Immigration to Germany
Immigration to Germany, German residency and different ways of obtaining German residency and citizenship is scientifically reviewed in this paper. Given that there are several ways to immigrate to Germany, and each has certain requirements, but in some cases there are some similarities. In this article, we try to provide you with all the information you need about immigration to Germany. Malekpour Consulting Agency with over 15 years of experience in the field of immigration and international law, assists you from the beginning to the end of your immigration route. If you need more information, you can contact our immigration expert and receive free telephone counseling.
Immigration to Germany and its general criteria
In order to be eligible for immigration to Germany, the following criteria must be met.
- Prove the ability to cover the costs of immigration to Germany
- To immigrate to Germany for any purpose, the applicant must prove his financial condition and must prove that he can cover his expenses in Germany. Even if the person is entering Germany with a job seeker visa they will have to cover their initial living expenses before they receive salary in Germany. In principle, to receive a visa one has to put EUR 8,000 to EUR 10,000 for one to three months according to the visa type in a valid short-term bank account.
- Valid health or medical insurance
- Adequate proficiency in German language level according to visa type
Immigration to Germany by birth
Persons born on or after January 1, 2000, from non-German parents may obtain German citizenship in the same conditions as one of the parents:
- Have a German residence permit.
- Reside in Germany for 8 years
To preserve German citizenship, a person must meet some criteria by the age of 23 as bellow.
- Stay at least 8 years in Germany before reaching the age of 21
- Registration at German schools for at least 6 years
- Graduated from Germany
Parents who are citizens of the European Union and Switzerland can apply for permanent residence after 5 years.
Immigration to Germany by marriage
The minimum age for marriage in Germany is 18 years, but people between the ages of 16 and 18 are also allowed to marry with the parent’s permission. If a person has already been married and wants to re-marry, he will need evidence of the completion or dissolution of previous marriages, such as the death certificate of a spouse, or a divorce. If a non-German citizen and a German citizen want to marry in the country, non-German citizen can enter the country for a period of three to six months by applying for a tourist visa and hold their own ceremonies.
Non-German citizen can also become a citizen, under some circumstances, such as having the right income level to cover living expenses and the spouse, as well as possession of a degree and knowledge of German language and three years of being a legal resident in the Federal Republic of Germany, (two of which as married). If you need more information, you can contact our immigration expert and receive free telephone counseling. This article is protected by copyright laws and any distribution is prohibited by Malekpour Consulting Agency.
Immigration to Germany by work
Immigration to Germany by work is one of the popular ways many people in the world are interested in. The fourth largest economy in the world, the European industry pole, and the low unemployment rate of 3.4, makes Germany one of the biggest job opportunity lands in the world. If you work in Germany legally and approved by the German government, you will have a working residence. If you pay your insurance and taxes regularly for 3 years, you will be able to obtain permanent German residency after 3 years. You can apply for German citizenship and passport from 3 to 4 years from the date of your permanent residency. Two methods are currently available for obtaining a work visa from Germany for Iranians.
- Job Offer. In this way, if an employer in Germany accepts you as a workforce and intends to hire you, you should send you a job invitation, and you will be required to provide along with other necessary documents, such as financial compensation for getting German work visa. The important point is that the job position should be advertised throughout the EU and Germany for 6 months and only if there is no other candidate suitable for that job position you will be hired.
- Another way is to get a Job Seeker Visa. By submitting the necessary documents to the German Embassy, you will receive a 6-month visa called Job Search Visa and will be allowed to seek work in Germany for 6 months. If you find a job with a set of requirements, you will be able to get a work residency. You must provide a set of requirements including qualifications as a university degree, language proficiency at B1 level and at least 4 years of work experience and there is also age limit up to 40 years old. In addition, in order to obtain a work permit in Germany, the employer and the employee must prove that there is a shortage of that occupation in Germany or in the European Union, so that the position is not filled by the domestic citizens. For a job seeker visa in Germany, a person must cover the cost of living for six months in Germany, and the amount of € 9,000 must be shown in his account as a financial compensation.
Immigration to Germany by investment
There are several legal forms of company in Germany such as..
- Small Businesses
2. Registered Commercial Businesses
3. Sole Proprietors
4. General Partnership (Offene Handelsgesellschaft, OHG)
5. Limited Partnership (Kommanditgesellschaft, KG) –
6. Limited Liability Company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, GmbH) – €25,000 euro capital required
7. Entrepreneurial company at limited liability (Unternehmergesellschaft (UG) haftungsbeschränkt)
8. Joint-Stock Company (Aktiengesellschaft, AG) – €50,000 euro capital required
9. Branch Offices
10. Dependent Branch Offices – Permanent Establishments – Representive Offices
11. Information Offices
The key to obtaining a German residence permit as a self-employed person is showing that the business will have positive effects on the German economy,
A good business plan is also one of the most important requirements for German residency along with the designated investment.
