Tag Archives: Migration

Pathways to Germany from outside EU – Part4 self-employed

Posted on by
This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Pathways to Germany

You want to establish yourself in Germany as self-employed or freelancer and can prove sufficient financial means as well as a permit to exercise the profession? You are economically worthwhile in Germany and impact the German economy positively with your self-employment?

What do I need to do before going to Germany?

You first need to make an appointment at the German embassy in your country in order to apply for a visa. The visa is granted for 1-3 months. Bear in mind waiting and processing times at the embassies and do not do it last minute before leaving to Germany.

What do I need to do once I entered Germany?

After having entered Germany it is of utmost importance to register with the municipality of the city as soon as possible. This is a condition to register the with foreign nationals’ registration authority, which is responsible for you in Germany.

Registration at the municipality office – why is it that important?

Handy hints:

  • make appointments early in time in order to circumvent long waiting times and delays.
  • in order to facilitate and accelerate the process you can inform yourself about the forms you need online at various platforms such as gohelp.y. You can print all forms and checklists at home and take them with you for your appointment.

 

Pathways to Germany – Part 3 Students

Posted on by
This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Pathways to Germany

You want to move and reside in Germany in order to follow your studies? You have a school-leaving certificate and a proof of admission to a German University? Or you want to apply for course of study in Germany?

What do I need to do before going to Germany?
For both cases you first need to make an appointment at the German embassy in your country in order to apply for a visa. The visa is granted for 1-3 months. Bear in mind waiting and processing times at the embassies and do not do it last minute before leaving to Germany.

What do I need to do once I entered Germany?
Even if you do not have an admission to a German university before entering Germany you can still apply for a residence permit.
After having entered Germany it is of utmost importance to register with the municipality of the city as soon as possible. This is a condition to register the with foreign nationals’ registration authority, which is responsible for you in Germany.

Registration at the municipality office – why is it that important?

They tell you which documents you need in order to apply for a residence permit and you apply here for the residence permit.

Handy hints:

  • make appointments early in time in order to circumvent long waiting times and delays.
  • notice: the relevant immigration authority for students in Berlin is located at Keplerstraße 2, 10589 Berlin now
  • in order to facilitate and accelerate the process you can inform yourself about the forms you need online at various platforms such as gohelp.y. You can print all forms and checklists at home and take them with you for your appointment.

Pathways to Germany – Part2 Employees

Posted on by
This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Pathways to Germany

You have a recognized or comparable university degree or a vocational diploma in an understaffed profession? Or you already have a job offer for skilled or highly qualified employment in Germany, which you want to take up?

What do I need to do before going to Germany?
For both cases you first need to make an appointment at the German embassy in your country in order to apply for a visa. The visa is granted for 1-3 months. Bear in mind waiting and processing times at the embassies and do not do it last minute before leaving to Germany.

What do I need to do once I entered Germany?
After having entered Germany it is of utmost importance to register with the municipality of the city as soon as possible. This is a condition to register the with foreign nationals’ registration authority, which is responsible for you in Germany. They tell you which documents you need in order to apply for a residence permit and you apply here for the residence permit and work permit.

If you have a university degree or a vocational diploma in an understaffed profession you do not need to have a concrete job offer in order to apply for a residence permit, in this case you apply for the EU Blue Card which enables you to reside in Germany.

Handy hints:
– make appointments early in time in order to circumvent long waiting times and delays.
– in order to facilitate and accelerate the process you can inform yourself about the forms you need online at various platforms such as gohelp.y. You can print all forms and checklists at home and take them with you for your appointment.

Berlin: Registration at the municipality office – procedure

Posted on by
This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Authorities

You can do your registration in every municipality office in any district hence, in entire Berlin regardless in which district you live. It is better to arrange an appointment at the office, but sometimes it is hard to get one.

If you go there directly without having an appointment for registering, often this implies long waiting times. Another possibility is to make an appointment beforehand, this is possible via internet or by phone.

For the registration procedure you have to take the completed form and your identity card or passport with you. If you want to register your family as well, you have to take your marriage certificate and your children’s birth certificates with you (only first registration in Berlin). If you want to register someone moving in the flat together with you, you need a letter of attorney and the identity card or passport of her/

EU freedom of movement for workers “Freizügigkeit”

Posted on by

New Office for the Equal Treatment of EU Workers “Gleichbehandlungsstelle” is established in Berlin. Within the European Union (EU), citizens of EU member states enjoy the right to move freely between countries to work.
The objective of the Equal Treatment Office is to support EU citizens in the rights of freedom of movement for workers they have in Germany. This new office is therefore aimed at EU citizens exercising their right to freedom of movement in Germany permanent, seasonal or as frontier workers or jobseekers, as well as their families.

The support provided to EU workers and their families in Germany includes advice and information regarding:
Access to employment
Conditions of employment and work
Access to social and tax advantages
Access to training
Access to housing
Access to school education and vocational training
Membership of trade unions and eligibility for workers’ representative bodies
Assistance afforded by employment offices

Contact: info@eu-gleichbehandlungsstelle.de

New City, new country: Relocation – do it yourself!

