GERMANY VISA NEW POLICY
Student permit rule changes.
• Student permit holders will be able to work up to 140 full days or 280 half days per calendar year (up from 120 full days or 240 half days).
• Student permits will be initially valid for two years (up from one year).
• Student permit holders will generally be able to change their purpose of stay before they graduate. Currently, they can only change their purpose of stay in very limited exceptions.
Increased permanent residence options for spouses.
The spouses of Skilled Worker permanent residents will now qualify for permanent residence if they: • live in a marital partnership with the Skilled Worker permanent resident.
• have held a residence permit for at least three years.
• are employed for at least 20 hours per week; and
• meet integration requirements (notably, German language skills at a ‘B1’ level).
• This new pathway is in addition to existing permanent residence pathways for the spouses of Skilled Worker permanent residents.
Family reunification rules relaxed.
• The parents of a principal applicant and their spouse (if the spouse resides in Germany) will be able to apply for a family reunification permit if the principal applicant was issued a qualifying permit type for the first time as of March 1, 2024 (including an EU Blue Card, Intracompany Transferee (ICT) Card, Mobile ICT Card, or Skilled Workers Permit).
• This requires the parents to maintain a secure livelihood and appropriate health insurance.
• This option automatically ends on December 31, 2028.
• Previously, foreign nationals could only obtain family reunification permits for their parents in case of extraordinary hardship.
These law changes are in addition to other policy changes which were announced last year that went into effect on March 1, 2024, including:
• Shorter duration requirements for acquiring permanent residence (for skilled workers and EU Blue Card holders); and
• The creation of immigration pathways for applicants with vocational experience (regardless of German-recognized education)