Using visas “in a more strategic, coordinated, and assertive way” is a key part of new EU migration measures announced by the European Commission on Thursday.

In addition, the EU executive issued a formal recommendation to member states to “have simpler and faster procedures for long-stay visa and residence permits” in order to attract qualified professionals to fill gaps in their workforce.

“We are working towards three equally important and self-supporting objectives: preventing illegal migration, protecting those in need of protection, and attracting the talent Europe needs,” said commission vice-president Henna Virkkunen at the press conference presenting the plan.

Among measures to attract highly-qualified professionals, the commission is considering longer Schengen visas for certain groups of workers.

Currently, non-EU nationals can stay in the 29 countries of the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Otherwise they have to apply for a long-term visa or residence permit issued by a member state.

The commission will also look at possible changes to EU visa rules for students, researchers and highly qualified and skilled workers. “We need to assess the feasibility of a targeted, very fast EU-visa scheme for start-ups and scale-ups,” Virkkunen said.

Virkkunen said she recognised that Europe suffers from labour shortages especially in the healthcare and IT sectors and promised additional EU funding to support visa processing for highly qualified non-EU nationals.

At the same time, the commission intends to toughen the visa system linking it to cooperation with third countries on returns and migration management.

In particular, the EU executive announced plans to review the criteria giving visa-free status to third countries, based on their visa refusal and return rates. Currently citizens of 64 countries and territories can travel visa-free to the EU.

Last year the European Commission proposed an EU-wide system for returning irregular migrants, which has raised concerns among human rights groups. The returns regulation, currently being discussed by the European parliament and council, includes entry bans and ‘return hubs’ outside Europe.

At the press conference on Thursday, internal affairs commissioner Magnus Brunner said illegal border crossings in the EU have declined by 55% in the two last years and asylum applications by 21%.