Fast-Track Procedure for Skilled Workers’ Visas in Germany

The fast-track procedure for skilled workers exclusively covers applications for a residence permit and is concerned with the following purposes of residence in Germany:

• for the purpose of commencing vocational training or in-company further training Section 16a German Residence Act),
• for the purpose of carrying out measures for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications (Section 16d German Residence Act),
• to pursue qualified employment as a skilled worker with vocational training (Section 18a German Residence Act) or academic training (Section 18b German Residence Act),
• applications for a settlement permit as a highly qualified specialist with academic training (Section 18c (3) German Residence Act), and
• Applications for the issuance of a residence permit for other qualified employees (Section 81a Abs. 5 German Residence Act).

In addition, family members of the skilled worker can benefit from the accelerated skilled worker procedure (Section 81a Abs. 4 German Residence Act).

The employer, acting on behalf of the skilled worker living abroad, applies to the competent immigration authority to initiate the fast-track procedure for skilled workers, which is often the central immigration authority of the respective federal state. For this purpose, the relevant applications and documents are submitted.

In particular, the skilled foreign worker must have previously granted the employer a power of attorney to initiate the accelerated skilled worker procedure (Section 81a (1) German Residence Act). In addition, the employer requires the other documents necessary for the procedure. These include a passport copy and proof of the skilled worker’s professional qualifications. In addition, a concrete job offer for an employment relationship within the meaning of Section 18 (2) No. 1 German Residence Act (or an offer of a training position from a training company) must be available from the employer in Germany.

The immigration authority informs and advises the employer about the procedure and the evidence to be submitted. If the conditions for initiating the accelerated skilled worker procedure are met, an agreement is concluded between the employer and the Immigration Authority (Section 81a (2) German Residence Act). This includes, in particular, the parties’ contact details, the employer’s authorization of the skilled worker, the competent immigration authority’s approval to perform the necessary procedural acts, and the evidence to be provided. In addition, the agreement contains the obligations of the employer, the skilled worker, and the authorities involved in the procedure, within the framework of the process, as well as a description of the procedures and the corresponding deadlines. The agreement thus ensures a clear, transparent, and binding procedure. A fee of 411 euros is currently charged for the accelerated procedure for skilled workers per Section 47 (1) No. 15 German Residence Ordinance (AufenthV), which is due upon signing the agreement.

Insofar as necessary, the Immigration Authority initiates the procedure for recognition of the professional qualification or certificate assessment of the foreign university degree acquired abroad (Section 81a (3) German Residence Act). Whether recognition is required depends on the profession and the country of origin.

If the specialist is to be employed in a profession regulated in Germany, a professional practice permit is also required to recognize the foreign professional qualification (Section 81a (3) German Residence Act). In this case, a decision on recognition is regularly made as part of the procedure for issuing the professional practice permit.

For third-country nationals, recognition of a foreign professional qualification or the comparability of a foreign university degree with a German university degree is usually required, even in non-regulated professions.

For the recognition procedure, the immigration authority forwards the corresponding application and the required documents to the competent recognition authority. The evidence necessary to establish the foreign qualification’s equivalence or issue a professional practice permit depends on the specific qualification.

The recognition body must decide on recognition within two months of receiving the complete application documents. It may be determined that the professional qualification is not equivalent, but that equivalence can be achieved through a qualification measure. In this case, the fast-track procedure for skilled workers can be continued with the aim of recognizing the foreign professional qualification under Section 16d German Residence Act (Section 81a (3) German Residence Act).

The fees incurred for recognizing the foreign qualification or granting a professional practice permit are not included in the accelerated skilled worker procedure fee.

If necessary, the immigration authority must obtain the Federal Employment Agency’s approval to take up employment or training (Section 81a (3) German Residence Act). For this purpose, it forwards the required documents to the Federal Employment Agency, including the form “Declaration on Employment Relationship” (Annex 2) and, if applicable, the “Supplementary Sheet A” and a possibly required qualification plan. If there is no response from the Federal Employment Agency within one week, the approval is deemed granted (Section 36 (2) sentence 2 BeschV).

According to Section 81a (3) of the German Residence Act, the Foreigners’ Registration Office grants its advance approval for the visa issuance if the requirements are met. This means that a significant part of the examination of the prerequisites for visa issuance by the immigration authority already takes place in Germany.

The prerequisites for the preliminary approval include:

• the recognition of the professional qualification (if required),
• the granting of a professional practice permit (if required),
• the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (if required), and
• the existence of the other residence law requirements to be finally clarified in Germany (including the general conditions for granting residence according to Section 5 German Residence Act).

The preliminary approval’s original approval is sent to the employer, who in turn forwards it to the skilled worker. It is generally valid for three months from the date of issue. In individual cases, a longer validity period may be specified.

Once the skilled worker has received the preliminary approval of the immigration authority, they can book an appointment at the responsible German diplomatic mission abroad to apply for the visa. They receive an earlier appointment based on advance approval, unlike the regular procedure. Thus, the German mission abroad will make an appointment for the visa application within three weeks after the preliminary approval has been submitted (Section 31a (1) AufenthV).

In addition to the original consent, all other documents required for the visa application must be submitted. The decision on the visa application is usually made within three weeks after the complete application has been submitted (Section 31a (2) AufenthV). There may be a delay if the mission abroad does not yet have all the necessary documents or information. A fee of 75 euros must be paid for the issuance of the visa (Section 46 (2) no. 1 AufenthV).

Per Section 81a (4) German Residence Act, the fast-track procedure for skilled workers also covers the family reunification of the spouse and minor unmarried children.

For the immigration authority to include family reunification in the examination and the preliminary approval, the visa applications of the family members must be filed in a temporal connection with the skilled worker’s visa application. This temporal connection is established if the family members enter within 6 months of the skilled worker’s entry. However, it is not necessary to apply for a visa at the same time. As part of the fast-track procedure for skilled workers, the examination for family reunification is already included in the 411-euro fee. The inclusion in the accelerated procedure only simplifies the process. Furthermore, the legal requirements for family reunification are regulated in Section 27 ff. AufenthG must be met.