Are work permits only valid in the city of issue?

Hello,

I got a job offer from an IT company in Pforzheim. Even though I will be registered at Pforzheim office, I will be working at a client site is some other city. From my understanding workpermit will be issued by Pforzheim Ausländerbehörde, and I am allowed to work only in Pforzheim. How can a consultant job be executed if my understanding is correct?

Below is my communication with auswaertiges-amt.de and they could not clarify it

Nims

Here's a thought. Have you contacted the...well you know where I'm going with this.

If I had a chance to contact the... from India, I wouldnt be asking this here.

Nims

1. You can Google, yielding information for the details with email, phone number, like http://www.enzkreis.de/showobject.phtml?of...ID=&ModID=9
2. You can check with the company you are gonna work for
3. You can check with the consulate helpline in India
4. You can say 'Please' and 'Thank You' when requesting help from strangers on a public forum
5. You can 'XXX' out the identity of the official at the Foreign office in your quoted email communication, when you do it for your own identity

Thank You

The City of Pforzheim does not belong to any administrative district (Kreis), although it hosts the administrative offices of the Enz district (Enzkreis) which surrounds the town ... better get in touch with the Pforzheim Ausländerbehörde (foreigners office):

Organisation: Ausländerwesen

Hausanschrift (city hall address):
Altes Rathaus
Östliche 2-4
75175 Pforzheim

Postanschrift (P.O. box address):
75158 Pforzheim

Telefon: 07231 39-3162, -3158, -2123
Fax: 07231 39-3199

E-Mail: auslaenderwesen@stadt-pforzheim.de

Thank you all for your replies. I guess my whole point was misunderstood. Sorry for that.

I thought this is a general question and nothing specific to Pforzheim. My question was, if you get a workpermit for a city (anywhere in Germany) are you allowed to work at a client site elsewhere. It might be my wrong understanding that this cannot be done. Please correct me incase I am wrong or if you have any info in this regard.

I hope I met all the standards of this forum by my post this time.

Nims

Was it ?

All except for the reading comprehension bit, although in fairness I realise that possibly isn't clearly specified in the Toytown Terms & Conditions.

The responses here and the Foreign Office have told you to contact the Pforzheim Ausländerbehörde. The general question might be valid but the specific question relating to your specific work visa can really only be answered by them.

Or to put it another way...


It depends on what it says in the terms of your work permit. Your best course of action is to contact the Pforzheim Ausländerbehörde who are issuing the aforementioned work permit.

You know what you could do as well? You could contact the Pforzheim Ausländerbehörde.

Work visa arn't (usually) tied to a certain city/location. They are tied to the company/job. The only reason you need to get the
visa/permit in Pforzheim, is thats where you live. If you lived in Frankfurt and Worked in Hamburg, it would still be the same.
Although the commute would be a real bitch.

Thanks Darkknight. This was the answer I was looking for.

Nims

Hi Nims,

My past work permits were tied to the city as well as the company and job.

The most recent change in lcoation process got to the point where the auslanderbehörde sent a warning letter to my employer stating the company was potentially liable for a fine in the 6-figure range if I began work in the new location (same company, same job, different city) prior to receiving the approval from the arbeitsamt in said location.

You may be okay in this case, since you are working for the company in Pforzheim, just "travelling on business" within Germany a lot. If your are registered as living somewhere other than Pforzheim, though, you may have a problem.

My advice - get a statement from someone from the ausländerbehörde (in writing or email, with the contact details of the person) saying what you plan to do is okay. Not sure if, in case a problem pops up, the authorities would react positively to "Well, on Toytown they said it was okay!" no matter how reliable the info from fellow posters is.

Cheers

Aufenthaltsgesetz

That info is from 2004. Check the newer Regs..

For the last 13 years i have worked in one city/landkreis and lived in another. I have never had any problems as stated by newfoundlander.
During that time I have also moved between different offices of the same company in different cities (While still living at the same place).
The work permit is tied to a company, not its location. Companies transfer people internally between different offices all the time. If it were
such a big issue/problem, don't you think you'd here more about it.

@DK

Sorry if I'm getting it wrong - not trying to mislead anyone here. My experience is different and I'm just passing on the information we received from the Ausländerbehörde here.
I don't know the regs, so if you're right, great. Next time I'll know. BTW, 13yrs here, shouldn't you have a Niederlassungserlaubnis or at least an unrestricted (by employer) permit by now?

As for the "if it was an issue, don't you think you'd hear more about it" thing, I totally agree. That's why I was surprised to get the call telling me that the move may be delayed because of this. At the time I just chalked it up to standard misguided German labour market / immigration regs.

