Open-door policy for academics

German policy makers have again stretched out a welcoming hand to international academics. Both houses of parliament have passed a European Directive which further expands present opportunities for students and researchers from non-EU countries.

In future, foreign students will be permitted to work part-time for 120 instead of 90 days per year. The time period to look for qualified jobs after graduation will be extended from 12 to 18 months. While seeking employment, foreign graduates can work without time limit and are no longer obliged to ask for approval by the German Federal Employment Agency (BA).

Anyone able to present an employment contract as an academic or qualified professional with a minimum salary of around €44,800 (around €35,000 for certain shortage occupations) may work in Germany for up to 4 years using a so-called ''Blue Card''. Another novelty is that foreign academics will be eligible for a settlement permit (indefinite right of residence) after two years. Family members of foreign skilled employees will also find it easier to take up employment, for example by no longer requiring the approval of the BA.

In 2011, Germany was a particularly popular destination for people seeking a new life abroad. According to the Federal Office of Statistics, around 6.93 million people with foreign citizenship lived in Germany at the end of 2011, which is 177,300 more than a year earlier. The increase of 2.6 percent was the highest in 15 years. “Deutsche Welle” reports that the jump may be due to Germany’s economic growth and the freedom of movement granted to citizens of the new EU states.

Link: http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15864426,00.html

Chris

germanstudycentre@gmail.com

Application deadlines: theory and practice

German universities do not have a standardised, nation-wide application deadline, to the dismay of many international students. Deadlines vary from institution to institution and quite often between different study programmes within the same institution as well. To add to the confusion, some universities fix separate application deadlines for different groups of applicants, like domestic, EU and non-EU…

Especially for those hailing from outside the European Union, close time planning can be a decisive factor in the application process. Apart from obtaining admission, these students have to worry about getting their visas on time. In handling student visa applications, German consulates and embassies display widely different degrees of efficieny and promptness. Sometimes, applicants have to wait for up to 8 weeks just to be granted an appointment for submitting their documents!

Keeping all this in mind, students should be careful when taking official application deadlines mentioned on German university websites at face value. A date that leaves less than three months between application deadline and expected arrival date of a student will be often impracticable for students from many African or Asian countries. There are laudable exceptions, though. Some German consular representations have recently sped up the whole visa process considerably.

Neverthess, handing in an early application is not always the solution. Some institutions slavishly stick to their deadlines, even when these turn out to be unmanageable for many applicants. They wil not consider an application before the deadline is over, argueing that a careful comparision of all applicants has to be made before seats can be assigned.

In conclusion: The early bird catches the worm, but not always! Applying as early as possible often helps to relieve time pressure, as many universities send out admission letters before the application deadline has passed. But there is no guarantee for that. Sometimes it can be better to just wait for the next intake instead of making use of a late deadline and ending up without a visa when the semester starts.

Chris

germanstudycentre@gmail.com