Germany working visa for non-EU nations?

[vivek_tailor]

Dear all,

I am currently working in the UK on Tier 1 general visa. I have job offer from germany. It is permanent job. So I will need germany working visa. I have also got emloyment contract from german company but they told me that you have to apply for visa initially and they will extend my visa once I will reach in germany. I have read all information for german visa. There are 2 categories: general emplyment and special emplyment. Which one I need to consider? How long it will take to get visa? Should I get initial 3 months visa?

Thanks,

Vivek

[86ti]

Not that I would know the details about the German system but basically they have 'Aufenthaltserlaubnis' (time limited residence permit and not necessarily with permission to work) and 'Niederlassungserlaubnis' (settlement permit). The latter is reserved for special privileged groups. If you are a highly skilled worker you may fall into the latter category under certain conditions.

[vivek_tailor]

Not that I would know the details about the German system but basically they have 'Aufenthaltserlaubnis' (time limited residence permit and not necessarily with permission to work) and 'Niederlassungserlaubnis' (settlement permit). The latter is reserved for special privileged groups. If you are a highly skilled worker you may fall into the latter category under certain conditions.

Thanks. I think I need to ask that company about my visa. Do you know how long it will take to get visa? Especially, during summer, my joining date is in first week of may so is it possible during that time i will get visa if i will book my appointment now.

Thanks,

Vivek

[86ti]

Sorry, I do not know much about how the Germans to it. Actually, I am surprised that it isn't the company that has to start the necessary procedures. Are you sure they know what they are doing? In any case, I would suggest to find a German forum. People around here seem to know little about their immigration system.

[Wanderer]

Not that I would know the details about the German system but basically they have 'Aufenthaltserlaubnis' (time limited residence permit and not necessarily with permission to work) and 'Niederlassungserlaubnis' (settlement permit). The latter is reserved for special privileged groups. If you are a highly skilled worker you may fall into the latter category under certain conditions.

Thanks. I think I need to ask that company about my visa. Do you know how long it will take to get visa? Especially, during summer, my joining date is in first week of may so is it possible during that time i will get visa if i will book my appointment now.

Thanks,

Vivek

My gf's took four and half months from the UK. The German system is horribly slow and inefficient, and very bureaucratic, I can't see you even getting an appointment at the consulate by May!

What happens is:

1. Make appointment at German Consulate by phone.

2. Attend with all your documents.

3. They will send stuff to German Labour Office

4. It disappears into a bureaucratic black hole - my gf's was sat in a pile waiting for sth, dunno what. She had to call the office in Bonn - you will need good German to sort this out.

5. Eventually it come back to London Consulate with correct stamps.

6. You get to go back to consulate to collect your visa and docs (not sure if u can get them posted back here) Edit: u can - that's what we did - memory!!

7. In your passport will be a single-entry short-term Schengen visa.

8. Enter Germany

9. Go to some office (think it's auslanderbehorde) to get this visa changed to Aufenthaltserlaubnis which gives you permission to work. Until you get that you cannot work. Bear in mind u;ll be lucky to get someone who can speak English there.

Hope you don't have to go through all that - we must have been unlucky but without my gf's fluent German we'd still be waiting I fear!!

[Wanderer]

Sorry, I do not know much about how the Germans to it. Actually, I am surprised that it isn't the company that has to start the necessary procedures. Are you sure they know what they are doing? In any case, I would suggest to find a German forum. People around here seem to know little about their immigration system.

Yes, the employment contract etc will be sent to the German Labour Office (Arbeitsamt?) in Bonn I think but might depend on where the employer is based, and they will do the necessary labour checks etc which I assume are the resident labour tests, advertising tests and all that. This is the point where it got stuck for us, but in theory it should all be sorted here by dialogue between the German Labour Office and the Employer.

I would put my house on there being no chance of this being resolved my May.

Fist thing tho is to call the German Consulate and make the appointment, have your passport ready, and listen carefully to all the option, it's an expensive call (usual £1.00 a min) - call will take about 15 mins if you don't need to re-listen to the options again, they do it on purpose to make money...!

[vivek_tailor]

Not that I would know the details about the German system but basically they have 'Aufenthaltserlaubnis' (time limited residence permit and not necessarily with permission to work) and 'Niederlassungserlaubnis' (settlement permit). The latter is reserved for special privileged groups. If you are a highly skilled worker you may fall into the latter category under certain conditions.

Thanks. I think I need to ask that company about my visa. Do you know how long it will take to get visa? Especially, during summer, my joining date is in first week of may so is it possible during that time i will get visa if i will book my appointment now.

Thanks,

Vivek

My gf's took four and half months from the UK. The German system is horribly slow and inefficient, and very bureaucratic, I can't see you even getting an appointment at the consulate by May!

What happens is:

1. Make appointment at German Consulate by phone.

2. Attend with all your documents.

3. They will send stuff to German Labour Office

4. It disappears into a bureaucratic black hole - my gf's was sat in a pile waiting for sth, dunno what. She had to call the office in Bonn - you will need good German to sort this out.

