Good morning , i arrived in Germany since 3 weeks with a job seeker visa , my bachelor diploma is fully recognized by the ZAB as equal with german bachelor. I have not yet open my blocked account so i want to complete the amount in order to change my job seeker visa in chancenkarte , is it possible ?
Moderation
Hello YAMANY ,
thanks for your question.
With your current visa, you have 3 months of time to apply for a residence permit. It might be possible and worth applying for the Such-Chancenkarte (§20a) as long as you fulfil the requirements. However, as one my colleague suggests, it could be a better option to look for a full-time position with your current visa for the remaining 2 months and as soon as you find a job to directly apply for a residence permit as a skilled worker with an academic degree (§18b). This way you wouldn’t need to go through the application procedures twice (once for Chancenkarte and again for §18b).
In your last question in our forum, you shared that you’ve had issues with potential employers as they didn’t want to hire you based on the 10-hours restriction written on your passport. I’m sorry that they didn’t understand that the restriction is only tied to your current job-seeker visa and that you need a full-time contract in order to change to residence permit for skilled workers.
The tip our colleague Barbara (Community Manager) gave you about including an explanation about your visa situation in your cover letter can be very helpful for job application. Furthermore, it might be helpful to reach out to a counselling center. This is Hamburg Welcome Center for Professionals. They help people who want to apply for residence permit as skilled workers.
https://welcome.hamburg.com/residence-matters-17458
You can discuss the option of changing to Chancenkarte with them. You can also tell them about the difficulty you’ve been having with potential employers. They can advise you and help you find strategies. You can make an appointment for a consultation. Under „Contact Information“ you can find their phone number.
I wish you best luck with finding a job soon and let us know if you have further questions.
Best wishes
Seoyoung
Good afternoon madam , thank you for your answer i don't understand this sentence "With your current visa, you have 3 months of time to apply for a residence permit" my visa will expire on 09 december 2024 , the job seeker visa is not a residence permit? i want to know the difference between residence permit and work permit , i want to know also how can i apply for a residence permit without a work contract ? if i don't find work is it possible to take this job seeker visa and change it into chancenkarte without go back home to apply for? My real issue is that most of the companies have a wrong interpretation about the 10 hours of trial work on job seeker visa , it is only 6 months and i lost time , i left my work in my country to come as job seeker in Germany but i'm very frustate when they refuse to hire because of this wrong interpretation that's why i don't want lost time and know if i can change the job seeker visa into chancenkarte in Germany before the end of my job seeker visa. I have 8 years of experience in my field with a fully recognized diploma by the ZAB
Hi YAMANY ,
sorry to hear about your struggle with the job search, it must be frustrating.
Firstly, it is important to differentiate between visa (Visum) and residence permit(Aufenthaltstitel / Aufenthaltserlaubnis). Visa is needed for entering Germany. In your case, you wrote that you entered with the job seeker visa. Once you enter Germany, you have 3 months time to apply for a residence permit that corresponds to the entry visa. A residence permit is then issued as a plastic card. Do you have one already? You mention that your visa will expire on December 9, 2024, maybe you already have a residence permit for job seeker (§20)?
We as a platform offer general information and it seems like it can be helpful for you to reach out to a specialized counselling center. They can take a closer look at your concrete situation and advise you if it might be worth applying for Chancenkarte or help you with solving the issue with the potential employers so that you can find a job sooner, without having to change to Chancenkarte. Please consider contacting Hamburg Welcome Center for Professionals. You can find the contact in my last comment.
Let us know if you have further questions.
Best wishes
Seoyoung