Residence permit and work visa for an Australian

HI All, This is our situation. My husband has been offered (and accepted) a job in Germany. The company has been organising the residency permit (and work visa). They emailed us to say that my husbands work visa is processed and he can get it when he arrives in Germany. This sounds odd to me, as an Australian he can enter as a tourist for 3 months, but doesnt he need to have the work visa in his passport before leaving Australia? I phoned the embassy in Sydney and the women I spoke to said 'yes we had to have the permit before we leave' I also have to apply for the permit in Australia before I leave for myself and for our child. I emailed the company back with my concerns and they said that all is well, that they have checked with the permit office over there in Villingen and it is fine. My concern is that we have not sent them passport photos, although we have sent a copy of both of our passports. I have looked at the application form and it requires a signature from the person geting the visa and 2 passport photos. It may be a different process if the company is applying within Germany? Okay, maybe I am being paranoid, they have booked and paid for my huby's tplane icket and I plan to go over about 4 weeks after he gets there (so he can get a flat etc.) but the women at the embassy said it will take at least 6-8 weeks to get my and our babies visa. Can anyone give some advice based on their experience.

Basically the company applied for his visa over in germany but I dont want him to leave aust. without the proper visa/permit in his passport. It is a long way to go all the way to Germany and find out there is a problem! Also, we dont want to be apart for 8 weeks. Although I suppose I could go as a tourist and apply over there as soon as I get there?

No, there is no problem. He can enter with nothing in his passport, and they will process the residency permit once he arrives. Happened with me this way.

Hi

As an Australian I went through your nightmare some years ago. Before explaining some basics, if I could do it again I would never have tried without a good relocation service. The number of issues to take care of in Germany before and after you arrive are overwhelming. Coming from Australia, you may don't speak any German and that is really a problem when trying to handle basic home setting up. If there is still time you should push the company to get one.

Read the information below very carefully. It sounds great except for one missing piece of information. If you have a one-way ticket to Germany (which is not uncommon in such circumstances), you need proof that you can remain there indefinitely. Not to have that proof means that you can be stopped at the Australian airport of departure and refused permission to board the plane. Don't laugh because only a couple of years back I faced an over enthusiastic Australian airline official who could not understand my German residence permit and questioned the fact that I had a one-way ticket to Germany. If you read any airline terms and conditions they all say the same thing.

The residence permit will be issued only in Germany and inserted into your passport. Since you will not have your residence permit before travelling to Germany you will need some form of confirmation of German residency OR a valid return airline ticket. This may sound pedantic but you can check it yourself with the airlines or the Australian immigration authorities.

How to apply for permanent residence

As of the 1 January 2005 introduction of the new German Immigration Act, foreigners need only obtain a German residence permit, which gives them the right to work, rather than separate residence and work permits. Citizens of the US, AUSTRALIA, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, and Switzerland may apply for their residence and work permit while remaining in Germany as visitors. Citizens of these countries, however, are not allowed to work in Germany until after their work and residence permit application is approved.

Citizens of most other countries are required to apply for and obtain a residence and work permit prior to entering Germany at their German consulate.

The procedure as of 1 January 2005 is as follows:

Stage 1: The residence permit application (which also provides access to the labour market) for the candidate is received by the German embassy in the country where the candidate lives.

Stage 2: The Embassy passes the application to the immigration office (the Auslaenderbehoerde) in the place where the job is to take place for initial approval. The immigration office, in cooperation with the local employment office (the Arbeitsamt) that issues the permission, makes its decision.

Stage 3: If the candidate's application has been approved, the Embassy provides an entry visa to the candidate.

Stage 4: Upon arriving in Germany, the foreign national and any accompanying family members must apply for their work and residence permits at the local foreigners authority.

source: http://www.workpermit.com/germany/permanent_residence.htm

Thanks for the reply. It is a bit daunting to move so far away without any confirmation that the visa is okay. Furthermore, the company said that I would just apply for my residency visa for myself and our baby once I was over there. We have a work contract so this should be proof that he can stay. I dont think it sounds pedantic to be careful. Australia to Germany is a long way, and we are moving to a fairly small town with no family and no German language skills so we are depending on this company and they havent really given us many details. It would be very annoying to be stopped at the airport.

Your concerns are valid. I can't be sure of your particular circumstances but there are things to consider now:

1. As an Australian citizen you don't need a visa to enter Germany as long as it is INITIALLY short term i.e. less than 3 months.

2. According to the new rule you can apply for a residence/work (they are combined these days) permit while you are in Germany but can't work there until it is issued.

3. Your husband's company has applied for a residence/work permit on his behalf because they have to get pre-approval to employ a foreigner.