Posted on by
This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series Relocation

You want to move with your family?

First, there is a difference between moving with infants and moving with teenagers. However, no matter how old your children are, you get child benefit in Germany.
For infants it is important to join a kindergarten, after moving to a new country. This makes it easier for them to integrate and to find new friends. They learn the new language fastest while playing with children of their age.
In Germany it is compulsory for children between the age of 6 and 16 to attend school.

If you are moving with teenagers – involve them in decisions from the beginning. It will be difficult for them to leave their friends behind; therefore, they need to identify themselves with the decisions taken related to the move.

Important decisions for them are:
Which school to attend?
Where to live?
What sports to do?
Other leisure activity clubs to follow?

Your integration will be successful only, if your children feel integrated as well.

Outlook for the next part of the series: Relocation with a Blue Card EU

New City, new country: Relocation – do it yourself!

Posted on by
This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series Relocation

You want to work in Berlin, Munich or Stuttgart and you are coming from an EU Member State?

When moving to Germany in order to work here, the most important question is whether your qualifications are accepted.
In the recognition procedure, the relevant competent authority will check whether your foreign professional or vocational qualification is equivalent to a German qualification. The equivalence check takes place on the basis of stipulated formal criteria such as content and duration of training. Any relevant occupational experience you may have is also taken into account. You must be able to show that you have completed a professional or vocational qualification which was not obtained in Germany.
European Centre for Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOD) had designed an European self-assessment grid for language skills and digital competence.

Online relocation tools can support you with this. Most effective are online tools which take into account your individual facts. You just need to provide the system with information about your work status, qualifications and skills; the online tool will then provide a step-by-step path with all steps you need to take. One such online tool is Gohelp.y.

Outlook for the next part of the series: Relocation with children. What is important when moving with children?

New City, new country: Relocation – do it yourself!

Posted on by
This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series Relocation

You got a job offer in foreign country? You are not sure to take the job, because it seems you have tons to organize beforehand, in a foreign country? There is no need for worries!! Take the job, don’t worry about relocation in the foreign country. It is a great opportunity for you. You can manage your own relocation with help of an online tool.

But first: What is relocation and what is important?
You need to ask yourself the most important questions of:

  • Where do I want to live and what is my budget?
  • What do I need to do administration-wise?
  • Are my language skills sufficient? – Where can I improve my language skills?
  • How can I build a new social life in the new city? What do I want to do in my leisure time?

As soon as you answered these questions for yourself you need to think of what to start with. Which order is best for the steps you need to take? Thinking about this is important to prevent unforeseen chaos and disappointments; some administrative steps need to be taken in a specific order. The amount of the steps you need to take depends on your profile and your personal circumstances.

Online relocation tools can support you with this. Most effective are online tools which take into account your individual facts. You just need to provide the system with information about your circumstances, status and preferences; the online tool will then provide a step-by-step path with all steps you need to take. One such online tool is Gohelp.y.

Outlook for the next part of the series: Relocation as a worker – what does this mean specifically?

Europe Day – Europe Week in Germany

Posted on by

Europe Day commemorates 9 May 1950, when the then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presented his proposal on the creation of an organised Europe, to help maintain peaceful relations between European countries. This proposal, known as the ‘Schuman declaration’, is considered to be the act that created what is now the European Union.

In Germnay the Europe day is celebrated from 30th of April to the 10th of May. In many cities different activities and events are organized. In Berlin the main event will happen on May  6th and 7th . More than 200 Europeans living in Berlin are invited to discuss about Europe in city hall of Berlin “Rotes Rathaus .

The main event in Stuttgart will be at May 6th.   A big cultural and political event called “Europaaktionstag” will be organized on the “Schlossplatz” of Stuttgart.

Munich celebrates the “Europa Woche” with many different events which will inform about Europe. Opening event is called “Europe must not break up”.  The Bavarian Minister of European Affairs Dr. Beate Merk invites to a discussion in a festive venue.

Do you have digital know how?

Posted on by

 EUROPASS: self-assessment of digital competences

You can learn more about your own digital competence using the self-assessment of digital competences on Europass. This can be helpful for getting a job.
Europass includes five documents to make your skills and qualifications clearly and easily understood in Europe. You can create your CV online using tutorials or download the template, examples and instructions. Furthermore you can use the Language Passport. It is a self-assessment tool for language skills and qualifications. You can create your Language Passport online using tutorials or download the template, examples and instructions. Since last summer it is possible to carry out a self-assessment of digital competences (information processing, communication, content creation , security, problem solving) through the Europass CV online editor, using levels and descriptors.

The Europass celebrated its 10th birthday last year. Since it was designed more than 100 million visits were recorded, and 50 million CVs were created online in 27 languages. This success is largely due to the active support of National Europass Centres.

In every European country is a  National Europass Centre – the first point of contact if you want to learn more about Europass.

 

The European Centre for the Development of vocational Training (CEDEFOD)