Immigration

How you can stay in Germany after graduation

Graduate visa

If you are in Germany with a student visa and graduate with a bachelor’s or master’s degree then you will get an 18-month graduate visa. The visa allows you to work whatever you want. You can switch to any German long-term visa once you fulfill the requirements:

Long-term options

You will get

the work visa for qualified professionals if a company has offered you a job in Germany that is related to your bachelor’s or master’s degree
the Blue Card if a company has offered you a job in Germany that is related to your bachelor’s or master’s degree and where you earn above the Blue Card threshold
the freelance visa, here are some people who got it: stand up comedian, social media adviser, travel photographer, social media manager, designer, teacher/social media worker/proofreader/webdesigner or with customers outside of Germany
the spouse visa if you marry a German, EU or non-EU citizen who lives in Germany
if you are a citizen of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Andorra, Monaco, or San Marino: The work visa with priority review if you have an offer for a job that is not related to your degree and the Federal Employment Agency determines that no qualified German or EU citizen is available to do the job

Job requirements for a long-term visa

No sponsorship: Germany does not have a system where the employer is required to sponsor you for a visa. The employer simply gives you a regular work contract like any other employee and that is all you need to get a work visa at your local city hall. There is no minimum monthly income threshold other than that you have to earn enough to pay for your cost of living. The employer also has to pay no fee to the government to hire you. The employer does not have to give priority to German/EU applicants over you if the job is related to your degree.

Related to the degree: Graduates who want to get a Blue Card or a work visa for qualified professionals need a job where they “perform skilled work for which their education qualifies them” (Section 18b Residence Act). Skilled work is “work requiring skills, knowledge and abilities acquired in a course of study or in quality vocational training” (Section 2 Residence Act).

No numerical limit: There is no limit on the number of work or freelance visas that are given out. Everyone who qualifies for a visa will get the visa.

Permanent residency

Permanent residency allows you to stay in the country forever, work whatever you want, and have full access to all social services (like welfare if you become long-term unemployed). You will get permanent residency

after 21 months with a Blue Card if you speak German level B1
after 24 months with the work visa for qualified professionals if you speak German level B1
after 33 months with a Blue Card if you speak German level A1
after 5 years with the freelance visa, the visa with priority review, or the spouse visa (3 years if the spouse is German) with German level B1

Citizenship

The time as a student counts fully towards citizenship. You will get citizenship in Germany if you have permanent residency and speak German level B1

usually after 8 years
after 7 years if you go to an integration course
after 6 years in case of special integration achievements like attending a German university with good grades, special civic engagement, or a German level that is higher than the minimum B1 required for naturalization. 7.7% of the relevant naturalizations in 2020 were shortened due to special integration achievements.
if you marry a German citizen: After 3 years of living in Germany and 2 years of being married.

The German government has proposed a bill that will shorten the time to citizenship to 3-5 years.