4. The company needs to confirm to you in writing that the residence/work permit has been approved (doesn't mean issued) on the German side. That confirms that your husband's job is secure in Germany and that he can stay indefinitely.

5. You husband can leave Australia using the confirmation mentioned in point 4. (assuming he has a one-way ticket) and enter Germany according to the non-visa requirement mentioned in point 1.

6. After he arrives in Germany he will apply for his (pre-approved) residence/work permit which will be inserted into his passport. That is when the photos will be required.

7. As far as you and your child are concerned you can leave Australia and enter Germany at any time as long as you have a return airline ticket. When you arrive you can apply for the residence permit as the company has advised. You can stay in Germany for up to 3 months without it, so if it take 6 to 8 weeks to process it won't be a problem.

8. If you don't have the return ticket, you need adequate proof that you will be allowed to reside indefinitely in Germany. I can't advise what the best is for that. I suggest contacting the airline you will use and ask them for advice.

As I mentioned before please try to get in contact with a reputable relocation company to help you. Your husband's company should pay for that and it will save you much stress and worry. I would make that your first priority and they can help with all issues mentioned above.

I hope this helps a little.

Just to add to the reasurance - you can get the paper work once you get to Germany... infact you have to have a job offer in order to get the work permit...not the other way around.

We actually had problems leaving Oz - as we only had one way tickets and no visas - so get something from the german company explaining your man has a job to go to.

Drop us a messageif you would like a referal to a relocation agent - I would not recommend doing this without one... although it is done regularly by others... but the systems here can be a bit mind boggeling.

Mr C

thanks for the replies. As for the relocation agent, we have decided to stay in accom. for awhile. The company pays for a couple of weeks and then we will pay for it. The company is going to translate any rental contracts etc. and help us find an apartment but it sounds very expensive to set up an apartment and since we havent been to germany before (we have been all around Europe but never Germany!) we thought we would try it out for a bit before we take up a lease. Besides, it is expensive to move everything over there and expensive to buy everything. So now I am trying to find a resonably priced holiday rental not far from town. Cross fingers that this is possible! mmmm maybe I should do another post about the holiday rental idea I am sure lots of expats try this.

Hi

You have not said how long you intend staying in Germany. If it is only for a limited time you need to consider that furnished apartments are almost non-existent in all but the major cities. Many apartments or houses will have no kitchen and you have to buy one and install it. That usually takes many weeks, not days to have completed.

Am not sure if you understand what a relocation service does for you. They arrange most/all of the relocation tasks in Germany. That inlcudes help with registering as foreigners, finding an apartment, understanding the lease contract, insurances in Germany, finding a school, finding a car, setting up a bank account, langauge training classes and even things like help with shopping for the first time in Germany.

I must point out that is usual for companies to pay for relocation services because in the end it saves everyone time and nerves. It is also usual that the company pays for at least four weeks accommodation until you find an apartment. Germany is nothing like Australia to find a place a live. Rental contracts here are a nightmare and it's always recommended to have them checked by a lawyer before signing.

There are so many things to take care of that without professional help you will be in trouble. German companies under estimate the effort because they are in their homeland and understand the issues from experience. As a foreigner with no langauge skills you will be in great difficulty not understanding what's happening.

In the end it's up to you but you asked for advice and you have it.

I agree 100% with the previous post. I don't see how your husband can see to it all without any local help (especially if he's supposed to be working at the same time), and I don't see how you can do it on your own when you have a baby to look after. As mentioned above, it is quite usual for the employer to pay for relocation, and it would certainly make everybody's life a lot easier, especially yours!

hi, i understand what a relocation service does but the company has included in the work contract that they will set up bank accounts, help us register, find an apartment, put us in touch with english speaking doctors and dentists, we dont need a school or childcare. i am not too concerned about shopping as we have travelled alot and shopped in lots of diferent languages including german. also, my husband was born in slovakia and many of his favourite foods are german! i am concerned about getting an apartment which is why i am looking into long term accom. like a holiday flat. i know this wil cost more per week, but after paying for up to 6 months rent, installing a kitchen (Or paying for a kitchen from previous tenant) and all the other possible costs, a hotel with bufet breakfast is sounding good. we are there for about 12-18 months so the holiday accom. wil only be for a few months till we sort out the apartment.

Sounds like your husbands new firm will sort you out. You're going to have a lot more help than a lot of people when they arrive in Germany. I really wouldn't worry about it (and it doesn't sound like you're too worried, but there seem to be a few other people who are worried on your behalf).

