GERMANY JOB SEEKER VISA

For Germany Job Seeker visa, you need to show the proof of funds to cover the expenses for six months of your stay. You need to show 4,500 EUR in your bank account as proof of funds. Or else, you must have a job in Germany with monthly earnings of 720 EUR.

These proof of funds can be shown, by opening a blocked bank account while applying for a visa.

The government of Germany has launched a job seeker visa in 2012, inviting talent from all across the world. Individuals who are looking for a job in Germany can stay for over six months until they find a job.

The new rules were applied in the areas of eligibility criteria and work permits mentioned below:

Eligibility criteria

The new immigration rules in German law state that skilled workers from foreign countries can apply for Job Seeker Visa who must have either:

• Qualification with a minimum of two years of vocational training
• Higher-level educational degree

Work Permits

• You can choose an occupation that is similar to your profession, without any work experience
• You are eligible to work for jobs that do not require a high educational degree necessarily
• Can work in the professions related to your field of study, which requires non-academic and vocational qualifications.

You can obtain a permit for the purpose of staying in Germany and looking for a job. Such a permit to stay in Germany is valid for a maximum of 6 months.

What is the step-wise process to apply for a permit to seek job in Germany?

STEP 1: Complete the application form for the permit.

STEP 2: Make an appointment for interview before you are granted the permit.

STEP 3: Get your records of information in order.

STEP 4: Attend the interview.

STEP 5: Pay the fees.

No. If you don’t find a job in the allotted 6 months, you will have to return to your home country.

People will get a high salary in Germany. Below table gives you the average salaries  based on the occupation:

Employees in Germany can easily maintain a good work life balance because they have to work 38 hours per week. Employees will usually have a weekend for Saturdays and Sundays. The number of working hours will also depends on the job role they are offered. People are also allowed for the flexible working schedule.

Candidates belonging to the following countries can migrate to Germany without a visa and stay for three months:

• Australia
• Canada
• Israel
• Japan
• South Korea
• New Zealand
• The USA

If the candidates of these countries want to work in Germany, they have to apply for a residence permit. Whereas candidates belonging to other countries need to apply for a work visa to work in Germany.

People belonging to the third-world countries need to get the EU Blue Card to reside and work in Germany. The card has been introduced for the highly-qualified foreign candidates to grab jobs in Germany and help in the reduction of the skill shortage.

No. However, the English language requirements are dependent on the type of job you are applying for. If the job is for a position that involves travelling around the world, then a certain level of English proficiency is required.

Working for a multinational company in Germany or a German multinational will require a certain level of proficiency. The right educational qualification, work experience and a basic knowledge of German will improve your prospects of finding a job here.

In such cases, it would be no harm to get an IELTS certification which is a validation of your English proficiency. An IELTS certification will give you an edge over other applicants for the job.

If you find a job within 6 months, you can apply for a German residence/work permit. There’s no need to return home and apply for the same.

A minimum level of proficiency in German with a B2 or C1 level will improve your chances of finding a job here. You will have an edge over other job seekers who have no knowledge of the language.

Yes! You will have the opportunity to travel to other EU countries through this visa. This visa comes under the Schengen agreement and you will be able to visit the countries on the Schengen list which are:

The eligibility criteria that candidates need to follow to apply for a job seeker visa are as follows:

• The applicants should have a bachelor’s or a master’s degree from a German university or from a university which is equivalent to a German university.
• The applicants need to have the work experience of minimum five years. The experience should be related to the labour market of German.
• The candidates need to provide a proof that they have required funds to stay in Germany for six months.

The candidates should also have a travel or medical insurance for the time they have to stay in Germany.

After you get a job through your job seeker visa, you have to apply for an employment resident permit. There are two ways to send the application:

EU Blue Card

The candidates need to apply for an EU Blue Card to live and work in Germany. Your employment offer should provide you a salary of €44,800 per annum. You will also get the opportunity to apply for permanent residence in Germany after 33 months. If you have got the skills of the German language, you can apply for the permanent residence in Germany after 21 months.

Employment Residence Permit

This is a permit in which your employer will sponsor and after five years, you will be eligible to apply for permanent residence in Germany.

The fee to apply for a job seeker visa is €75. The fee of the visa can change at any time. The candidates must make a note of it that if their job application is rejected, the fee will not be refunded.

You will not have any option to extend the Germany job seeker visa. The validity of a Germany job seeker visa is six months. If you are unable to find a job within this period, you need to return to your country.

No! You do not have the option to work with a job seeker visa after you get an employment. You need to apply for an employment residence permit or an EU Blue Card to live and work in Germany.

The requirements for a job seeker visa are as follows:

• A valid passport whose validity should remain for 12 months when the candidates return back
• Requirements should be available to support the data of the passport
• Three passport-size photographs
• Proof of education and training through certificates and degrees
• Work experience requirements
• Accommodation proof
• Detailed CV

Germany is an affordable country for foreigners as well as German citizens. The expenses depend on the place that you will choose to live. If you are a student or a skilled worker, you have to know which city will be better for you in terms of expenses. Here are some of the cities where you can study or do your job.

Bielefeld

Living in Bielefeld is affordable Rent prices are low in the city as you have to pay only €640 per month for an apartment having one bedroom. The restaurants available in the city provide food at affordable price. The cost of food for one person is €10.

Frankfurt

Another affordable city in Germany is Frankfurt. The rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city is €460 per month. The average cost to pay the bills is €410. If electricity and water usage are reduced, the cost can go up to €225. Restaurants in the city provide food at an affordable cost. The cost of a meal for a single person is €8.

Germany is considered as one of the best countries where people can work. There are many cities in Germany where you can work and settle. Here are some of the cities where there are more number of job opportunities available.

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and has a large population of immigrants. There are many start-ups in Germany where you can find work easily. Companies like Volkswagen, SAP, and Pfizer also provide job opportunities. Science and technology are the main industries in which you can get jobs easily. You can also apply for an artist visa to get a job in the creative field.

Frankfurt

There are many financial bodies in Frankfurt which provide jobs to foreigners. Frankfurt also has one of the busiest airports which provides a lot of job opportunities. It is so because it is the biggest employer. The unemployment rate in the city is low in the city, which is below 5 percent.

The good gross salary in Germany is €60,000 per annum as it is above the average salary of €47,700. Germans who earn €60,000 consider themselves happy. The salary depends on the size of the family along with expenses on diet, transportation, entertainment, and apartment location. The average gross salary in Germany in 2022 is 51,010 for a single person.

If you are working in Germany, many taxes will be deducted from your gross salary. You will get your payslip in which all the deductions will be mentioned. The most important tax for the employees is the income tax. Your income tax will be deducted as wage tax by your employer. It is a good idea to keep all the requirements related to tax in a safe place. The amount of income tax will depend on the amount of the gross salary that you are earning.