Relocation to Germany for a job: immigration options
You have already decided on further goals in life and you know for sure that you want to work in Germany. The choice of a country for immigration is obvious: a high level of economy, good roads, clean air, and confidence in the future is most important.
To fulfil your dream, it is worth considering all possible options for relocation and choosing the most optimal and comfortable one. Let’s try to figure out what to look for when choosing a method of professional occupational immigration.
EMPLOYMENT VISA
Formal employment: Types of employment visas
How to get the opportunity to reside and work in Germany officially? Below we will give you the main possible options.
• Employment Visa. The most popular type of work permit. Such a visa is issued to representatives of those professions, the lack of which is really felt by German economy. In this case it is not necessary for an applicant to have a higher education. All you will need is an Employment Agreement (Contract) and confirmation of qualifications for a profession in demand. The official list of such specialties is published annually by German Employment Agency.
Difficulties may arise if your profession is not one of those in demand. But in this case you can apply for a job and search for a job in Germany. However, in this case, before issuing you an employment visa, the German authorities will check whether a citizen of Germany or another EU country applies for a vacancy. This check takes extra time (3 months).
• Blue Card (or “BlaueKarte” in German). This is the best way to relocate to Germany under an Employment Agreement and, if desired, to obtain a permanent residence permit in Germany(permanent residence permit or“Niederlassungserlaubnis” in German). The Blue Card requires a foreigner to have a higher education recognized in Germany and the Employment Agreement concluded with an employer. The annual salary should not be lower than 52 000,00euros (for certain specialties it should be not lower than 40 600.00 euros; Information for 2018). Obtaining this type of employment and residence permit in Germany is easiest for Programmers and other IT Specialists, Mathematicians, Engineers, Scientists and Doctors (excluding dentists), as well as for representatives of other professions that are especially in demand in the country.
• Special cases. For example, the employment visa can be obtained by actors, artists, musicians, circus performers, journalists and other representatives of creative professions. Such cases are considered individually and often may be required the employment agreement with a salary amounting at least the average market one, as well as an inspection by the Labor Office that a foreigner will not occupy the workplace of one of the EU citizens.
Optimal conditions for relocating to Germany by Blue Card
As we can see, the most convenient option from the above options is to receive a Blue Card: the requirements for the annual salary are relatively low and documents will be processed as quickly as possible.
Advantages and features of obtaining a Blue Card are as follows:
• The document is issued for a period of up to 4 years (if the employment agreement is unlimited) or for the period specified in the employment agreement (if the agreement duration is less than 45 months), plus 3 months. If you continue to work in Germany and have not yet obtained a permanent residence permit, the Blue Card can be extended.
• The place of work can be changed. In the first two years the transfer to another company must be coordinated with the Foreigners’ Office.
• When applying for a Blue Card the requirements for knowledge of the language are not presented.
• The cardholder can receive a permanent residence permit after 33 months of residing in Germany, provided that he/she confirms knowledge of German at A1 level (a primary level), or after 21 months if the knowledge of the German language corresponds to B1 level.
• The holder of the Blue Card has the right to family reunion, while non-working spouses and children receive free health insurance and the right to work, and they will not have to confirm their knowledge of the language to obtain permanent residence permit. In other words, the applicant’s spouse and children can also go to Germany and get the right to work.
• A diploma of higher education does not have to be confirmed if the university which issued it and the specialty are recognized by German competent authorities.
• Experience over 5 years in the specialty will be a significant plus in the preparation of documents.
Relocation to Germany: how to speed up the process
Despite the seemingly simple conditions for obtaining an employment permit, the registration takes quite a long time. You will have to find an employer on your own who just needs a specialist like you, fill out the questionnaire, check the employment agreement, translate the necessary documents into German, perhaps to confirm the diploma at German ZAB Department, which is responsible for this procedure. All these and many other nuances will take a lot of time and delay the departure.
Specialists of our company will be able to assist you at all stages of labour migration starting from job search to registration in your first apartment in Germany (yes, you also need to register in Germany at your place of residence!), to support you during adaptation and give any advice and assistance in registration and translation of documents. You do not have to settle personally many issues arising in the process, and the time can be significantly saved before your departure.
Having made the right decision it will only remain to gain support and move in the chosen direction to achieve your goal. The main thing you should keep in mind: your professional qualities will be certainly appreciated in Germany and you can fulfil yourself as a qualified specialist in one of the most developed countries in the world.