German Immigration News

The year 2025 is drawing to a close, and it's time to pause for a moment, look back, and say thank you. For us at VISAGUARD, it has been a year full of encounters, experiences, and developments – both joyful and challenging. A successful year 2025 for VISAGUARD 2025 was a fantastic year for us. We had the opportunity to meet many new people – whether through direct client contact, business partners, or at industry events. Every encounter inspired us, gave us new perspective

There are numerous forecasts and studies about the IT job market in Berlin for foreigners. According to the industry association Bitkom, Germany is lacking around 109,000 IT professionals – 85% of the companies surveyed confirm a shortage in the market . The so-called IT Skills Index – such as the Hays GmbH & Co. KG Index – also recorded a significant increase in IT job postings in the first quarter of 2024. Theoretically, the job market for foreign IT professionals i

Berlin is currently experiencing a record number of naturalization lawsuits . This year alone, the Berlin Administrative Court has received almost 2,000 so-called inaction lawsuits – and the trend is rising. The reason for this is the large number of applications: 75,000 new and 40,000 older applications are currently pending at the State Office for Immigration (LEA) . The administration is unable to keep up with processing them, even though the Interior Ministry has

According to the Berlin Administrative Court , the granting of a residence permit for study purposes under Section 16b Paragraph 1 Sentence 1 of the German Residence Act (AufenthG) depends crucially on the requirement that residence in Germany is essential for the success of the studies . In its judgment of November 28, 2025 (Case No. 11 K 175/25) , the Berlin Administrative Court reiterated that this requirement is not automatically met simply because examinations ca

In the IU International University case, Der Spiegel is now also reporting extensively on the controversial distance learning programs . After the TAZ newspaper already described the fates of two Indian students at IU and how they gained access to the private university through expensive placement agencies , became heavily indebted, and ended up in Germany under precarious living and working conditions as couriers and in the restaurant industry, Der Spiegel has now also publi

On December 2, 2025, rbb broadcast the documentary "Delivered! The Courier Business ." This documentary, a co-production of rbb and NDR, takes an unflinching look at the lives of thousands of Indian students in German cities. Many of them come to Germany with the dream of studying and securing better prospects. But the reality, documented by Fabian Grieger and Jan Wiese after months of research, paints a different picture: precarious working conditions, unpaid wages, and

In the context of labor migration to Germany, transparency regarding bureaucratic processes is playing an increasingly important role. For international professionals and companies that work with VISAGUARD, reliable information on processing times has become a crucial factor in planning the start of employment, residence permits, and relocation processes. This is precisely where AllAboutBerlin 's new tool comes in: " Foreigners Office Waiting Times " offers, for the

The judgment of the Berlin Administrative Court of May 14, 2025 (29 K 122/24) should have clarified the matter long ago: The simultaneous issuance of an EU Blue Card and a permanent residence permit is lawful, and the long-standing practice of the Berlin State Office for Immigration of refusing this combination was unlawful . Even then, the court made it clear that the EU Blue Card does not automatically expire when a skilled worker is granted a permanent residence permit. Bo

Complaints about the Berlin State Office for Immigration (LEA) are on the rise . Particularly serious is the fact that appointments are frequently delayed for months – sometimes with existential consequences for those affected. The Berlin Migration Council reports increasingly escalating cases in which people receive no response from the LEA despite multiple attempts to contact them. Increase in complaints: job loss, housing shortage and lack of social benefits According

On November 5, 2025, the oral hearing in the case between IU – University of Applied Sciences for International Students and the State Office for Immigration (LEA) took place before the 10th Chamber of the Berlin Administrative Court ( VISAGUARD had reported on the case ). Many students had hoped that the court would finally provide clarity – or at least find a compromise between the two sides. But the hearing showed one thing above all: the positions remain entrenched . And

More and more young people from Vietnam are coming to Germany to begin training – particularly in the catering and hotel industries....

An IT glitch at a Berlin IT service provider has led to the loss of nearly 600 digital naturalization applications . For applicants, this means even more patience—and resubmission. A software error with consequences What was supposed to be progress toward digital government has ended in a setback: At the end of June, a massive data breach occurred at the Berlin IT service provider (ITDZ) . Approximately 582 digitally submitted naturalization applications were lost—deleted

Anyone wishing to apply for German citizenship in Berlin faces a major organizational and legal challenge. In addition to legal...

Effective October 1, 2025, the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA) has changed its organizational structure . The former Department E, which was responsible for residence permits and naturalizations, has been divided into two independent departments : Department F ("Friendly States") and Department M ("Migration"). The goal of this restructuring is to shorten processing times and clarify responsibilities. For applicants, this means that in the future, they will have to carefully

Abolition of “turbo naturalization”: Bundestag reverses reform of citizenship law On October 8, 2025, the Bundestag voted by a large...

In Berlin, there is currently a growing number of cases in which international students are being denied an extension of their residence permit for studies – even though they have long been in the country, are studying successfully, and have legally met all requirements to date. Students at the IU International University are particularly affected. They are suddenly accused of not being "on-campus studies" as defined by Section 16b of the Residence Act – even though they have

Insight into a “black box” of labor migration On October 14, 2025, a conference day on the topic " Labor Migration and Placement Agreements : Germany/Asia – Insights into a Black Box" will take place at the Technical University of Berlin . The conference is organized by Prof. Dr. Felicitas Hillmann (TU Berlin) and Prof. Dr. Tuan Nguyen (Federal Employment Agency University). The aim of the event is to focus on the previously under-researched placement agreements between Germa

Three months after the termination – what is the truth behind the rumor? There is a persistent rumor in the expat community that the EU...

Many skilled workers who have come to Germany with an EU Blue Card are at some point faced with the question of whether they can...

The Berlin State Office for Immigration (LEA) is under investigation for alleged corruption . The Berlin public prosecutor's office has...