Visa for job-
or apprenticeship search
Visa to search for a job or apprenticeship
Skilled workers with vocational training or academic qualifications have the option of applying for a residence title for job-seeking purposes, which allows 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 applying for 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
For a visa to search for a job, you must be able to provide proof of professional or academic training. 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 German language skills that are 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), you must be able to prove that you have been granted such a license.
You must also provide proof that your livelihood is secured for the duration of your stay in Germany. This is because the job-seeking visa does not entitle you to engage in 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 vis-à-vis the Aliens' Registration Office to finance your stay.
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 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 with this visa.
However, if you have found a job that corresponds to your qualifications, you can apply directly for a residence permit for the purpose of gainful employment for skilled workers or an EU Blue Card at the competent immigration office without leaving the country beforehand.
Visa to search for a training place
In addition to the job search visa, there is also the possibility to apply for a visa to search for a training position. It serves to facilitate the application process for a training position. If you want to complete qualified vocational training in Germany, you can apply for this visa in accordance with Section 17 (1) of the Residence Act in order to search for a training position in Germany. For this purpose, you must meet the following requirements in particular:
Requirements for a visa to search for a training place
Those who wish to apply for a visa to search for a training place must not yet have reached the age of 25. Furthermore, a school-leaving certificate entitling the holder to university admission or a degree from a German school abroad is required. 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 secured 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 the holder to pursue gainful employment.
With a visa to search for a training place, you are entitled to stay in Germany for up to six months to find a training place. If your search was successful, you can apply for a "visa to complete vocational training" to extend your residence permit for Germany beyond the six months.
