Hi, I am working in Germany Frankfurt, with one of the software company. 2020 is the ideal time to be heading to Deutschland on a Job Seeker Visa. We’ve broken these down into an easy checklist: Congratulations! Which is understandably not a move that everyone is willing or able to make. Achieving permanent residence should be your primary goal. You’ll need to be proactive, you’ll need to network extensively, and you’ll need to work hard and be willing to make compromises. So starting your search the day after you land is a big mistake. This provides an opportunity to seek employment and attend interviews in person – which, for a country cautious to embrace online applications, is incredibly important. If you can’t prove that you have at least this much money in your account, your application will not be successful. Here at Live Work Germany, we often get asked if the Germany Job Seeker Visa allows you to bring your family with you. The German government sets a minimum threshold of €4,320 for JSV applicants. Germany has one of the world’s most well organized and fastest immigration processes. And what sort of mindset do you need to succeed? Visa for jobseekers. 3. This ring-fences the funds until you arrive in Germany. If you especially fall into more than one of the categories we discussed above, then don’t waste your time (or money) on an application that’s doomed to fail. If you’re having difficulties searching for a job from abroad, you can apply for a residence permit that enables qualified professionals to enter Germany for the purpose of seeking employment in accordance with Section 20 (1) (2) AufenthG (German Residence Act). Knowing the language is a skill that will keep on giving throughout your stay in Germany. As of March 2020 German immigration laws have changed, opening up the JSV as a path for workers in non-academic fields, too. We also provide templates for a CV, and a cover letter for your eventual job applications, as one of our digital products for job seekers in our online store. Perhaps unsurprising, given Germany’s reputation for stringent bureaucracy! Check out our detailed guide to the exact requirements and how to apply. You only have six months to land yourself a job in a foreign country. The applicant should be the holder of Bachelor Master’s Degree from any German University or any other International University of the same level. These cookies do not store any personal information. If at the end of the six months you have found a place of employment, you will be given the Germany work visa or a Germany work permit and you will be allowed to work and live there. Registered in England & Wales. The but of course answer is, with the help of a Job Seeker Visa that enables those individuals who desire to settle in Germany but were unable to obtain a valid job offer from an employee in the country. People who have entered the country are eligible to have the same security and medical policies as Germany citizens. Or you may be working in IT, which makes it a little easier. However, the new rules also allow applicants from non-academic fields. Not only this, but you need to be able to prove that you have these funds in advance in order to make a successful application. There is a group for Indians for example in pretty much every major German city. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Don’t make the mistake of applying if you’re one of these: If none of the above applies to you, then congratulations! This visa is issued for 6 months and allows the applicant to look for a job in Germany with personal interaction with prospective employers. The insurance should cover medical expenses including those of medical repatriation, medical emergency and/or hospital emergency. Germany job seeker visa is for foreign national who intend to work in Germany. Germany job seeker visa (long or short term) is a temporary residence permit. LinkedIn is an incredibly valuable site for this. So do your research and equip yourself to succeed! If at the end of the six months you have find the job then you can get the Germany work visa and you will be allowed to work and live there. As of March 2020 German immigration laws have changed, opening up the JSV as a path for workers in non-academic fields, too. The only catch is that you will need to enter the German for your profession. In a first step, interested candidates will, as a rule, have to obtain official recognition of their professional qualification based on standards set out by German authorities. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 2. The facts here are current as of September 2020. To get an idea of salaries in your field of work, use the website Gehalt.de or the salary section of Stepstone. Highly skilled migrants are in great demand in Germany. Request a clarification out of your experience. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. How to Apply For German Job Seeker Visa- Guide for Foreign Job Seekers. Instead, ask yourself what you can do to meet the requirements, work to make that happen, and only apply once you’re certain that you’re a suitable candidate for this Visa. While Germany is making bold moves to open up the Job Seeker Visa to as many people as possible, it is keen to keep the door closed to unskilled migrants. Not only that, but you’ll need to do it in a foreign country within a tight six month timeframe. