal Employment Agency’s records. It is the most reliable indicator of how difficult a position is to fill.
For the period from April 2025 to March 2026, the following picture emerges by skill level (Federal Employment Agency, 2026):
- Skilled workers: 183 days
- Average for all difficulty levels: 165 days
- Specialists: 157 days
- Assistants and on-the-job training: 156 days
- Experts: 109 days
The result defies intuition. It is not the highly qualified experts who are the bottleneck—their positions are filled the fastest, in 109 days. Skilled-worker positions remain open the longest: 183 days, or about half a year. The reason is not a matter of the rarity of individual profiles, but rather of sheer volume. The vast majority of open positions are in the skilled worker category, and the domestic supply does not meet this demand. So, statistically speaking, anyone considering international recruitment is most likely to look for a solution right here.
How to Categorize Your Job Opening
You can sort them correctly in three steps—and in this order, not the other way around:
- Describe the job, not the ideal candidate. What are the actual responsibilities? What are the job’s essential requirements, and what would just be “nice to have”? If you start with the “perfect” resume, you’ll set the bar too high and close off opportunities for yourself.
- Determine the skill level. Is a completed vocational training program required (skilled worker), or is on-the-job training sufficient (assistant)? Is continuing education required (specialist), or a college degree (expert)?
- Determine the procedural path. Unskilled labor is generally covered under the Western Balkans Regulation. Skilled workers whose qualifications have been recognized fall under Section 18a, while those with academic qualifications fall under Section 18b. Experienced workers whose qualifications have not been recognized may use the experience-based pathway.
If in doubt, you can check the skill level required for a job using the Federal Employment Agency’s occupational classification system. Taking these three steps at the beginning will help you avoid the most costly mistake in the entire process: submitting an application that isn’t a good fit for the position from the start.
What This Means for the Restaurant and Hotel Industries
The four levels of requirements are not a glossary for correspondence with government agencies, but rather a planning tool. Those who classify their cases accurately choose the correct legal path, estimate realistic timeframes, and avoid the most common source of delay—the wrong procedure. Processes take time, and government agencies are part of the system; that cannot be eliminated through optimization. But correct classification at the outset shortens every subsequent step.
To learn how the legal framework—comprising the Skilled Workers Immigration Act, the Western Balkans Regulation, and the recognition process—works together, read our overview of labor migration to Germany in 2026. Our document checklist outlines the specific documents required to hire a foreign skilled worker.
Sources: Federal Employment Agency, vacancy duration by skill level and the Western Balkans Regulation, as of 2026; Skilled Workers Immigration Act (Sections 18a, 18b, 18g, 19c(2), 20a of the Residence Act; Section 26(2) of the Employment Regulation).
