American looking for a job in Germany...?

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Marcus Wulf

LOL-Rena is right what she is saying about skilled persons and since you are American you aren't a skilled person. So best way is marry your bf and then you'll get your work permit.

Alwin E

Your boyfriend should be the first person to turn to. Who, if not him, should know best how you'll get a working permit and in the end a permanent visa for Germany? You didn't specifiy the subject you study, so it's hard to tell whether or not you'll find easy employment over here. Language teachers are always sought after, but you must be fluent in German to really get gainful employment.

On the other hand, you could make it big by importing stuff from the United States and get a salesperson on eBay or run an online shop. It'll not make a fortune, but maybe a living, if you have the right idea. Germans LOVE American stuff.

frackledJJ

It is very hard to find a job in Germany right now, even if you are German. A friend of mine is a German-born, German trained engineer, and she just spent 6 months looking for a job, even though she speaks two languages fluently, lived and worked in another country, has plenty of work experience for someone who "just graduated"... So, just to give you an idea...

It might help you to look explicitly for jobs at internationally operating companies, as you might be able to ask for an international transfer to one of their offices/labs/factories in Germany.
And of course, learning German also would be beneficial, if you have not already done so.

Good Luck!

Rena

It is damn near impossible to get a work visa in GErmany unless you are a skilled person such as an engineer. YOu must first prove that you have a skill that cannot be done by any German let alone any other European Union member.

YOu can see this on the US embassy site:go to the AuslÃ¤nderbehÃ¶rde (Immigration Office).
Check with your local Einwohnermeldeamt or Rathaus for the exact address and office hours of the AuslÃ¤nderbehÃ¶rde in your city.
They will check whether the general legal prerequisites are fulfilled for issuing an "Aufenthaltserlaubnis". If these are fulfilled,
the immigration authorities request approval from the "Bundesagentur fÃ¼r Arbeit" (Federal Employment Agency) for taking up employment in a particular job for which you are applying.
Approval is only given if the job cannot be filled by a German, EU citizen or other applicants given preferential treatment (e.g. third-country nationals who have been living in Germany for a longer period of time). This is known as the Priority Principle ("Vorrangprinzip"). After a specific period of time has lapsed, it is possible for the U.S. citizen applicant to have the same access to the labor market as German and EU citizens.

I had to Marry my husband in order to be able to stay in Germany.

Also, you must speak fluent German, there are slim to non english operating jobs here.

I see people suggesting you do freelance work like ebay. I would steer clear of this. Once you are self employed you no longer fall under national healthcare. YOu must and I mean no going around it pay for private insurance which can cost up to 500 Euro a month. In addition to all the legalities of starting your own business.

marion.ofsherwood

I think you need to apply for a special kind of VISA called "Hartz 4".

t_maia2000

Getting a work visa can be quite difficult depending upon your qualification. A potential employer in Germany has to prove that there is no German, no EU citizen and no foreigner already in Germany with a work permit qualified and available to do the job before you will get a work permit. Getting a work permit to do free-lance work or to open up your own shop is easier, so this might be an option (but not ideal and limited to certain areas of work).

The easiest way to get a work permit for a young person in your situation would be to either marry your boyfriend (= residency and work permit within 2 weeks after marriage) or to graduate from university in Germany. If you already got a BA/BSc degree look into doing an International Masters programme in Germany. See www.daad.de for this.

Note: In order to work in Germany you will need to learn German. There is a free online course available through www.dw-world.de. But the cheapest and fastest way to learn German is generally the language courses forced upon you by the German government after you have married a German citizen and moved to Germany. If you have little or no previous knowledge it will take you usually 1-2 years of intensive lessons and daily practise/immersion until you are able to function at the work place in German. For this reason consider moving to Germany right after graduation - there is no point waiting 2 years to establish yourself in the US, then going through another 2-3 years of the same in Germany.

You can talk to other expats at www.toytowngermany.com

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