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This may seem limiting, but realistically, it’s unlikely that you’ll have much success applying for jobs you’re not qualified for. If they do ask for this certificate, the cost is €200. A tertiary education degree, or 2. A German job seeker visa entitles skilled and qualified immigrants to enter Germany, attend interviews and ultimately find a job of their choice. You don’t need an insurance policy aimed at German residents or long term expats (which are substantially more expensive). With 2020 just around the corner, there is all the more reason to apply now! As we mentioned at the start of this guide, this visa is not for everyone. The applicant must also fulfill several criteria in order to be eligible to apply for the Germany job seeker visa, as follows: The possession of a Bachelor or Master’s Degree from a German university or an equivalent foreign degree. Checklist for a job-seeker visa Before filling out the application form (step 2) and booking an appointment (step 3), please prepare the following documentation for your job-seeker visa: valid passport (issued within the last 10 years and with at least … But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The JSV might just be the option you’re looking for. The perfect job may not present itself in the first six months. The Germany job seeker visa cannot be extended. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. As with most things in life, solid preparation and planning will increase your chances of success. Some diplomatic missions may also insist on a certificate of equivalence from the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zenralstelle for ausländisches Bildungswesen or ZAB in German), based in Bonn. However, bear in mind that application is only the first hurdle. You need to have at least 5 years of experience in your field of study. Company Registration Number 11833746, Registered Address: Suite 2A, Blackthorn House, St. Paul’s Square, Birmingham B3 1RL, United Kingdom. Once you’re here in Germany, you’ll still have to find a permanent job relevant to your field of studies within six months. The application process requires you to jump through various hoops, and to meet a number of criteria. If you find an employment opportunity in these six months, you will be offered a Germany work visa to start working there and be allowed to stay in Germany. This is no easy task, and German language skills will be a huge boost to your prospects here. Therefore it does not offer the opportunity to bring your spouse or dependent children with you. Top Jobs* Free Alerts Shine.com. So, while intermediate German proficiency isn’t a requirement in this instance, it’s still highly recommended. Yes, you may get lucky and find work for a multinational corporation. Live Work Germany and liveworkgermany.com are trading names of James Meads Media & Consulting Ltd. The best way to migrate to Germany is through the Job Seeker Visa. If you’re keen to work out what a good salary is relative to cost of living, we’ve of course covered this too. If you want to move to Germany for work, but don’t already have employment arranged, then the German Job Seeker Visa could be for you. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. The Germany job seeker visa fee is €75 taking into consideration that it is considered as a type of long-term visa. A note on Germany’s new immigration laws: In March 2020, Germany implemented new laws around immigration. If any of the above does describe you, read on to learn more. The job seeker visa for Germany is a Long-Term Residency Permit, which allows you to stay in the country for six months and look for a job. Under the old laws (prior to March of 2020), the German Job Seeker Visa was only open to applicants with higher education qualifications. While it’s true that you no longer need a degree to apply for the German Job Seeker Visa, you still need relevant qualifications and experience in your chosen field of work, or your application will be rejected. Live Work Germany and liveworkgermany.com are trading names of James Meads Media & Consulting Ltd. © 2016 – 2021 Live Work Germany, All Rights Reserved. There are a number of practical things you’ll need to have ready. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Guide To Foreign Qualification Recognition, top 10 most popular job search websites in Germany, A higher education qualification equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, Proof that you can support yourself financially while seeking employment, Valid health insurance for the duration of your six month job seeking period. However, if you do want your family to move to Germany with you, this could still be achievable eventually. The Benefit of a job seeker visa is that you will have at least 6 months of time to stay in Germany for the job search, its enormous time for someone to search for a job in their own domain. A JSV is a fixed-term visa which cannot be renewed upon expiry. Germany has a deficiency of skilled professionals in many sectors like IT, engineering and health. You will need to have sufficient medical insurance to cover you for the duration of your visa i.e. Language skills will also be priceless when it comes to finding work. These are both great recruitment websites which have a section that scrapes the data for the average salary in most professions. They’ll understand the rules and requirements, and if it’s necessary, they are able to communicate in German with the German authorities. I hail from kerala. You need to be able to support yourself financially for the duration of your visa stay. But let’s take a closer look at the basics. True to its name, the Germany Job Seeker Visa is a long term visa exclusively for job seekers to visit the country and look for employment opportunities. