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Blue Card Work Permit Rejection
Hello everyone,
I hope you are doing well.
I am facing an issue with my work permit application, which was rejected by the BA. The reason given is that my salary is considered below the local salary standard in Hamburg (ortsübliche Gehalt).
I am an engineer, and my profession falls under a shortage occupation (Mangelberuf). My offered salary is also above the required threshold of 45,934 Euro per year.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation or successfully resolved this issue? I would really appreciate any guidance, advice, or shared experiences. It would be a great help.
Thank you very much.
2 Comments
Hi! I’m sorry this has happened to you. Work permit rejections due to “ortsübliche Gehalt” (local customary salary) can occur even if your salary meets the minimum threshold for shortage occupations. According to the Bundesagentur für Arbeit https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/datei/merkblatt-7-auslaendischean_ba033555.pdf (Merkblatt 7), they review whether the salary is comparable to the local customary wage (ortsüblicher Lohn) if no tariff or sector minimum applies (Merkblatt 7, page 21).
Hamburg is one of the more expensive cities in Germany, with overall living costs about 11 % above the national average and rents roughly 35 % higher. This likely influences local salary expectations.
One option is to file a formal Widerspruch (objection) with supporting evidence showing your salary is reasonable for engineers in Hamburg. Another possibility is to consider looking for a position in a different German city where the local customary salaries are lower, which might make approval easier. Wishing you the best of luck in your pursuits!