Services for Applying for a Blue Card from Abroad

This page reaches out to you when you

• have your employer in Germany,
• you are positive that you are eligible for a Blue Card,
• do not need any recruiting support,
  and
• are still living abroad.

A residency permit for a Blue Card EU is virtually like a "regular" residency permit for employment purposes. The main difference is that the requirements are higher, and you obtain more rights and privileges. We have described the requirements for the big and little Blue Card EU for Germany on a previous page.

Our services for applying for a residence permit for a Blue Card EU for Germany will typically contain the following tasks. This support covers it all for you! We will

• provide general instructions on the application proceedings (application process itself, duration, fees, opening hours, etc.);
• supply a checklist for any documents to be submitted, ensuring your application will be complete. Case deciders are extremely annoyed if anything evident is missing; however, sometimes they might want more information;
• double-check that the salary will suffice to finance your livelihood and whether a German would receive the same in a comparable position. If it does not meet the standards, it is for you to negotiate with the employer. We shouldn't negotiate;
• provide the mandatory application (prefilled for your convenience). German authorities hate sloppiness, and chances decline when the application form evidently misses important information;
• instruct you at which office the relevant documents are to be submitted to ensure that each authority gets exactly those documents it wants to see and not anything else;
• We will brief you how to prepare your appointment at the consulate which is practically the greatest barrier for your successful immigration,
• apply for pre-testing of the application by the Labor Agency and so significantly expediting the application proceedings by one month;
• streamline supplementary documents. German authorities crave to have your story proven, we will make sure that you show correct and relevant data;
• chase the authorities in due time to give momentum to their processing;
• make sure Germany-based authorities do get all the information – sometimes information gets lost over long distances;
• negotiate legal follow-up questions from the authorities; this is to ensure that they only hear the relevant and correct information;
• providing a summary of any new legal status at every relevant step in the process of applying for the permit;
• accompanying you once to the immigration office in Berlin,
• initiating and processing the new "expedited proceedings" with immigration authorities. N.B. This requires a special power of attorney from your employer. This will be your employer's only engagement because we care for the rest. Your employer will then have his employee at the soonest time possible. You want "fast-track"! You will get fast-track – let us do our homework to determine your eligibility;
• initiating and processing the new “expedited proceedings” with immigration authorities.
  This requires minor involvement by the employer, who should provide me with a power of attorney for this immigration matter only so that we can talk on his behalf. His support is vital, but we want to keep his friction to an absolute minimum.
  We will also pay these fast-track fees to maintain the expedited processing.

You may ask what other costs may occur. Well, we do not work with "hidden costs". We share all that we can see now. 

Time Scale

Normal processing will take 4 - 6 months until you receive your entry visa – if at all. When you are eligible for the fast-track approach, you could get your entry after approximately two months with our support. In this case, our services ensure "very fast-track proceedings." We will give the authorities a head start without them having to first ask for the basics. They receive all that they need when we submit the documents.

Minor support from your employer will be needed. He will have to provide me with a power of attorney (only for immigration support) and some information that you will have to request from him - no more and no less. His support is vital, but since you are hiring us, we want to keep his interaction to an absolute minimum.

Our Fees

We ask for €2000 to prepare for your successful immigration to Germany. This can be paid in at most three installments for non-visa waiver persons:

1. upon assignment,
2. upon granting the entry visa,
3. upon granting the permit.

Candidates from visa waiver countries can pay half upfront and half upon receiving the permit. However, by all means, may you not yet be registered in Germany! Why? The accelerated proceedings only work when you are still abroad!

We are assuming you will be landing in Berlin. If not, we need no extra fees; only the travel costs will be reimbursed. I will need for every trip to your immigration office only 1.5 € per kilometer + 19% VAT – one-way distance. This reimbursement will cover the travel expenses. As this is a flat fee, it will contain the traveling costs, out-of-pocket expenses, and a minor and flat remuneration for lost “working time” due to traveling. It is optional that I travel. With around two weeks in advance, you can gladly change your mind. When I arrive in your area, we can gladly meet for a briefing on the appointment.

N.B. All these fees can be reimbursed with your first tax return in Germany as they are considered "work-related costs". This means they are tax deductible.

Services for Spouse and Minor Child(ren):

Trailing spouses and minor children do not automatically come into Germany with the candidate. Just because the candidate applies does not mean they will get a permit. They have to apply themselves for family reunion to the candidate. In contrast to you, they themselves do not require much attention. However, they greatly impact the financial needs the candidate might have to show. We need € 300 for the trailing spouse. Having a heart for a family, we do not invoice for minors when no further attention is needed.

Are you 45 years or older?

If you are 45 years or older, you also have to receive a salary of at least € 4015 in western Germany resp. € 3905 for eastern Germany. If your salary will be lower than that threshold, you will have to show an adequate pension plan or other retirement provisions. This coverage can be either the state pension plan from home, private savings, or closing a German pension plan or a mixture of all. The government wants to make sure that you will not be dependent on welfare upon retiring.

N.B. This is only relevant for the very first permit!

What do you need to do to test your chances?

Simply, just:

1. Fill out the testing form below,
2. Upload your CV. If your CV is not in English or German, please provide a German translation,
3. Upload certificates proving your academic education and anything else you deem important.
4. You can pay directly after completing the form.
5. That's it!

How to assign us

Please book an initial consultation to discuss your situation with us first.