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German Immigration News
Our VISAGUARD blog on immigration law in Germany: All important immigration news from the areas of law, politics, and society.
VISAGUARD has been awarded by Handelsblatt in the ranking “Germany’s best lawyers: Ones to Watch – Lawyer of the Future 2026”!
Fantastic news from our firm! The prestigious Handelsblatt ranking "Germany's Best Lawyers 2026" has been officially published. We are extremely pleased and proud to announce that our firm, VISAGUARD.Berlin, has been recognized. In the exclusive category "Ones to Watch – Lawyers of the Future 2026," we are now officially among Germany's leading legal professionals ! Top reputation through the toughest testing procedure in the industry Today, business clients rightly expect ex
VISAGUARD Sekretariat
Jun 193 min read
A note from us: Publication of the IMMIGRATION OFFICE QUARTET - A funny gift for lawyers
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
VISAGUARD Sekretariat
Nov 21, 20253 min read
Can Ukrainians obtain a travel document for foreigners?
The dream of the Naturalization or the consolidation of residency in Germany is a challenge for many highly educated people. Skilled workers , expats, and long-term residents are within easy reach. But suddenly the process stalls because the passport from their home country has expired or a new Ukrainian one has been issued. A passport cannot be issued. If the home authorities require you to travel to Ukraine in person for documents such as a Ukrainian ID card. Those
VISAGUARD Sekretariat
18 hours ago4 min read
The Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) calls for further development of the Western Balkans Regulation
A candidate from Belgrade has signed the contract, the logistics position is urgently needed, the business plan is ready – and then suddenly: quota exhausted, next application not possible until the new year at the earliest. What has long been standard practice for many HR departments in Germany could soon become even more difficult. In August 2026, the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA) presented a position paper warning of precisely this scenario: The Ger
Isabelle Manoli
21 hours ago6 min read
EU discusses another increase in Schengen visa fees
Schengen visa fees could rise again. A recent document from the Council of the European Union shows that the relevant Council working group on visas will address a possible increase in visa fees. A discussion paper on a visa fees increase to support the EU Common Visa Policy was explicitly published on September 4, 2026, for the meeting on September 14, 2026. No decision has yet been made regarding a specific fee increase. However, the issue is officially on the European agen
VISAGUARD Sekretariat
2 days ago3 min read
Global Mobility: What points should be considered when sending employees to China?
Embarking on a move to one of the world's most dynamic markets usually begins with a mixture of euphoria and a long to-do list. But while packing suitcases and saying goodbye to friends are the emotional focus, the real challenge lurks in the bureaucratic depths of German-Chinese legal relations. An assignment to China is not simply an extended business trip request, but a highly complex personal project . Those who underestimate the administrative burden risk not only thei
Mirko Vorreuter, LL.B.
2 days ago3 min read
Government decides to accelerate recognition procedures in healthcare professions
German hospitals, medical practices, and pharmacies are more urgently than ever seeking doctors, pharmacists, dentists, and midwives from abroad – but until now, one thing in particular has deterred many qualified applicants: a recognition process that often takes months and varies from state to state, with unclear document requirements. With the regulation to accelerate the recognition procedures for foreign professional qualifications in healthcare professions ( Federal Cou
Isabelle Manoli
2 days ago5 min read
Salary limits and variable compensation: What actually counts towards the relevant gross salary for Blue Card, Sections 18a and 18b of the German Residence Act?
Introduction Few questions cause as much uncertainty in my consulting practice as the calculation of salaries for EU Blue Card holders and skilled workers with residence permits under Sections 18a and 18b of the German Residence Act (AufenthG). Employers present their international skilled workers with attractive compensation packages: a base salary, plus a performance-related bonus, sales commission, a company car, and occasionally stock options or RSUs. From a recruitment m
Mirko Vorreuter, LL.B.
3 days ago10 min read
When is it unreasonable to expect the visa procedure to be carried out retroactively in accordance with Section 5 Paragraph 2 of the Residence Act?
The visa procedure as a fundamental principle of residence law German immigration law generally follows the principle that the requirements for a longer-term stay should be checked before entry . Section 5 paragraph 2 sentence 1 of the Residence Act therefore generally requires that a foreigner enters with the required visa and provides the information relevant for the subsequent issuance of the residence permit in the visa application. For years, the Federal Administrative C
Mirko Vorreuter
5 days ago8 min read
Obtaining a passport in Eritrea: Is the diaspora tax payable?
An unexpected letter from The immigration office or the Federal Foreign Office will send you a letter. The request is clear: For the issuance or extension of your residence permit, or to apply for a visa to For family reunification or to establish your identity, you must obtain a valid national passport from the Eritrean embassy. For many highly qualified individuals... For skilled workers , international talent, and their employers, this is where a bureaucratic nightma
Isabelle Manoli
6 days ago4 min read
The State Office for Immigration (LEA) was also affected by the hacker attack.
