Ahead of local elections: Frankfurt political parties express ideas for reforming the immigration office

As we approach the 2026 local elections in Frankfurt , the immigration office is once again under scrutiny from city politicians. As a specialized law firm, we are observing with a mixture of skepticism and hope what promises the parties will make to finally loosen Frankfurt's bureaucratic bottleneck.

A look back at dark times and hesitant glimmers of hope.

It's no secret that Frankfurt's immigration office has historically been considered one of the most difficult in Germany . Understaffing led to processing times that were incompatible with the standards of a modern business location and the rule-of-law requirements of the German Residence Act (AufenthG). When skilled workers have to wait months for a response under Sections 18a or 18b of the Residence Act , it's not merely an administrative problem, but a threat to the prosperity of the city of Frankfurt am Main . In our daily practice, we have encountered countless cases where an action for failure to act under Section 75 of the German Administrative Court Procedure Act (VwGO) was the only way to compel any response at all. This was particularly true in cases involving a change of employer.

Fortunately, the situation has changed somewhat in recent months. The introduction of the digital application process three years ago was a long overdue step that has at least slightly reduced waiting times for appointments. The hiring of additional staff also shows that the city has recognized the signs of the times.

The 2026 election promises: Visions for a modern immigration office

With the upcoming local elections in mind, the political parties are currently outdoing each other with proposals. The Green Party's approach is particularly far-reaching, as they want to merge the FIO (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) with the Welcome & Information Center to create a "modern immigration office." A further 15 percent increase in staff and the use of artificial intelligence sound promising on paper. The FDP (Free Democratic Party) and Volt (the political party behind the German parliament) are also calling for increased digitalization and more experts to counteract the shortage of skilled workers . As a law firm, we welcome any initiative aimed at transforming the agency from a mere control body into a genuine service provider.

However, it's crucial to remember that digitalization is not an end in itself. An AI pilot project can only partially support the verification of complex factual prerequisites. What we need is an administration that becomes not only more digital, but above all, more decisive . The reliance on external security queries, which in the past often led to weeks of downtime, must be resolved through more stable technical infrastructures. At the same time, case workers must not only "manage" such queries, but proactively drive them forward .

Between election campaign rhetoric and structural reality

The reform proposals initially sound promising. However, critical voices, such as that of the chairman of the municipal foreign residents' council , rightly point out that interest in the immigration office often only reaches its peak before elections. During the current legislative period, reform initiatives have frequently been stifled by budget constraints or political disinterest. For us as legal representatives, it is crucial that the announced improvements – whether by the SPD, the Greens, or the opposition – do not simply disappear back into the drawer after election day . Integration into the labor market , regulated, for example, by the Skilled Immigration Act, still too often fails in practice due to the lack of accessibility of case workers.

We see the current discourse as an opportunity to permanently lift the Frankfurt Immigration Office out of its defensive position. An agency that processes 100,000 cases annually deserves resources that can handle this workload. The current customer satisfaction rating of reportedly 81 percent may be an optimistic sign, but the daily reality for those waiting for approval to change employers or for a permanent residence permit under Section 9 of the German Residence Act often tells a different story.

Conclusion: Our assessment as experts in visa law

In summary, the Frankfurt Immigration Office has overcome the low points of recent years, but is still far from being a smoothly functioning immigration office modeled on international examples. The plans to merge offices and further digitize are the right approach, provided they are accompanied by a significant increase in staff. Our firm will be closely monitoring developments after the local elections. For our clients, we hope that the campaign promises will lead to an administrative culture that embraces immigration as an opportunity and dismantles bureaucratic hurdles where they hinder integration rather than facilitating it.