Graduating as a foreign student in Germany: How to convert a student visa to a work permit in Germany?
Germany has a great and fairly cheap education system. No wonder that every year students from all over the world come to Germany for the purpose of studying. Especially in technical Universities you will find many students from abroad. However students who are not part of the EU or broader European economic area need a residence title to stay in Germany. The question arises what happens after graduation. Will my residence permit still be valid? And if so, for how long?
In our article we will explore the opportunities foreign students have after graduation to stay in Germany.
Enter the job market on your student visa
While being on a student visa, most students are allowed to take up employment. However the maximum amount of work allowed is in general 120 days per year. That would equal around 6 months of employment as only working days are counted. This should be clearly mentioned in your residence permit and you should find a sentence like “unselbstständige Beschäftigung für 120 Tage im Jahr erlaubt”. In case of doubt, have your future employer review your residence permit before starting work.
The type of employment is usually not relevant, so starting as a junior position is usually possible. As it is necessary to not exceed the 120 days rule, make sure to immediately contact the foreigners’ hall by applying for a blue card or residence permit for work purposes. If you did not receive your German degree, please don’t worry. Your school can give you any type of confirmation that you are enrolled and going to graduate soon. That type of confirmation is usually accepted as it can take a while until your degree is printed.
2. Apply for a job-seeker visa
If you did not find a job and your student status is about to expire soon, make sure to apply for a job-seeker visa. This gives you the opportunity to stay in Germany and look for a job.
While being on a job-seeker visa you can stay in Germany for a period of 18 months. Within this timeframe you should be able to find a job that is in line with your qualifications. If 9 to 5 is not for you, you are also allowed to apply for a self-employed visa afterwards.
While not all job-seeker visas allow you to work, former students of German Universities can typically work while being on a job seeker visa. That means they are allowed to do internships or work part time to secure their livelihood.
Christine is a co-founder of Jetztpat. She was raised in the so-called Schwabenländle but fell in love with travelling to random places very early in life. After living in Japan and Taiwan for several years, she finally went back home to stay in the German beer capital (where she survives by drinking wine). If she is not watching her favorite Japanese Netflix show aggretsuko, you can find her Googling answers to the real questions in life.