Anyone who has tried to book an appointment online with [the relevant organization] in recent weeks to book with the State Office for Immigration ( LEA ) or to submit an application for an extension of the Anyone who has applied for a residence permit may have experienced this firsthand: the application processes were inaccessible for days . This doesn't just affect follow-up applications after a previously granted permit. Visa , but also the extension of an existing on
VISAGUARD Sekretariat
6 days ago4 min read
Comparison of labor markets: Germany vs. Austria - Who wins the race for the brightest minds?
The global competition for highly qualified talent has reached a dynamic where bureaucratic efficiency has become a decisive factor for business location. While German politicians repeatedly emphasize the importance of... With a focus on skilled worker immigration , we as a law firm often see procedures hampered by lengthy consultation processes and overburdened authorities. This raises the urgent question of whether our neighbor Austria, with its structurally different app
Mirko Vorreuter
7 days ago3 min read
Bribery at the Lüchow-Dannenberg immigration office - verdict reached
A legally binding ruling from Lower Saxony is currently causing a stir far beyond the district borders . The Federal Court of Justice has upheld the appeal of a former employee of the The immigration office of the Lüchow-Dannenberg district rejected the appeal. This means it is now definitively clear: The man must serve the six-and-a-half-year prison sentence imposed by the Lüneburg Regional Court. The court convicted him of bribery in 16 cases and accepting undue advanta
VISAGUARD Sekretariat
7 days ago3 min read
Nearly 10,000 deportations in the first half of 2026
9,663 people were deported from Germany in the first six months of 2026 – an average of more than 50 people per day. This information comes from a response by the German government to a parliamentary inquiry from the Left Party. Among those deported were over 1,900 women and around 1,350 minors. Most deportations were to Turkey, followed by Georgia and Algeria. Security escorts for these deportations alone cost the federal government €5.9 million in the first half of the year
VISAGUARD Sekretariat
Sep 43 min read
Dr. Sebastian Klaus criticizes the migration policies of the German federal states.
You have received an attractive job offer in Germany, signed your contract, or would like to work as a highly qualified academic Skilled worker Your career in Europe continues. But instead of a smooth start to this new phase of life, often a frustrating wait follows: Delayed applications, ambiguous letters from authorities, or sudden additional demands present employers and applicants with grueling hurdles. Many internationally sought-after experts from the USA , In t
Isabelle Manoli
Sep 34 min read
Section 41 of the Residence Ordinance: Are US Americans, Britons and Canadians allowed to enter Germany without a visa if they intend to stay permanently?
Why Section 41 of the Residence Ordinance is frequently misunderstood in practice Section 41 of the German Residence Ordinance (AufenthV) is one of the most important privileges under German residence law. Nevertheless, in legal practice we repeatedly encounter the view that nationals of the United States , the United Kingdom , Canada , or other countries listed in Section 41 Paragraph 1 of the Residence Ordinance may travel to Germany visa-free as tourists, but must apply fo
Mirko Vorreuter, LL.B.
Sep 37 min read
Postponing holidays: Is the employer allowed to swap holidays and working days?
A German city center on a public holiday: The shops are closed, the streets quiet, and public life seems to hold its breath for twenty-four hours. But while the nation rests, the phones are ringing off the hook in many modern offices and home offices. In a globalized working world where teams collaborate across continents, the rigid German holiday quiet often seems like a relic from a bygone era. While the highly skilled If a skilled worker from the USA or India is regula
VISAGUARD Sekretariat
Sep 24 min read
Alice Weidel claims in a ZDF interview that 92% of naturalized citizens are unemployed.
In a ZDF summer interview in 2026, AfD leader Alice Weidel caused a stir with a figure: 306,000 of those naturalized in 2025 were unemployed. Based on the total of 332,500 naturalizations that year, this would theoretically represent around 92 percent. For foreign skilled workers, students, and companies considering naturalization themselves or currently in the process, this initially sounds alarming. Anyone hearing such figures rightly questions how seriously the German stat
Mirko Vorreuter, LL.B.
Sep 24 min read
Administrative Court of Hesse reveals use of AI in writing judgments
A ruling by the Hessian Administrative Court of Appeal dated June 24, 2026, is currently causing a stir – not because of its content, but because of a detail in the footnotes. The ending "source= chatgpt.com " appears five times in the cited internet addresses . As it turns out, a court had used artificial intelligence to research a residency issue – and inadvertently published the software's tracking traces in the process. For clients who rely on the diligence of German au
VISAGUARD Sekretariat
Sep 13 min read
Funding opportunities for skilled worker immigration for companies from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Months of unfilled key positions, stagnant growth projects, and fruitless recruiting processes on the local job market have long been a worrying reality for many companies in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. At the same time, highly qualified academics, engineers, and IT specialists from third countries such as the USA , Great Britain or Canada are ready to enrich Germany's economic landscape with their expertise. However, in practice, the move towards international recru
Gastautor
Sep 14 min read
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