Knowledge of the Greek language will become a mandatory criterion for the issuance and renewal of work permits for foreigners in Cyprus. A decree on the matter will be issued soon.
This was announced by Labor Minister Yiannis Panayiotou on Wednesday, March 20.
The minister noted that there is a long-standing problem of labor shortage on the island. In a bid to fill this gap, it was decided to allow unemployed and third-country students, already residing in Cyprus, to find employment in the service sector. A good knowledge of the Greek language will speed up the processing of applications for these categories of citizens.
Employees in Cyprus, especially those employed in the service sector, should have a good command of the Greek language. This will speed up the processing of their applications for employment in Cyprus," Panayiotou emphasized.
The minister also noted that the changes will not affect employees of companies with foreign interests. However, they will be a key factor when applying for employment in Cypriot firms.
Finally, Panayiotou revealed that his ministry intends to launch a campaign to attract employees from EU countries to Cyprus. As part of this initiative, several bilateral agreements will be signed with candidate countries to attract medium and low-skilled workers. The minister emphasized that filling the shortage of foreign staff should not be associated with illegal migration. The number of inspections aimed at detecting illegal employment will increase to 10,000 this year.