Facharbeit | Third-country Nationals

Skilled work

Here you will find information on the following question:

What requirements do I have to meet in order to be allowed to work in Germany?

Please do not forget that you always have to meet the general requirements for your stay in Germany. You can find information about this here.

Requirements for skilled work in Germany (§§ 18a, 18b AufenthG)

Table of contents:

Purpose of the stay
Requirements
Specifics
Legal background

1.Purpose of stay

A skilled worker with vocational training can be granted a residence permit to work in a qualified occupation for which the qualification they have acquired enables them to do so. This means that the existing vocational training qualifies you for the activity described in the specific job offer. However, this also includes related professions, provided that the professional training qualifies for these.

2. Requirements

Concrete offer or valid employment contract
Approval from the Federal Employment Agency
Approval will be obtained from the German diplomatic mission or the immigration authorities
A license to practice a profession, if the activity requires one
The equivalence of the relevant qualifications, if the activity requires one
Passport
Proof of training, if applicable
Proof of language skills

3. Features:

Accelerated procedure according to § 81a AufenthG

With the support of the employer, the accelerated procedure under Section 81a of the Residence Act may also be an option.

4. Legal background:

Sections 18, 18a and 18b of the German Residence Act allow a residence permit to be issued to skilled workers. A distinction is made between skilled workers with vocational training (Section 18a of the Residence Act applies to them) and skilled workers with academic training (Section 18b of the Residence Act applies to these). In addition, § 18 AufenthG contains the general regulations that apply to all skilled workers.

According to § 18 Para. 3 AufenthG, skilled workers are foreigners who either have qualified domestic vocational training or a foreign professional qualification equivalent to domestic qualified vocational training (= skilled worker with vocational training) or a German, a recognized foreign or a foreign university degree comparable to a German university degree own (= skilled worker with academic training).

So there are different requirements depending on which group you belong to:

Skilled worker with vocational training = You have German vocational training or a foreign professional qualification that is equivalent to German vocational training

Specialist with academic training = You have a German university degree, a recognized foreign university degree or a foreign university degree that is comparable to a German university degree

Section 18 of the Residence Act initially applies to both groups. This lists the most important requirements for the granting of a residence permit for skilled workers.