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. But with so much competition for English speaking jobs, you’ll need to be an exceptional candidate to get an interview. It clearly looks suspicious if the money magically appears in your account just before your visa appointment. Remember, even if your application is successful, you’ll still need to actually find a job. To explain: You can still apply for a Job Seeker Visa for just yourself. Live Work Germany uses cookies to improve your experience. © 2016 – 2021 Live Work Germany, All Rights Reserved. Once a non-EU national has a recognised qualification … Apply Now for Visa Jobs in Germany. Therefore it’s essential to have the right prospects and the right mindset before you begin this process. We’ll break down the above list point-by-point, so skip ahead if the first section doesn’t apply to you. Just do a search for X in Germany. You’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), comparable to a German issued degree. In reality, you may need significantly more money than this, as the €4,320 figure is a bare minimum that will only provide a very basic standard of living. Deposit funds into your account 2-3 months ahead of time, Write a motivational letter that demonstrates that you are employable and have a reasonable chance of finding work i.e. A note on Germany’s new immigration laws: In March 2020, Germany implemented new laws around immigration. A vocational training qualification, taken after a training course that lasted for a minimum of two years. It could save you a lot of time and money applying for a visa which may be useless to you! Job seeker visa or work search visa has grow to be simpler by the modifications within the expert immigration act in march 2020. The application fee is €75, so you will need to have this ready too. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. I did my bachelors in computer science and have experience of 5 years working as a developer in Infosys. degree) when applying for the German Job Seeker Visa. However, the new rules also allow applicants from non-academic fields. This is usually doable in most cases – although obviously a huge number of other stipulations apply to any immigration process, and we can’t go into detail on that here. The figure is set at €4,320. If you have a higher education qualification (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree or higher) you can apply for a German Job Seeker Visa without needing intermediate German language skills. Alternatively, you could put the money into a blocked account (Sperrkonto). Your motivational letter and CV (or résumé, for American readers) should conform with the German format. After all, there’s a big difference between an international corporation, and a small local business where they only speak German. We as a couple (Myself & Spouse) are looking to start with the ground-work for coming from India to Germany on a Work seeker visa. what’s in it for them to grant you a visa, Scope out insurance providers and getting a policy in place, Gather any additional documents required by the German diplomatic mission in your home country. Once you’ve made your application, the processing time is usually around one week. Qualified skilled can apply. These applicants were not required to be competent with the German language (and are still not required to be). Also check out our interview with Vishesh Malik, who left his well-established career in India to come to Germany on a Job Seeker Visa. These cookies do not store any personal information. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. That’s why Germany offers a lot of work opportunities to educated and highly skilled foreigners and encourage them to apply for available jobs. Germany Job Seeker Key Pointers: This visa allows you to live in Germany for 6 … It is crucial to have a plan, and to hit the ground running with the right mindset. But quite honestly, the more comprehensive your German skills, the better. Under the old laws (prior to March of 2020), the German Job Seeker Visa was only open to applicants with higher education qualifications. But another less desirable position might. Reply Killer 21/01/2020 at 14:39. If you lack the skills to realistically find gainful, permanent employment in a non-casual job, this Visa is not for you. It pays to be as positive, agile, and adaptable as possible. Check your local embassy or consultate for the actual status, as this is constantly changing. I would like to share my experience of applying for a job seeker visa to Germany. As such, you may find conflicting information elsewhere online. The permit is valid for six months. It may not be a suitable option for you, and if this is the case then you should know that and plan accordingly. However, it’s important to know that it is NOT a suitable option for everyone. Which should give you an idea of the (fairly sparse) lifestyle standards you can expect on this budget. Ultimately, a less-than-perfect job is still better than a one-way ticket home. Vishesh shares his experience and gives lots of useful advice on the preparation needed and the application process. Visa Jobs in Germany - Checkout latest 20 Visa Job Openings in Germany. Hats off to the German government for their vision here…there aren’t too many similar immigration policies worldwide! It shows that you’re willing to learn, and that you should eventually be able to communicate effectively in the workplace. Reply Proshunjeet Sengupta 27/06/2020 at 17:58. Check out popular websites where you could pick up useful contacts or gain leads on vacancies in your chosen field. Germany has immense opportunities to offer immigrants. Getting your visa will likely take several weeks, if not months, so don’t waste this time! Finding your dream job can wait until later. But it’s arguably the most important factor. The New German Law on the Immigration of Skilled non-EU nationals defines qualified professionals as persons with either: 1. Therefore it’s essential that you have the right mindset to take your job search seriously. