Germany Skilled Worker Visa: The Real Step-by-Step Process
What Germany requires
To work in Germany as a skilled worker (Section 18a/18b), you need a recognised qualification and a concrete, qualified job offer.
The real steps
- Get your qualification recognised (Anerkennung) for your profession
- Secure a qualified job offer and employment contract; the Federal Employment Agency (BA) usually must approve the employment (or use the Opportunity Card / Chancenkarte to enter and look for work)
- Book a visa appointment at the German mission; arrange health insurance
- Submit your visa application (the employer-led fast-track can take about 4 months)
- Enter Germany, register your address (Anmeldung), and apply for your residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde
- Build toward a settlement permit and later citizenship
Official sources
- Make it in Germany — Skilled Immigration Act
- Make it in Germany — Work visa for qualified professionals
_Confirm details on make-it-in-germany.com. Self-help information, not legal advice._
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