The main point I wanted to make for Nimms benefit, was that it's best to check with the behörde directly rather than assume it will work for you the way it worked for some others. I'm not surprised anymore by discrepancies in what the regs say and what the people who are physically responsible for giving me the little sticker think it says... but don't get me started on that.

Cheers

Hello all,

My employer cannot say for sure now which client site/city I will be working (though chances are that I will be in Stuttgart). Also I will not be living in Pforzheim but in the city (in the above case, Stuttgart) where I will finally work.

I haven't applied for work/residence permit from my home country yet. Do I have to worry about these now? Or do I need to check these when I land in Germany and convert my 3 month visa to a residence/worrpermit?

Please share your views.

Nims

It's never too early to start the process.

That said, if you're sorted for the first 3 months, that should be enough time for them to process a new application if you initiate it when you get here.

Might be a good idea to ask if your employer will initiate the process on you're behalf - that's likely a good start.

Just curious.. what have you applied for now?

Thanks newfoundlander.

German immigration rules seems really complicated for me. Thats the reason I am coming up with so many questions. Sorry for that.

In the application form for residence permit, I see a field as "Proposed place of residence in Federal Republic of Germany (address)". My employer will arrange a temporary stay for me (maybe a hotel) where I will initially stay. I will not have the details of this at this point. How can I go about filling this field? Should I find a permanant place for stay in Germany from my home country before I fill this form

Sorry again if these questions appear dumb (it is just that I am too much confused at this point)

Nims

Nothing really. I got a job contract in hand and an empty application form for residence permit

Nims

Yes, if you plan to work without a permission to take up gainful employment stamped in your passport ... otherwise you´ll just be a tourist

It complicated for all of us, I assure you. That's what we're here for.

Not sure what to do re: permanent address. As for finding one from India, that may not be viable.

If you know someone here who would offer to provide a “dummy� permanent residence for the purpose of this application, then that might work. They would likely have to provide a letter stating that you will be staying with them and then you use their address. Not sure about how this option would work out in practice, though.

I suggest you ask the company to do some of this leg work for you. If they won’t, then check on TT for relocation services. They could help with a plan, I’m sure.

What does the Germany Embassy/Consulate in India say? Surely there must be a way around that residence question.

It sounds like you’re planning to come over and be a tourist for a while. If the company is willing to wait patiently for you, then 3 months should be enough to sort it out here after you land. Just be sure your employer is aware of the wait… could be a nasty surprise if they expect you to hit the ground running and you’re without work permit.

Table of countries whose citizens require/do not require visas to enter Germany

So, the three month buffer thing is not on.

Then, Nims, I'd get into the nearest Consulate as soon as you can and get someone to clear all your questions about the application. I'd also get the employer involved in the process too, they may come in handy speading up the process.

Good Luck!

I do, but i had to go thru all the levles of permits and German redtape to get it. So I know how crazy it can be.

I will do that soon. I will update you guys after that.

Thanks a lot for all the help until now

Nims

Hallo Nims,

After reading this thread, i think my example will clear some of your quries.

Are work permits only valid in the city of issue?, Or can one permit be used across all of Germany?

Yes the workpermits issued are bound to comapny and the city, atleast for the first year ( in most cases). As you are applying form India, you will be given only a visa in India and have to get your workpermit stamped at the local forgeiners office, in your case in 'Ausländerbehörde-Pforzheim .

After completing my studies, when I started my job in Munich, my workpermit was restricted to the comapny. It took 8 weeks to get my 'WP' (as it was holiday season).

After 3 months my comapny wanted to transfer me to other branch(outside munich).
So i had to again apply for a workpermit although i will be working for the same company, but in different city.

So i suggest to first register at Pforzheim and ge the initial 'WP'. When your end client is finalised you can then apply for a 'WP' unbound to city.

In the application form for residence permit, I see a field as "Proposed place of residence in Federal Republic of Germany (address)".

This is a tricky question not only for german visa, but for visa applicaton form. Just mention your employer address or the hotel addrss which your employer will be booking for you. You can explain it in your visa inteview in the Consualte in India. Once you are in germany you need a house contract to register at the local office called (Rathaus or Meldeamt) which is mandatory.

I hope your quries are cleared, atleast a bit of them.

Dear coolguyinmunich,

It couldnt be more clear than this. Thanks a lot for your detailed reply.

Regards,
Nims

Hi All

Once u have the work permit and you are in Germany, how much time does it take to get the residence card and extended work permit. I have got the Work Visa for next 3 months and the Embassy said that I'll get the extended one once I'll be in Germany. Any suggestions on this front will be appreciated.

Regards
Hemendra

A week or three.