You can acquire a temporary residence permit by providing a business plan or an acceptable business plan that will have a positive impact on the German economy, and register a company in Germany with at least EUR 300,000. The duration of temporary residence is usually 2 or 3 years. After three years of legal residency, you can apply for a permanent residence in Germany depending on the positive impact of your company and your business on the German economy and regularly paying the insurance and taxes.
AT Kearney’s FDI Confidence Index for 2017 shows that investors’ confidence in Germany remains strong. The Index ranks Germany in the top 10 and in the second place.
Immigration to Germany by study
Study in Germany is available in both public and private universities and both in English and German language. Study in Germany is possible at all levels, and for the majority of fields an entrance exam is required.
Many people do not know that education in Germany is free at all levels in public universities, which means that, unlike countries such as the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia, where the cost of education is very high, German universities have low costs. The cost of study for each semester is roughly between 400 and 1000 euros. The cost of living in Germany depends on the city of residence and varies from 750 to 1000 euros a month.
In order to move to Germany for study migration, the qualifications must first be translated into German and the translated documents must be certified by the German embassy. To apply for an immigrant visa to Germany, the applicant must apply for an education visa, the cost of applying for a student visa is 60 euros, and the person must have an amount of EUR 8700 for three months in his account. After completing his studies, the student can stay in Germany for six months and seek job. This article is protected by copyright laws and any distribution is prohibited by Malekpour Consulting Agency.
According to Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings data Top 5 universities in Germany 2019 are as bellow:
Immigration to Germany by asylum
After the German asylum process has been completed, the decision of the Federal Police will be formally sent to you and if you have a legal counsel, your lawyer will receive this letter. If your application for a German refugee status is denied, you have to leave Germany on the date marked in the letter and if you do not leave voluntarily, you will be expelled from Germany. However, if your application is accepted, you have a residence permit in Germany. You are allowed to live in Germany as a refugee between 1 to 3 years.
With regard to the German refugee status, we find that asylum is not a safe and secure way to immigrate and always has risks and dangers. Therefore, we recommend that you immigrate to Germany through legal ways instead of obtaining German refugee status and consult immigration consultants before taking any action. It should be noted that the Malekpour Consulting Agency and the Austrian MIE Advisory Institute have no services and advice on obtaining German passports through asylum.
Immigration to Germany and the costs
The cost of immigration to Germany and the cost of visa is one of the most important issues to be considered when planning to immigrate to Germany. The costs depend on the immigration method. Germany is considered to be one of the most desirable and ideal countries for immigration in the world, because it has a strong economy, an ideal education system and many job opportunities.
As the cost of living and studying in Germany is cheaper compared to other advanced European countries, the cost of immigration to Germany is much lower than the cost of immigration to similar countries in Europe. The cost of applying for a visa from May 2008 for each visa is about 60 euros. We have mentioned different types of visa fees bellow:
Aviation visa: EUR 60
Schengen short stay visa for less than 90 days: 60 euros
Long-term visa for more than 90 days: 99 euros
Visa fee EUR 35 for children aged 6 to 12 years
For Schengen visas, the following people are exempted from paying visa fees regardless of their nationality:
- Children under the age of six who travel as a dependent with college students and university students for educational purposes or employees.
- Representatives of nonprofit organizations at the age of 25 or less attend seminars, conferences or other sports events, cultural or educational events held by nonprofit organizations.
- Researchers from third world countries that migrate to Germany to carry out scientific research.
Immigration to Germany and German citizenship
The German citizenship law is a combination of soil law and blood law. Citizenship law has changed on January 1, 2000. In general, a person born from a German parent, irrespective of his place of birth, can acquire German nationality. Under some conditions a person born of foreign parents in Germany can acquire the citizenship of this country.
Integration: Usually after 6 to 8 years of residence in Germany you can apply for German citizenship. Applicants outside the European Union and Switzerland must also renounce their previous citizenship prior to acquiring German passport. Citizens of the European Union and Switzerland can also retain their previous citizenship.
Dual citizenship: The right to hold both a German passport and a foreign passport at the same time (dual citizenship) is restricted under the current German nationality law, but if a German citizen can gain another citizenship, he can have German citizenship. Dual citizenship is allowed up to 23 years old.
Loss of Citizenship:
Voluntary: This is possible for German citizens and must be notified to the Federal Government or the German Embassy.
Mandatory: Without the permission of the German authorities, you will receive another citizen’s nationality and retain German citizenship.
The requirements that you need to fulfill in order to qualify for naturalization are as follows:
- You must have lived in Germany on a residence permit for at least 8 years, or
- You must have lived in Germany on a residence permit for 7 years and attended an integration course (this becomes 6 years on special integration circumstances)
- You must prove German language proficiency of at least B1
- You must be financially able to support yourself and your family without any help from the state
- You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record
- You must pass a citizenship test
- You must renounce any previous citizenships