About Christos Sotiri

Christos Sotiri is a citizenship and immigration lawyer who provides comprehensive legal advice and representation to our private clients in all immigration law matters, including residence permit applications and family reunification.

Traveling to Germany and the Schengen Zone with a Criminal Conviction: What Authorities May Know About You

A criminal conviction does not automatically prevent entry to Germany or the wider Schengen Area. For many international travelers, the more important question is not whether a conviction exists, but whether it has generated alerts, records, or data entries in German or European law enforcement databases - and what consequences those entries may have [...]

Section 45c AufenthG: New Notification Requirement for Employers Hiring Foreign Skilled Workers

Since January 1, 2026, employers in Germany have been subject to a new legal obligation under Section 45c of the German Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG). The regulation requires employers to inform newly hired third-country nationals (non-EU/EEA citizens) in writing — no later than their first day of work — of the free state-funded advisory [...]