Jens Schmidt has been at the core of the firm’s Business Immigration and Global Mobility practice for many years, advising international companies on the full range of legal requirements that apply when recruiting foreign professionals, transferring employees to Germany, and managing large or ongoing workforces of foreign nationals. He manages the entire application process for the required residence permit — whether a standard work visa, EU Blue Card, ICT Card, or other title — and through years of working with the relevant German immigration authorities, has developed a thorough understanding of the application process in practice: where delays arise, what documentation authorities require, and how to move applications forward efficiently.

Global Mobility Services

For HR departments and global mobility managers handling multiple assignments simultaneously, Mr. Schmidt provides the structured, portfolio-based approach that large-scale global mobility programs require. This covers the full operational cycle: assessing the correct permit for each employee, ensuring ongoing compliance with German immigration law as the workforce evolves, and advising on intra-company transfer structures and long-term settlement planning.

Intra-Company Transfers

For multinational companies moving managers, specialists, or executives to German branches or subsidiaries, Mr. Schmidt advises on the structure and legal requirements of intra-company transfers. This includes ICT Card applications for employees assigned from non-EU entities, advice on assignment duration and conditions, and the transition from a temporary assignment to a longer-term residence permit where the employee is to remain in Germany.

Establishing Companies in Germany

Mr. Schmidt advises international clients — including investors, entrepreneurs, and companies expanding into the German market — on the legal requirements of establishing a company in Germany: preparing documentation, filing applications, attending notary appointments, and obtaining the relevant visas or residence permits for founders and managing directors. His contract law experience supports this work directly, covering the drafting and review of commercial agreements, partnership arrangements, and corporate contracts that accompany a new business establishment.

Jens Schmidt is a Certified Specialist Lawyer for Employment Law and advises both employees and employers across all phases of the employment relationship in Germany. Schlun & Elseven has been recognized by Handelsblatt as Best Law Firm 2025 in employment law.

Legal Assistance for Employees

Mr. Schmidt advises employees on termination law, employment contract review, unfair dismissal proceedings, wage disputes, and the enforcement of leave entitlements. His areas of expertise also include equal treatment, maternity protection, part-time and fixed-term employment law, and annual leave law.

Legal Assistance for Employers

Mr. Schmidt advises companies, managing directors, and managers on all employment law matters — from contract drafting and job advertisements through to disciplinary processes, restructuring, and termination of employment. He is also well-versed in the intersection of employment and immigration law, advising business clients on the specific obligations that arise when employing foreign nationals in Germany.