A lot of students with foreign citizenship do not wish to leave Germany after their lectures
and seminars. They have successfully fulfilled the requirements of a university in Germany
during their Bachelor’s or Master’s studies. They want to do that by means of getting
employed. As you probably already heard, it is not a very easy task to find a job that relates
to your degree shortly after you have graduated. And some students fail to achieve that.
The positive side of the situation is the fact that even in case you do not manage to get a
relevant job within no time, you will be allowed to receive a job visa. And you may always
remain in Germany with the help of the job seeker visa.
Job seeker visa
Job seeker visa (Aufenthaltserlaubnis zur Arbeitsplatzsuche) is not a visa; it is rather a kind
of residence permit that is accessible to international students studying in Germany who
graduate. With such a visa, also called a residence permit to seek employment, the German
University graduates are permitted to extend their period in the country beyond the
conclusion of their studies. To find related employment within the field of their degree. The
job seeker visa is a limited-length residence permit, which is thankfully valid only up to 18
months and can not be extended. Within these 18 months, you will have to discover a
suitable job and change to a job visa (also referred to as the residence permit of the
occupation). The right job is one in which your work and your pay are partly related to the
degree that you have earned.
It is important to note that 18 months begin immediately after you have successfully
graduated. In addition, failing to apply for a job search permit soon after your graduation but
at a later date may result in your application being vetoed. Therefore, you need to seek a job
seeker visa when you have evidence that you have completed your studies.
Who qualifies for a German job seeker visa
Any individual who has successfully finished their studies in Germany with a good residence
permit in the country to study in, regardless of their country of origin, is welcome to the
German job seeker visa. It is necessary to point out that the students who represent the EU
member states, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland, do not require the so-called
job seeker visa in order to stay in Germany, since they correspondingly have the same rights
as do Germans.
Do you have to work on a job seeker visa
Depending on your country of origin, you may already know that to study in Germany, you
will require a special residence permit to do so. This residence permit will allow them to work
in Germany, although with some limitations. Particularly, the foreign students are allowed to
work in Germany 280 days a year on a part-time basis (e.g. up to 20 working hours per
week). Or 140 days per year on a full-time basis (e.g. more than 20 working hours per
week).
When you have finished your studies, you can switch your student residence permit or
student visa to a job seeker visa. The German job seeker visa also enables one to work
there. That is, a work permit is coupled with a residence permit to seek employment, in this
case. Quite on the contrary, as far as employment is concerned, you enjoy greater rights on
the job seeker visa compared to the student one. By way of example, the job search
residence permit does not have any restrictions on working full-time capacity. What is more,
you can accept any kind of job, even not connected with your qualification.
Job Seeker Visa Germany: Eligibility
In fact, what is involved is much easier in applying for a job seeker visa compared to a
student visa. Immediately after you get evidence of having completed your studies in a
German university, you should apply for a job search visa.
These documents that you should apply to get a job seeker visa after your studies are
usually listed on the website of the relevant Foreigners’ Authority office. Your location will
determine a few slight changes in the requirements, depending on the city or town you live
in. The requirements promulgated at different locations in Germany, and the general
checklist that we came up with, are presented next:
Fill the application form
The application forms are availed on the websites of the Foreigners’ Authority in which the
concerned person is applying. It is typically rather filling out and does not need much
explanation. It requires you to input data on your personal details, such as first and last
names, date of birth, email, address and marital status. The following is one sample of the
application form for a German job seeker visa.
Valid Passport
Ensure that you are not travelling with a passport that expires very soon and that your
passport contains free pages.
Events registration (Meldebescheinigung)
Upon arrival in Germany, there are two weeks within which you have to change your
German address to your local citizens’ office (Burgeramt). When that is done, you will have
documentation that you registered. This is the document that you require for your job seeker
visa application.
Certificate demonstrating that one has graduated from a German
university
As a rule, you do not have to wait for your diploma. A list of documents and evidence by your
educational supervisor and study program heads that you have successfully gone through all
classes, including the thesis, should suffice.
Proven health insurance
You can request your German health insurance company to provide you with a paper to
confirm that you are, in fact, covered under a given insurance company.
You can also view these posts:
Traveling to Germany: Visa requirements
Main reasons why visa in Germany gets denied
Things to know before immigrating to Germany