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It’s important for vocational workers to have German language skills. degree) when applying for the German Job Seeker Visa. This is because vocational jobs tend to involve more conversing with German-speaking colleagues and customers. “Intermediate” should be taken to mean at least B1 level. Coverage must be provided uninterrupted for the 6 month stay. If you need to improve your German, check out our guide on how to Learn German for Free. These applicants were not required to be competent with the German language (and are still not required to be). Be sure to check this out with them well ahead of time, so you can be absolutely confident in your application. So, if you’re someone with no chance of obtaining a JSV, you should know this before you spend valuable time and money applying for one. By Karthik Surendran. You’ll need to prove that you have enough money to support yourself for six months in Germany. If you have plans to move to Germany under the Job seeker visa, then you have to meet the Checklist to be eligible: 1. To ensure you waste no time, we’ll answer all the important questions: The basic requirements to qualify for the JSV are fairly simple: Your home country’s German embassy or diplomatic mission may have additional requirements. However, there are some rules to be aware of: Whoever you choose, we would definitely recommend you go with a Germany-based insurer. You can learn all about essential mindset must-haves and get more information on the German Job Seeker Visa application process with our dedicated article on this topic. This is because vocational jobs tend to involve more conversing with German-speaking colleagues and customers. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. So there’s really nowhere to hide if you don’t have the relevant qualifications or job prospects. In this instance, you may also want to check out our Guide To Foreign Qualification Recognition. So, if you can afford it, try to have this money sat in your account for 2-3 months prior to applying. A Job Seeker Visa is basically a Long-Term Residency Permit, which allows you to stay in the country for six months to stay and to look for a job. You can stay in Germany for up to six months with a job seeker visa and look for a job. There are some key differences here compared to the standard Anglo-American practices, and you will need to be aware of these. However, you’re not out of the woods yet! You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. If you’re looking to do unskilled casual work, or if you don’t have a vocational qualification in your field of work, then you will not qualify to apply. But quite honestly there is no upward ceiling on the ‘right’ level of German language expertise. Company Registration Number 11833746, Registered Address: Suite 2A, Blackthorn House, St. Paul’s Square, Birmingham B3 1RL, United Kingdom. It’s also worth noting that the job you’re seeking must also be relevant to your field of studies. March 17, 2020 Germany job seeker visa experience. We go into much more detail on how to write a winning German CV in this article on German Job Applications. It’s not essential that you do this, but it may well strengthen your application. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. But job seekers are not supposed to work under a German job seeker visa. The visa allows them for a continuous stay and job search in Germany for 6 months. My name is Karthik Surendran. If you don’t have a job lined up but still want to move to Germany, the Job Seeker Visa (JSV) for might seem like an attractive option. There are literally hundreds of articles out there on how to optimise your LinkedIn profile. In this article we’ll discuss which kinds of people should avoid applying, and explain how to improve your prospects if you’re one of these people. It’s also worth noting that €4,320 is the bare minimum you’ll need. So this shouldn’t be a huge issue. Considering that you only have a limited time until your Job Seeker Visa runs out, it pays to embrace imperfect options, and to keep your expectations as flexible as possible. Vocational Qualifications – New Rules for 2020 In the past, you needed to have a higher education qualification (ie. detailed guide to the exact requirements and how to apply, so much competition for English speaking jobs, German Job Seeker Visa application process, People seeking unqualified casual work in non-academic fields, People looking to immediately bring their family with them, People without the funds to support themselves, People without the correct mindset to intelligently network and actively seek work. Those wishing to work in Germany, no matter in which of the two groups given above they belong, must first have their foreign qualification officially recognised by the relevant authority in Germany. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Armed with the necessary skills and experience, there is no place like Germany to kickstart your overseas dream. The minimum amount of required coverage is €30,000. This goes for any other dependents too. As such, the application process requires you to submit a copy of your CV (or résumé for American readers), along with evidence of your vocational training. If you need to improve your German language skills, check out our guide on where to get started to Learn Basic German for Free. In the past, you needed to have a higher education qualification (ie. This figure is actually based on a student’s basic requirements. Of course, this option does mean spending six months in Germany looking for work and away from your family. Also, please note that due to COVID-19, some German diplomatic missions are not processing JSVs at this time. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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