5. Eventually it come back to London Consulate with correct stamps.

6. You get to go back to consulate to collect your visa and docs (not sure if u can get them posted back here) Edit: u can - that's what we did - memory!!

7. In your passport will be a single-entry short-term Schengen visa.

8. Enter Germany

9. Go to some office (think it's auslanderbehorde) to get this visa changed to Aufenthaltserlaubnis which gives you permission to work. Until you get that you cannot work. Bear in mind u;ll be lucky to get someone who can speak English there.

Hope you don't have to go through all that - we must have been unlucky but without my gf's fluent German we'd still be waiting I fear!!

hi

I can understand but this is not schengen visa. this is work visa which i need to apply. I already got schengen visa for germany when i was going for interview. During that time, I got schengen visa within one week. My company told me that do not apply schengen visa, apply work visa.

Is it possible if I can apply schengen visa now and go to germany and convert it to work visa? because you will get schengen visa within week.

Thanks,

Vivek

[Wanderer]

I never said it was a Schengen visa, read it properly....

It's just the way the German's do it - apply for Work Permit, it's eventually granted and u r issued with a Schengen Single-entry visa as I said.

Then u 'convert' it in Germany at Ausländerbehorde as soon as u land, and the German Aufenthaltserlaubnis vignette put into ur passport then. Then u can work. Before that u'll need to have a place to live and register.

Ur company is correct, apply for Work Permit and the above will happen. But I promise you it will take a lot longer than a week or even a month...

I really don't think either you or the employer has thought this through - the labour and resident labour test still need to be applied before the WP can be issued - takes time.

[vivek_tailor]

I never said it was a Schengen visa, read it properly....

It's just the way the German's do it - apply for Work Permit, it's eventually granted and u r issued with a Schengen Single-entry visa as I said.

Then u 'convert' it in Germany at Ausländerbehorde as soon as u land, and the German Aufenthaltserlaubnis vignette put into ur passport then. Then u can work. Before that u'll need to have a place to live and register.

Ur company is correct, apply for Work Permit and the above will happen. But I promise you it will take a lot longer than a week or even a month...

I really don't think either you or the employer has thought this through - the labour and resident labour test still need to be applied before the WP can be issued - takes time.

Hi

thanks for your reply. I also got email from german embassy london and they said that it will take upto 3 months. We need to take immediate action.

Is it possible that my company will send me visa?

If not, then I think I have to wait until I will get my visa.

Thanks,

Vivek

[86ti]

And just for the record: there is no such thing as a 'work visa'. It's either a residence permit or a settlement permit. Work is a possible addtional right and in the case of settlement permits implicit.

[86ti]

Is it possible that my company will send me visa?

A visa is issued by an embassy...

[Wanderer]

I never said it was a Schengen visa, read it properly....

It's just the way the German's do it - apply for Work Permit, it's eventually granted and u r issued with a Schengen Single-entry visa as I said.

Then u 'convert' it in Germany at Ausländerbehorde as soon as u land, and the German Aufenthaltserlaubnis vignette put into ur passport then. Then u can work. Before that u'll need to have a place to live and register.

Ur company is correct, apply for Work Permit and the above will happen. But I promise you it will take a lot longer than a week or even a month...

I really don't think either you or the employer has thought this through - the labour and resident labour test still need to be applied before the WP can be issued - takes time.

Hi

thanks for your reply. I also got email from german embassy london and they said that it will take upto 3 months. We need to take immediate action.

Is it possible that my company will send me visa?

If not, then I think I have to wait until I will get my visa.

Thanks,

Vivek

Yeah, they told us three months - took nearly five. The second applied for in Germany took six weeks...

Company cannot issue a visa - only the German Government can.

You can't just wait - you have to push and progress, Können Sie auf Deutsch sprächen? In my view Germans make the least effort to help, they are very happy to leave something in a pile if no-one asks for it!

[vivek_tailor]

I never said it was a Schengen visa, read it properly....

It's just the way the German's do it - apply for Work Permit, it's eventually granted and u r issued with a Schengen Single-entry visa as I said.

Then u 'convert' it in Germany at Ausländerbehorde as soon as u land, and the German Aufenthaltserlaubnis vignette put into ur passport then. Then u can work. Before that u'll need to have a place to live and register.

Ur company is correct, apply for Work Permit and the above will happen. But I promise you it will take a lot longer than a week or even a month...

I really don't think either you or the employer has thought this through - the labour and resident labour test still need to be applied before the WP can be issued - takes time.

Hi

thanks for your reply. I also got email from german embassy london and they said that it will take upto 3 months. We need to take immediate action.

Is it possible that my company will send me visa?

If not, then I think I have to wait until I will get my visa.

Thanks,

Vivek

Yeah, they told us three months - took nearly five. The second applied for in Germany took six weeks...

Company cannot issue a visa - only the German Government can.

You can't just wait - you have to push and progress, Können Sie auf Deutsch sprächen? In my view Germans make the least effort to help, they are very happy to leave something in a pile if no-one asks for it!

Hi,

thank you very much. It is really helpful. The first step is to book an appointment and then I will start my application. Lets see which date is available after easter holidays.

Thanks,

Vivek