EU Blue Card - European Union opens doors for Highly Skilled Non-EU Nationals

Well, good news for all who dream to work and live in Europe. European countries known to be very conservative and reluctant to accept English language has deterred them from opening themselves unlike United States to Non-European nationals. European Union (EU) has been planning for so long to introduce something similar to American Green-card to attract highly skilled Non-EU nationals to live and work in EU and aid in its advancement similar to United States.

European Union (EU) has recently adopted a temporary residence and work permit scheme so called "BLUE CARD" directive for highly skilled Non-EU nationals. Blue-Card similar to that of American Green-Card, is intended to facilitate non-EU nationals access to the EU Labour Market and entitle them to socio-economic rights and favorable conditions to bring in their families and move across EU.

The admittance criteria for the EU Blue Card concerns the following:

• highly educated or highly qualified professionals are eligible for applying Blue Card
• the applicant of EU Blue Card must have been offered a job in any of the EU member nation for atleast one year.
• the Gross Monthly Income shall not be less than 1.5 times the average monthly income in the EU members state.

To apply for Blue Card any third-country national can apply for an open poisiton which may suit him well in his chosen EU country (except for Great Britain, Ireland and Denmark) and once he signs the employment contract with his employer in EU country, he can apply for Blue Card with that particular EU country. The EU nation has 90 days to decide upon the application.

Blue Card holders' Benefits

• Blue Card is valid upto 4 years and is renewable. 
• It does not entitle the holder for permanent residency.
• Blue Card entitles the holders to enjoy the equal social status and benefits of a member country to that of its nationals.
• Blue Card holders can relocate after 18 months of legal residence in one member country to any other EU member country for the purpose of highly skilled employment
  

Well personally after living in Germany for quite a while now, I feel living in Europe is much safer and you are entitled to lots of social benefits and comforts here, yet it is difficult to socialize yourselves unlike in English speaking countries for the very specific language barriers. If one can manage to adopt to the local language then it is more pleasant life.

Excerpts from: http://www.expatica.com/de/employment/employment_information/EU-Blue-Card_-inviting-skilled-non_EU-nationals-to-Europe_14446.html
http://www.expatica.com/de/lifestyle_leisure/lifestyle/The-Proposed-European-Blue-Card-System_11229.html
http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=667