An American Immigrant in Germany

I'm a skilled professional from the US (Atlanta) and I moved to Germany, because I was told I could get a work/live permit here. Almost 3 months have passed and I have not be offered a job contract, and because of the residency laws here, I don't have an "official" residence. When I arrived here I had enough money to pay my rent for 3 months. I had to spend that money on Airbnb, because I no one would rent me an apartment without having a job.and now I'm living with a friend as a guest - he's not allowed by his landlord to have a roommate. I used to have freelance clients in the US, but now I don't have that anymore, because I'm in Germany, and I don't have income in Germany, because I don't know enough people for freelance work, and none of the companies I've applied with have offered a job. It's a crazy circle, and now I'm concerned about living here because my travel visa ends very soon. Does anyone have experience with this?

4 Comments

Reply (4)

Yara_Community Manger

Hi @eternity , thank you for reaching out. I am sorry to hear about your situation. Unfortunately, it is necessary to prove that you have financial income or proof that you can sustain your livelihood if you want to receive a residence in Germany. There is an option where you can seek a sponsor for you, that person must live in Germany. However this would be a 5 year commitment and should be well thought out. More information on the declaration of commitment/sponsorship can be found here: https://handbookgermany.de/en/declaration-of-commitment-national-visa You can always search for a migration advice center near you and receive advise of how to prolong your stay in Germany. https://bamf-navi.bamf.de/en/Themen/Migrationsberatung/ Please let me know if you have any further questions. Best wishes

eternity

Hi Yara - the issues was/is not about having enough money to support myself, it's that I wasn't able to rent an apartment because I don't yet have a job. I had enough money to pay my rent for several months in advance + all the required deposits. And I don't need a sponsor, because I am highly-skilled and qualify for a Blue Card and also qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa. The issue is that Germany needs to change it's illogical, nanny-state, residency regulation. For instance, in the US one of my best friends is an immigrant from Central America, and he has rented many apartments with and without a job. And at times when he was living with a friend, all that he needed to prove residency is that he is able to receive "official" mail there, which totally makes sense to me. I don't know if you've ever lived in Germany, but in my opinion the process of getting your place of resident recognized here is completely insane, especially since Germany is constantly promoting the idea for skilled workers to move to the country. Why ask for skilled workers to come here, talking about all the opportunities, and then make it almost impossible for them to be recognized as a resident here? It's truly dysfunctional.

Yara_Community Manger

Updated:

Hi @eternity , I agree this must be super frustrating and thanks for clarifying that the issue is getting the so called "Anmeldung" or an official address. Yes is very difficult in Germany if you can't proof a steady income for the past 3-6months or current job. It should be easier to try and find a sub-let but again it also depends in what city you are currently in. I agree, Germany does have a lot of catching up to do if they want to truly attract more skilled workers.

Seoyoung_Community Management Support

Hi @eternity ,

I wanted to check how you've been dealing with the issues in the meantime. Could you find a flat where you can be registered at? I hope you could and that you could get a residency in Germany. Let us know if you have any questions.

All the best

Seoyoung

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