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Unlike some European neighboring countries, Germany does not have a golden visa, does not have a residence permit for the purchase of real estate and for settlement, however, the country's migration policy provides for the issuance of a residence permit through business, marriage, education, as well as employment and family reunification. After 8 years of legal residence in Germany, immigrants can apply for citizenship by naturalization.
Residence permits in Germany can be of different types, depending on the length of stay and the rights of the resident:
A temporary residence permit is issued for a year or more, followed by an extension if there are previous circumstances for living: for study, work, doing business and for family reunification.
A settlement permit is a document issued after 5 years of legal residence on the territory of the state, subject to successful social and economic integration, knowledge of the German language, stable income and permanent residence. Moreover, qualified specialists receive such a permit for 2 years, and spouses and successful businessmen — for 3 years. This residence permit allows you to stay in the country indefinitely with one requirement — to periodically change the plastic certificate to confirm the relevance of all data.
An indefinite residence permit is also issued after 5 years of legal residence in Germany, provided that the necessary conditions for social and economic integration are met. The prerogative of blue card holders: permanent residence can be obtained after 33 months, and with confirmation of knowledge of the language at the B1 level — after 21 months.
In order to be legalized in the country, many foreigners choose to study at universities or find a job. The government's policy is aimed at attracting qualified foreign workers to fill in-demand vacancies in the market. Upon receiving a specific offer from an employer, an immigrant can obtain a residence permit for a period of 4 years (depending on the signed employment contract). To do this, the employee will need to confirm their qualifications with a diploma from a foreign university (through nostrification) and compare their level of education with German training. Thanks to the Immigration Law adopted in 2023 (aimed at attracting highly qualified employees from non-EU countries), obtaining an EU blue card has been simplified, as well as language requirements for applicants with professional experience have been relaxed. There is also a “Map of Opportunities” program for applicants, which allows them to stay in the country for up to one year until they find a job.
Job search is carried out in several ways:
Conditions for hiring a foreign employee:
Knowledge of the language at the B1 level — an applicant who speaks German has much more chances to get a good job. As a rule, working specialties are offered for those who know the language at a basic level. Some companies hire highly qualified specialists with knowledge of English, but there are not so many such vacancies.
Diploma confirmation — in order for a diploma to be recognized, it must be found and confirmed through a special database of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All educational institutions of the world are included in this database, which are marked with a special sign — whether a diploma is recognized in Germany or not. If the applicant's diploma does not have a permitted mark, then the recognition procedure will be longer. If there is a diploma on the list, then this is not a reason to immediately respond to all vacancies, since in Germany there is also a list of “regulated” professions, according to which a candidate will need to study for several semesters, complete an internship, take exams and only after that receive recognition of the diploma. The application for confirmation of the diploma will need to be sent to the appropriate university, which can be found in the same database of the Ministry. If the applicant's specialty is not in the "regulated" ones, then he needs to fill out a form on the Anabin website and then enter all the data correctly according to the instructions. This procedure will be paid. In 2024, the migration rules for the employment of qualified foreign workers were amended: candidates with more than two years of work experience in their profession can work in Germany without official recognition of qualifications. This has greatly simplified the procedure for employing high-level specialists.
Package of documents: visa or entry permit (exception for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens); work permit (issued together with a visa); document confirming diploma and qualifications; valid passport; resume or Curriculum Vitae (more often used by researchers, since they supplement their career history with published works, awards and merits); motivation letter (sent together with the response to the vacancy); medical insurance (for the duration of work in Germany); residential address (must match the address indicated in the residence permit); educational documents translated into German (diplomas, certificates, awards and other things that confirm the candidate's qualifications); photographs (the same as those submitted for a visa).
Of course, as in any other country, Germany has its own list of popular professions. And these are, first of all, the professions with the highest wages. These include (focusing on the average monthly gross salary):
Doctors — about €8000
Pilots — €7800
Lawyers — €6700
University teachers — €6,100
Engineer and IT specialist — from €4,300
Despite the high demands, Germany has a shortage of engineering specialists, school teachers, and workers in the automotive industry.
Workers in the field of animal husbandry and forestry are also in demand; in the field of construction and geodetic works. Specialists with a basic level of German are employed here. If the employer is interested in the candidate, he can provide him with payment for language courses with a scholarship and housing for the duration of his studies. Payment is made at fixed rates, which the employer cannot reduce by law, otherwise it may threaten him with heavy fines.
The current rates are presented on the official website of the German statistical agency Destatis. A higher minimum has been set for some industries (the most in demand).
Finding a job in a foreign country is not an easy task, but it is also achievable. Success depends on the desire and interest of the candidate himself.
