Move To Germany With The Opportunity Card (Step by Step Guide)

Candidates from non-EU nations can enter Germany to search for a suitable employment with the Opportunity Card, or “Chancenkarte.” They are exempt from providing documentation of a long-term employment agreement. The Opportunity Card is given to applicants who are identified as skilled workers or who, when utilizing the points system, receive a score of at least six. Furthermore, their means of subsistence must be ensured throughout the length of their visit.

Candidates can obtain employment in Germany more easily using the Opportunity Card. It eliminates the need for a drawn-out recognition process and permits applicants to work in Germany. The requirements include having a university degree, two years of vocational training, and adequate knowledge of either German (A1) or English (B2).

The Opportunity Card holder is entitled to a part-time work (up to 20 hours per week) or a two-week trial position. Applicants can stay in Germany for a year as long as they have the Opportunity Card. The main priority at this time should be locating employment. With the Opportunity Card, you can stay an extra two years if you so want. This requires that you apply at the Foreigners’ Registration Office in your community.

Requirements to obtain an Opportunity Card

You can match your requirements with the necessary selection criteria by using the points system. To obtain the Opportunity Card, you need to accumulate a total of six points. The prerequisites include (at least) two years of vocational training or a university degree recognized in your country of origin, as well as proficiency in German (level A1) or English (level B2). Additionally, you have to demonstrate your financial stability, perhaps by working a part-time job (up to 20 hours per week). An employment contract is one way that you might demonstrate this. (There are no points given for the prerequisites!) The points system also takes age, professional experience, language proficiency, and “connection to Germany” into account. Your age as of the application submission date is the referenced age criteria.

Quick overview of the Opportunity Card’s point distribution

The minimum prerequisites include sufficient proficiency in German (level A1) or English (level B2), as well as at least two years of vocational training in accordance with national regulations. You also need to be financially stable. An employment contract for a part-time position (up to 20 hours per week), for instance, can serve as evidence of this.

Four points are given for permission to practice a regulated profession (such as teaching, nursing, or engineering) or for partial recognition of a foreign professional qualification. Seldom do applicants match these requirements.

In accordance with the regulations of the country of origin, three points are granted for each of the previous two years of professional training and the last five years of professional experience (in the learned profession). If, on the other hand, you have strong German language proficiency at level B2, you will score three points.

If you have completed vocational training within the last five years and have two years of professional experience under your belt, you received two points. Additionally, you receive two points if you are under 35. A further two points are given for B1 proficiency in German language.

Applicants who are under 40 years old and have spent at least six months in Germany before are awarded one point. Documented evidence of this is required from you. Prior visits as a visitor are not considered.

Additionally, you receive one point for having very excellent English (C1), decent German (A2), completing your university degree or vocational training in a region where there is a formal labor shortage in Germany, or applying for the Opportunity Card with your spouse.

Before You Apply

Find out if your degree is recognized in Germany: If you received your degree from a university outside of the European Union and it is a prerequisite for the position you will be taking in Germany, you must provide this documentation. All of the schools and degrees that have been assessed by Germany’s Central Office for Foreign Education (also known as ZAB) are listed in the Anabin database. You can use the Anabin database to determine whether Germany recognizes your academic credentials and whether any information about them is currently available. You can visit the Anabin website directly by clicking this link. – Here

If your university is recognized in Germany and has an H+ status, that is the ideal outcome for you.

Check your English Language proficiency level using the table below.

Self-Check: Opportunity Card

You can obtain a non-binding evaluation of your eligibility for an opportunity card here. After responding to the questions, you will get your findings. – Click Here

Apply online for the Opportunity Card

You can only apply for your visa at the German mission responsible for you. The accountability is determined by the district in which you live. In the event that your competent German mission does not have access to the online application, please apply for your visa in person. On the website of your German mission, you may discover more details. Click on the link below to apply online.

Apply Online

If online application is not available for your country, please visit the following links.

Ghana

Cameroon

Kenya