Category Archives: Immigration

Berlin registration

Posted on by

Back to business as usual at Berlin’s registration offices

In order to get an appointment at the municipal registration office you have to wait up to two months. The hotline to get an appointment on a short term notice was closed right after the Berlin election. That means you have to wait again for minimum a month. You should keep that in mind when making an appointment with the foreign department to apply for residence permit or work permit.

Our tip: If you know when you will move to Berlin exactly, ask for an appointment. You can make it online.

Berlin Marathon – Integration at it’s best

Posted on by

This weekend the 43rd Berlin Marathon will take place in the city of Berlin.
More than forty thousand runner and skater will participate in this competition. More than twenty thousand participants come from abroad countries to join the Berlin Marathon.

It’s great: people from all over the world, women, men, young and old people, professional runners and hobby sportsmen and handicapped person. They all will give their best on Sunday and the Berliners will cheer on them.

By the way, if your are new in the city, participating on Berlin Marathon gives you a superb overview of the streets of Berlin.

The “Berliner” have vote

Posted on by

Now there will be a governmental change in Berlin.

The election makes clear, Berliner inhabitants want a new government. Berlin is likely to get a fist leftwing triple-coalition.
Angela Merkel’s CDU party and the ruling Social Democrats both plummeted to their lowest result in Berlin. Centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) came out top with 21.6% of the vote, ahead of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on 17.5%. Leftwing Die Linke came third on 15.7%, ahead of the Greens on 15.1%.  The liberal Free Democrats managed to get back into parliament with 6.7%.
The worst thing is, Anti-immigration populists Alternative für Deutschland are set to enter the Berlin parliament for the first time, with 14.1%.

But the good news is, that most of the voters 85,9% support the democratic parties, accepting Germany as a country of immigration.

Berlin gets ready for digital future

Posted on by

The new ” Einstein centre Digital Future”  in Berlin will create a multi collaboration and interdisciplinary research environment for increasing digitalization. Scientist from all over the wolrd will work about digitalization.
By now are round about 75.000 people employed in digital economy in Berlin.

Berlin gets more than 50 new It – professors. They should help to promote Berlin with the subject of Digitization further about the new “Einstein-Zentrum für digitale Zukunft” (Einstein’s centre for digital future). The scientists should build up networks to other disciplines: from medicine to archeology, in clothes integrated chips up to researches to the digital town. Furthermore, the effects of digitalization i.e. world of work should be investigated. Christian Thomson, president of the University of Technology Berlin said, “such a concentration in It research, as it will be situated in Berlin then, will be unique in Germany and a big chance for Berlin as science location”. The scientists should start to work 2017.

Right now first calls for tendering are puplished.

Munich – the world’s biggest beer festival

Posted on by

“O’zapft is” in Munich

Soon again Wiesn, Oktoberfest or how you want to call it starts again in Munich. The world’s largest and most popular fair will be held again at the Theresienwiese from September 17th until October 3rd. Being an important part of Bavarian culture Oktoberfest celebrations take place since 1810.
After the opening parade the first beer barrel will be tapped in the Schottenhammel tent by Munich’s lord mayor at 12:00 with the exclamation “O’Zapft is!”. Afterwards the fair is started and the 14 large as well as many smaller tents provide for lots of beer, Bavarian food like Schweinshaxe & Co. and brass music.

Integration into the German labour market

Posted on by

Suspension of priority review (Vorrangprüfung) facilitates integration into the German labour market.

The German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs decided to suspend the priority review in the majority of the 156 agency districts for asylum seekers and tolerated persons. Until recently it had to be checked whether German employees were available instead of employing asylum seekers and tolerated. The suspension facilitates the integration the integration of these persons into the labour market, as employment of those failed often because of the review. Undertakings as well as the Chamber of Industry and Commerce appreciate the decision as this facilitates filling jobs and raises efficiency. The International Chamber of Commerce mentions however that filling jobs with refugees is not a long-term solution against skills shortage in Germany.

 

Summer break in Germany

Posted on by

…is finding properties and real estate easier now?

Germany has holidays. Schools are closed, many people are on holiday and even political Berlin is on holiday. While many tourists visit the big German cities, you feel it: summer break has started. Rush hour is not as bad as usual and it is quieter in the office – everything is less hectic.
The same applies to the housing market. People rarely move during the summer months. The demand for properties and real estates is smaller at the moment, even flats are less demanded during the summer months.

However, this means not that flat hunting in Munich, Stuttgart or Berlin is easy now. It might be easier if you search now and go against the current. There might not be more offers, but it is less hectic and there might be fewer competitors in the house hunting and real estate business.

Try your luck – make use of the summer break!

Berlin elections

Posted on by

Berlin elections for the Abgeordnetenhaus

On 18th September all eligible Berlin residents are called to cast their vote. Who is eligible? Berlin elections are twofold, the districts assemblies are elected as well as the Abgeordnetenhaus (parliament of Berlin). Everyone above 16, holding the EU citizenship, having lived at least three month in Berlin and being registered in Berlin at least six weeks before the election can vote for the disctricts’ assemblies. To vote for the Abgeordnetenhaus you need to be 18 and above, need to hold the German citizenship and need to be registered resident of Berlin.
These elections promise to be thrilling. How do the current events influence Berlin’s residents? How does Terrorism, increased migration and integration especially through refugees influence the opinion and the decision of the Berliners?

Are you eligible to vote and not sure yet for whom to vote? Or are you just curious to know which party would supports your desires and concerns most? Try the Wahl-o-mat!

Successful and sustainable integration

Posted on by

A new beginning in Germany might be a big opportunity. What does such a new beginning mean especially for migrating people? – A new job? New surroundings and new social contacts? How can one ensure a successful new beginning?
Many people have these hopes and succeed in finding a new job and handle even the sometimes extremely difficult subject of house hunting. However, they are confronted with new challenges and stumbling blocs on a daily basis, which complicate full integration and starting life at the new home.
Many people forget that a new beginning in a new country goes beyond finding a job and a place to live. It’s a complexity of various challenges. Learning the new language is not enough in order to integrate completely.

The online relocation portal gohelpy offers in cooperation and coordination with Agentur Ahrens an extensive preparation and integration. Relocation stands for support in completing all necessary steps – administrative, formal as well as organizational – in the most efficient and comfortable order. In coordination with intercultural training and coaching and successful as well as sustainable integration is the result.

To take the chance of a new beginning in life does not mean finding a job, but finding friends and being integrated at the workplace and in the new social environment.

Flat or holiday apartments Berlin

Posted on by

New decision concerning holiday apartments in Berlin!

About 16000 flats are now allowed to be rented as holiday apartments as they are used only rarely by their owners. The administrative court of Berlin decided that secondary residences may be rented out to tourists and are not covered by the “Zweckentfremdungsgesetz” (law of misappropriation).
What consequences does this decision have for the already tense housing market?

Berlin’s housing market is tense since several years and will be tense in future. It needs to be awaited whether and how the decision influences the market. However, only flats which are used as secondary residence are allowed to be rented out, and are only allowed to be rented for several days or a few weeks a per year. The owners need to proof their own usage of the flat. Hence, the flat wont be on the housing market, even without the decision.