German Immigration News

Introduction In my experience, hardly any phrase in visa rejection notices from German embassies and consulates causes as much uncertainty as the subordinate clause that mentions the applicant's previous applications. It might state, for example, that "the overall circumstances of the case, in particular the previous rejection of a student visa," raise "doubts about the applicant's actual purpose"—and suddenly a client who has submitted a new, otherwise well-founded applicati

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will elect a new state parliament on September 20, 2026. Asylum and deportation policies are dominating the headlines in the public debate. For international For skilled workers , international students, and companies urgently seeking qualified personnel from abroad, a different, more sober question arises: What will this election actually change for the immigration of workers to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – regardless of who governs in the

Why BA approval is often misunderstood In practice, with employment visas, the impression often arises that the approval of the Federal Employment Agency is equivalent to a preliminary decision on the visa. An employer submits the declaration regarding the employment relationship. The Federal Employment Agency reviews the case. Approval is granted. From the perspective of the company and the foreign employee, the crucial part of the process appears to be complete. If, despite

The myth of the general prohibition of changing purpose German immigration law stubbornly adheres to the notion that a chosen purpose of residence largely determines the further course of residence. For example, someone who has come to Germany with a residence permit to study must generally leave Germany again if they later want to apply for a residence permit for a completely different purpose. This notion is inaccurate in its general form. Current immigration law does not c

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

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

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

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

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