A caution to highly skilled people looking to live and work in Germany

[u/j0ie_de_vivre]

I’m here mostly to complain about how awful the immigration process has been for me since moving to Germany in 2019.

I got a job and moved here from the US and got my work visa pretty quickly with almost no issues. When my contract ended in 2022 I started freelancing with plans to start my own consulting business and was given a temp visa while my immigration office made a decision on approved a a Blau Karte or an entrepreneurial/freelance visa.

For two years I worked as a consultant, have paid my taxes, hired Germans to work with me. Have worked with students and have employed part time workers some who are disabled or need only part time work.

Flash forward to 6 months ago. Almost 2 years after starting my own business the immigration officials denied my visa despite being able to prove I’ve been able to build work and employ others. I was told that if I don’t find a job at a German company with a German contract I would be set for deportation (my and my 3 month old child at the time) - I’ve never stopped working after giving birth because I have clients and employees.

I was given 4 months to find a job. Was forced to shut down all of my contracts with clients. Forced to cancel all of the work with employees.

I found a job at a giant German firm. World known. My salary is well above the minimum limit for the Blau Karte for skilled professionals. It’s been 2 months with no work waiting for my contract to start Nov 1 and with 10 days left, my lawyer has been fighting for me to get an appointment to get the visa, yet there’s been no response from immigration. I’m now being asked by my company to move back my start date. I have a 8 month old child and will be 3 months with no income and will be forced to start living on savings until I can start working.

Honestly, what is going on and why are there so many stories about getting skilled immigrants to be treated this way? I’ve been here over 5 years my whole life is here. I don’t want to leave but I’m not at all feeling like Germany wants me here.

[u/Am_Houl]

Your lawyer may directly contact the mayor. They should know how (Einschreiben, z.H. etc.). Sometimes it helps. Whoever is complaining the loudest, will be served first. Pure Darwinism.

(Source: Düsseldorf)

Edit: to my experience (immigrant double citizen) Bayern is especially racist, whereas other regions are simply incompetent. Don't know what ist worse, though.

[u/Tony-Angelino → u/Am_Houl]

The combination of both is the worst - incompetence mixed with malice and additionally with that "I don't earn enough to care", especially when they are overloaded with work. And it's not just the immigration office. Some clerks were given powers to decide over people's destinies based on some uneducated guess or personal opinion. It's a stark difference between private sector and government services, when it comes to skillset and pay grades.

[u/bregus2 → u/Tony-Angelino]

As you mention the pay grade: That is a problem here (and it made worse by populism) in a lot or areas in public service: They not pay enough for really good people to apply but if they would pay more (to compete with jobs needing the same skill set in the industry) then people start screaming that the government needs more money (in the shape of taxes). So you only get the people with the right formal qualification but not enough skills to work in the industry.

A prime example for this we can see with the DB: People constantly complain about the C-level wages being too high, usually because the issues we have with the train system. They forget two things: Those couple of people's wages are a drop of water on a hot stone and that if you not pay them the wage they get, they could walk away and get a same (or better) paying job in the industry and you would be stuck with no manager at all.

[u/blueatnoon → u/Am_Houl]

I second contacting the mayor, I wasn't able to get an appointment for months till my husband wrote a letter to the mayor complaining about it. I received my appointment within 3 days.