Visa for job-
or apprenticeship search
Visa to search for a job or apprenticeship
Skilled workers with vocational training or academic education have the possibility of a residence title for job search and thus access to the German labor market. In addition, persons who have a foreign school-leaving qualification entitling them to access higher education have the option of a visa to seek training.
Job search visa
It is possible for skilled workers to obtain a residence title pursuant to Section 20 (1) and (2) of the Residence Act (AufenthG ) in order to facilitate their job search in Germany. However, applicants must meet certain requirements for this. In particular:
- Recognized qualification
- Professional license
- Securing the livelihood
Requirements for a visa to search for a job
You must be able to provide proof of professional or academic training for a job-seeking visa. This must either be recognized in Germany or comparable to an educational qualification in Germany.
If you have completed vocational training, you must be able to prove that you have a knowledge of German that is appropriate for the job that you have completed. This will usually be German language skills, at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
If you wish to pursue a profession that requires a license under German law (e.g. human medicine). Then you must be able to prove that you have been granted such a permit to practice your profession.
You must also provide proof that your livelihood is secured for the duration of your stay in Germany. This is because the job search visa does not entitle you to paid employment (with the exception of trial employment of up to ten hours per week, as part of the application process).
Such proof can be provided, for example, by means of a blocked account or a declaration of commitment. A blocked account is an account that cannot be used or can only be used to a limited extent. In the case of a declaration of commitment, a person living in Germany undertakes to finance your stay vis-à-vis the Aliens' Registration Office.
Duration of the visa
The visa for job search can be issued for a maximum of 6 months and cannot be extended after that. A new application is also not directly possible again. The visa for job search can be issued again at the earliest when you have been abroad again for at least the same period of time that you spent in Germany for job search.
Therefore, if your job search has not been successful, there is no possibility to continue your stay in Germany via this residence title.
However, if you have found a job that matches your qualifications, you can apply directly for a residence permit for the purpose of gainful employment for skilled workers or an EU Blue Card without having to leave the country first.
Visa to search for a training place
As with the visa to search for a job, a visa to search for a training position can also be applied for in order to facilitate the application process for a training position. If you want to complete qualified vocational training in Germany, you can apply for a visa in accordance with Section 17 (1) of the Residence Act in order to search for a training position in Germany. However, you must meet the following requirements in particular for this:
- Age not yet reached
- School-leaving qualification entitling the holder to admission to higher education
- German language skills level B2
- Securing subsistence during the stay
Requirements for a visa to search for a training place
In order to apply for a visa to search for a training place, you must not have reached the age of 25. Furthermore, you need a school-leaving certificate that entitles you to enter university or a degree from a German school abroad. Your German language skills must correspond to a level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Also, as with the job-seeking visa, you must be able to prove that your livelihood is secure for the entire duration of your stay. (For example, by means of a blocked account or a declaration of commitment).
Entitlements with the visa to search for a training place
The visa for the search for a training place also serves exactly this purpose; the search for a training place. It does not entitle you to pursue gainful employment.
With the residence permit to search for a training place you are entitled to enter Germany for up to six months to find a training place. Once you have found one, you can apply for a "visa to complete vocational training" to extend your residence permit for Germany beyond the six months.
