German Immigration News

VISAGUARD continues to support international esports! We are pleased to announce that VISAGUARD will be an official sponsor of RARALAND 2027 and its associated Open Qualifiers . With this sponsorship, we are supporting one of the largest and most important Warcraft 3 tournaments in the Western world. RARALAND is one of the most important events in the international Warcraft 3 scene. The best players in the world meet at the event to compete in front of a live audience. For th

There was a lot of rumor and whispering, and now it's finally here: the #Ausländerbehördenquartett - the satirical card game about the everyday madness that prevails in the German migration administration. What is the #ForeignOfficeQuartet? The Immigration Office Quartet is a satirical card game for adults, invented and produced by the lawyers at VISAGUARD – experts in migration law. With affectionate exaggeration and pointed humor, it pokes fun at the processes, absurdit

Since June 1, 2024, skilled workers have been able to come to Germany to look for work using the "Opportunity Card" according to Section 20a of the German Residence Act. The search for a suitable job takes longer than planned, savings dwindle, and temporary employment is often the only option. The law permits this – but only within strict limits. Anyone who crosses these boundaries commits an administrative offense. And this can become a problem precisely when the right job h

The authenticity of documents from Nigeria plays a recurring and significant role in German visa procedures. German embassies and consulates scrutinize school certificates, university degrees, and other educational credentials particularly closely. Based on our experience with numerous visa applications, German authorities regularly cite the generally difficult document situation in Nigeria as justification. A study by Canadian authorities, which the German Federal Foreign Of

The The employment contract is signed, the team in Germany is already planning with the new colleague, and yet one single document is missing, without which the embassy cannot Visa granted: the certificate of equivalence. For international For skilled workers with vocational training, professional recognition often determines whether they can successfully start their careers in Germany or lose months of work. The process itself is clearly defined. You submit your applic

The daughter is thirteen, the son fifteen; both parents work full-time and are frequently away on business trips. A young Canadian woman who wants to spend a year in Germany seems like the ideal solution: she speaks English as her native language, has already learned some German, and gets along wonderfully with the two teenagers. However, just a few weeks after the application, it is rejected – with the terse explanation that a need for childcare is "not apparent." Whether an

An administrative court is generally considered the neutral, final instance when a immigration office Residence permit refused or a Visa application rejected. But what happens when the judge himself jeopardizes the fairness of the proceedings? In our legal practice, we don't experience this in every hearing, but regularly enough to say: not every judge is above reproach. Anyone who fails to recognize or misjudges this moment in the courtroom squanders one of the most im

We recently explained how immigration authorities (especially the LEA) generally recognize forgeries and what the consequences can be . Building on that, we report on a particularly common "mistake" that is simply foolish: submitting manipulated documents from issuers whose documents the authorities handle every day. This doesn't refer to a completely purchased forgery, but rather a minor alteration to a B1 certificate from the local language school, a transcript from the loc

The embassy has the national Visa denied. The appeal has been filed with the Berlin Administrative Court. The passport still has a valid sticker. Schengen visa . Is it now permissible to travel to Germany with this visa, for example to...? Want to visit family or meet a prospective employer in person? The short answer: Yes, a valid C visa remains valid and can generally be used even during a visa appeal. Appealing the rejection of a D visa does not change the validity

Immigration authorities sometimes take the view in practice that minor children can only receive a permanent residence permit upon reaching the age of 16. This blanket statement is legally incorrect. It is based on a confusion between a specific, child-related facilitation provision and the general eligibility criteria for a permanent residence permit, which itself does not specify an age limit. The origin of the "16-year limit" The age limit stems from Section 35 Paragraph 1

The place at the language school is reserved, the blocked account opened, the documents submitted to the embassy. Weeks later, the rejection arrives. The reason is often surprisingly simple: the booked course was too long. The answer to the question of the maximum duration is clear: a A visa for a language course only in Germany is generally granted for a maximum of 12 months. The basis for this is... Section 16f of the Residence Act, in conjunction with the General Admin

An entrepreneur has lived in Germany for more than ten years, runs his own limited liability company (GmbH), employs a dozen people, and has never received social benefits. Nevertheless, he is being asked to leave the country. The reason: According to calculations by the [relevant authority/body], his managing director's salary exceeds [a certain threshold]. The immigration office is deducting €190 per month from his living allowance. The Bild newspaper reported on this cas

Two full-time jobs, both remote, neither employer aware of the other, 60 hours, 80 hours, 100 hours: What is often legal in the US and celebrated as "overemployed" in online communities touches on three different areas of law in Germany. The Working Time Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz, ArbZG) limits how much you may work in total. Criminal law asks whether you have deceived an employer about your working time. And for holders of a Blue Card or another work visa (legally: a residence

The application has been fully uploaded, every item on the checklist has been ticked off, and the appointment with the The State Office for Immigration finally confirmed – and yet the conversation ends with a letter demanding further payment. For many skilled workers from the USA , This is a disconcerting experience for Great Britain and Canada, as an official list of required documents is usually considered exhaustive in their home countries. This is not the case in

Those who live in their own house or apartment in Berlin do not pay any taxes. Rent . Nevertheless, he receives [amount] when applying for a residence permit or Naturalization often results in a letter demanding additional payment from the State Office for Immigration ( LEA ). The reason: The authority must check whether a To determine if your livelihood is secure, the agency needs your actual housing costs. The good news is that homeowners generally don't have to sub

Until now, a strong oral performance on the German Test for Immigrants (DTZ) could compensate for a poor written section, and the B1 certificate was still awarded. This will soon change. From November 1, 2026, anyone wanting to pass the DTZ with a B1 level must achieve B1 in speaking, B1 in one of the two written sections, and at least A2 in the third. Those seeking the certificate for a permanent residence permit or the Anyone seeking naturalization should therefore now ch

A government employee who professionally decided on residency rights is alleged to have been part of a network that organized sham marriages for payment. The case from Cologne sheds light on an issue that unsettles many binational couples. The good news first: Those in genuine marriages generally have a right to spousal reunification. However, authorities will be scrutinizing the authenticity of relationships even more closely after this case. We explain when a marriage is co

Applications were deferred, rejection was threatened, and those affected were asked to sign unconditional waivers. This is how it works at The Berlin State Office for Immigration ( LEA ) has been at least partially shut down. This was achieved by lawyer Dr. Sebastian Klaus , author and lecturer in immigration law. He submitted a petition to the Berlin House of Representatives and simultaneously filed a complaint with the supervisory authority. The key outcome: The LEA add