Change from Chancenkarte to Work visa or Blue Card
Hello, I've been in Hamburg for 3 months with the Chancenkarte. I received an offer from an employer and hopefully will be signing a contract soon, however I know I'm not allowed to work full time with this visa, and I wonder how is the process to change my visa from Chancenkarte to Work visa or Blue Card? I know the requirements for each type of visa but is this process made with the Ausländerbehörde or with the Colombian embassy in Berlin? Do I need to apply for a change of visa first and then request a Aufenthaltserlaubnis zur Beschäftigung? I'm very confused on how the full process would be and the company I'd work for would like to know too. I really appreciate if you could help me clarify, I couldn't find info about it online.
2 Comments
Welcome & congratulations on your job offer, @Cob26 !
The process for applying for a residence permit is always done with the local immigration office. In Hamburg, you can apply for an appointment online. You have to upload the necessary documents and will receive an appointment after the documents have been checked. The website already indicates that this can take a few weeks.
The possibility to switch from a visa directly to a work permit, is treated differently by the authorities and federal states. Unfortunately, the FAQ page of the foreigners department does not work and I couldn't reach someone at the Welcome Center in Hamburg. You can find their details on the website of the immigration office, if you would like to try to reach them yourself. They have more practical & local experience and can provide better information about whether you first have to apply for a residence permit for the Chancenkarte in order to be able to switch to a work permit or whether it is already possible with your current visa - that would be more logical.
Depending on when you had planned to start your new job, you could also discuss with your future employer that you start with your current allowed 20 hours/week and switch to your planned working hours as soon as you have your work permit.
Please find here the links to the checklists for the required documents to apply for the relevant residence permit. I hope this gives you an overview for now.
If you have any further questions, please let me know.