Should a student obtain a work visa in Germany?

Combining work and studying at the university is a fairly common practice, and not only in our country. European students are actively employed even before receiving a document on higher education, and the migration legislation of the Old World allows foreign students to officially work if they apply for a visa of the appropriate type at the consulate. Let’s talk about what a student from Ukraine needs to do to get a job in Germany without violating local laws.

If a student plans to work for no longer than three months, there is no need to apply for a work visa – a Schengen visa will suffice. To do this, the applicant must submit an application at the consulate located in the country of his citizenship. In this case, in Ukraine.

It should be noted that from August 1 of this year, a new rule has been in effect in Germany, according to which any foreign student has the right to undergo a six-month internship. To do this, you will also need to apply for a visa in your home country. Also, those who plan to study on a scholarship from the European Commission or participate in international student exchange programs will not have to obtain a work visa.

If we talk about a work visa (work permit), then it is issued on the basis of an existing employment contract with the employer – the contract is attached to the general package of documents, which is also submitted at home. The consulate transfers these papers to Germany, where, in fact, the necessary document is drawn up after a series of proper checks. The decision to issue a work permit is made by either the Labor Agency or the Office for Foreigners, and then the foreigner, on the basis of the document, issues a residence permit.

There is an opinion that the so-called “Pole card” allows you to work in Germany without obtaining additional permits, but this is not so: in accordance with German migration legislation, holders of the “card” apply for a permit on the same basis as other foreigners. In this regard, the only exceptions are holders of an indefinite stay permit in the EU – they have the right to immediately request a work visa without providing additional documents.

And the last. It should be remembered that the new format of relations between Ukraine and the EU does not imply the possibility of officially working in the European Union without obtaining a work visa – the rules for labor migrants remain the same.