We moved here 1 year ago without visas before we left. Was organised very easily for us by our relocation agent/ husband´s company. Also apparently Australia has some sort of favoured status at the moment for work permits... (based on hearsay).

Hi there,

I'm in the same boat. I've accepted a job in the Mannheim area and the company is paying air fare (one way), plus shipping of winter clothes and a few personal items. That's the deal, and not a euro more. The guy I will be working for has said he will arrange for me to move into a flat that he's moving out of (he's moving into a bigger one in the same area, not leaving the company.)

Then he described the flat. It's one tiny room (what we'd call a studio here), has no kitchen and no furniture. I wouldn't worry about that, except that I will be arriving in Germany on a normal three month visa and they are arranging my work visa while in Germany. The embassy here in Sydney said that was fine. But for three months I won't be able to sign a lease. I'll be stuck in the cupboard. I don't mind short term, but long term I wonder how much fun it will be. The contract is initially one year, with an option to renew.

How likely is it in Germany that I will be able to find a flat that will allow a nine months lease? Is this common? And is it true you have to renovate and paint etc when you leave?

If I stay in the studio (grim, though cheap, prospect), is buying cheap second hand furniture easy in Germany? Can I just go to Ikea and get a kitchen and set it up with an allen key? I don't want to pay full whack for a whole household, when I might only be there 12 months.

Has anybody got any suggestions? Paying for a relocation company is not going to be possible - it's whatever I can do on my budget. The more I read, the more I wonder whether my budget is up to this.

Thanks for any advice,

B

If you're not sure about the length of your stay, I would suggest renting a furnished flat for those first nine months (there's no problem signing such a lease for 3,6,9 months or whatever) and then looking for an unfurnished flat if you decide to stay longer.

Except that may be beyond their budget...
Perhaps better to look for a share apartment?

You might be better looking for a furnished apartment, although you'll pay a lot more for that.. there is Ikea here, just like in Australia, so anything you can get there you can get here. In our lease, there is no minimum term although there is a 3 month notice period. Thing is, if you end up paying the real estate agent, you'll end up investing a lot of money (ours cost 2 grand) in it to begin with so you won't want to leave quickly.

If I was in your situation, I reckon I'd move into a shared house and see how it goes. This flat that your new colleague is talking about sounds crap cause it doesn't have anything in it, even a kitchen. I don't know how easy it would be in Mannheim, but in Munich you could get a furnished room in a flat here for around 400 euros a month. It'll definitely be cheaper than that elsewhere.

Thanks for the suggestion - though shared house? I'm too selfish for that. My new flatmates would probably have me run out of Germany before my work visa came through.

Furnished place sounds the go. So next question - can anybody tell me what you're looking at in terms of bond? In Sydney's it's usuallly a month upfront, which you get back at the end. What's the deal in Germany?

Thanks for all info.

Usually 3 months' rent for unfurnished and 2 months' rent for furnished, if I'm not mistaken.

Keep in mind that furnished places will definitely be harder to find and will cost substantially more though..

thanks for all the advice. no we are not to worried about details once we arrive, this is part of the excitment of living in europe. balmain you might want to look at this site http://www.allgrund.com it is a realestate but has some good summaries about renting. we are a bit concerned about not being able to sign an agreement until the visa is sorted out. we are moving to villingen which is a smaller city/town so i dont think we will find a furnished place, but i am going to try to meet as many peopleas i can as quickly as i can so we might find a private rental and save on some money from realestate fees. i am a bit worried about a kitchen, but there must be a heap of second hand ikea kitchens out there! well we emailed the company again tonight just to ask for my husbands ticket details in english! they just told him the time,date and airline, so the level of assistance they give us could be interesting if this is any indication.

Hey that's a good thought - second hand Ikea kitchen.

Does anybody know if there's a website where Germans sell their stuff? (ebay, of course). Anything else?

Not necessarily, if you're moving to a small town (which you say is the case). On the other hand, there are flats that already have a kitchen installed (this would be marked "EBK" in the advert).

Looks like it's all much easier than I thought - best of luck.

The photos of places o immostreet.com have kitchens but I suppose we wont know until we are there if we have to buy it from a previous tenant. Rentals look cheap per month but sounds like a lot upfront. Now as long as we can all get out of aust and into germany with our one-way tickets the fun will begin.

I just thought I would let you know that we came from Australia to Germany in January 2006 on one-way tickets and we had no problems whatsoever. No-one questioned it at any stage, and we were not even asked any questions at all by the German immigration authorities at the airport. We came for my husband to study here, so we did not have documentation from a German employer, or even a German student scholarship at that stage. We got our Residence Permits without any problems applying from within Germany. (And of course we are only Australian (not EU as well) Passport holders).