Work permits - validity across job changes

I think this topic has been discussed sooooo many times, but I will try to get some answers again.

It is a following situation:

I have an unlimited working permit (I finished school here and everybody who went to school in Germany gets an unlimited working permit).

My husband is the "problem case". He got his working permit but limited for a year and only for one company. He is unhappy with his job but he never wanted to change because he was scared that he wouldn´t get a new working permit.

The way I see it is that they cannot refuse to give him a new working permit and there are two reasons for that:

1. We have our "aufenthaltserlaubnis" bis 07.09.2006
2. I have an unlimited working permit and we have a little son. And I think that they know if they don´t give him the working permit we would have right to get the social assistance since we cannot live from my salary only.

Does anybody know anything about situation like this or is it only from case to case...

Thanks

i had a restricted work permit, only valid for a year, and connected to the company, and i changed jobs. i know work for another company in another city and have a new work permit. i changed because i hated my old job and was starting to go nutty. j.k.
seeing your two points, it doesn't really matter. you have to find a company that takes your husband. i however, do not see any problem here.
it obviously depends on his skills (language, professinal). good luck.

The problem is that they always say that there are a lot of unemployed germans who can do the job. Trust me his father had so many problems (he still doesn´t have a working permit for a full time job).

Talk to the Arbeitsamt, I too have switched jobs, and just got a new work permit, no problem. When he starts with the new company, after he finds a job, he will have all those preliminary forms to fill out again. Like job description, and why he is better for the job than most unemployed europeans... just a formalitly.

natasa, you work in a law firm right? couldn't your colleagues provide you accurate information?


This is true! Accept it! There exists over 5 million unemployed in Germany. Of course, they want to fight for what little jobs do exist. In compliance with the system, they want (need) to protect the rights of their citizens, just as the Canadian government does (did) for you, your family and friends.

On the other hand, if your husband is qualified for the job, he too has equal rights in applying/getting the job. Hopefully, he has a "special skill" that not a lot of Germans have!!! Is there something that can separate him from the others? Does he bring special knowledge and Canadian know-how?

No, work permits are only specific to the job applied for, they cannot be transfered.

Hi willy,

unfortunately the law firm I work for have no lawyers specialized in "Ausländerrecht" and no my husband does not have any special skills - that is actually what makes it more complicated. But I can´t say that any of us here in this forum have these "special skills". I think that there are always some Germans who are as qualified as we are.

My husband never had any problems with his working permit (he got 4 in the last 1 1/2 year), but since the problems his parents have, he has his doubts.

4 working permits in 1 1/2 years? Am I correct in thinking this is 4 different jobs in 18 months? Well, if he has done it in the past, why would you think he couldn't do it next time?

Well he got the permits but never got to work there. For an employer it is very hard to wait for somebody for 6 weeks or sometimes longer to get his permit. The reason he has doubts is only his father who got rejected for couple of times.

Now he thinks he wont´t get it either...

I don´t know

It's up to the company to get the work permit for him, as far as I understand. He can start working while the paperwork is going through the system. And it never took me 6 weeks to get a work permit...

i applied for my work permit on dec. 12 last year, and got the confirmation i could start work on jan. 26. bad luck that x-mas was in between.
if he's been approved 4 times, then why worry. hopefully the person who sees his file doesn't remember this.

Highly untrue and quite illegal.

If your husband has a Inc. company is Canada or a GmBh here in Germany, he could enter the company as a consultant, until the paperwork is processed (but of course, this depends on his career field).

Having gone through the work permit thing recently, being a Canadian citizen does give him an advantage and typically, the wait period is between 1-3 months.

Like Showem mentioned, it is the responsibility of the employer to take care of all work permit issues ... so if they really want to hire your husband, they WILL ensure that he does get approved!

By the way, what does your husband do?

He is a painter and that is a problem ))))

But I am pretty sure that he will get it, I just wanted to see if anybody had a similar situation

Thanks