Expanded Opportunities for Obtaining a Residence Permit as an IT Specialist under the New Law:
- You can apply for an EU Blue Card pursuant to Section 18g of the German Residence Act (AufenthG) if you meet the following requirements:
- You hold a recognized university degree in the IT field or, if you do not have formal qualifications, you can demonstrate three years of professional experience in the IT field within the last seven years.
- You have a concrete job offer in Germany with a minimum employment duration of 6 months and an annual gross salary of at least €41,041.80 (in 2024) – 45.3% of the annual assessment ceiling).
- The employment is commensurate with your qualifications.
- The consent of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) is required.
- You can apply for a residence permit for qualified employment as a specialist pursuant to Sections 18a and 18b of the German Residence Act (AufenthG) if you meet the following requirements:
- You hold a recognized foreign or German university degree or professional qualification.
- You have a concrete job offer as an IT specialist.
- If you are over 45 years old and are taking up employment in Germany for the first time, you must either earn a gross annual salary of at least €49,830.00 (as of 2024) or provide proof of adequate retirement provision, Section 18(2) No. 5 of the German Residence Act (AufenthG).
- The consent of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) is required.
- You can apply for a residence permit for experienced professionals in the IT field pursuant to Section 19c(2) of the German Residence Act (AufenthG) in conjunction with Section 6 of the Employment Ordinance (BeschV) if you meet the following requirements:
- You can demonstrate at least two years of professional experience in the IT field within the last five years.
- You have a concrete job offer as an IT specialist in Germany.
- Your gross annual salary is €40,770.00 (as of 2024).
- The consent of the Federal Employment Agency (BA) is required. The consent of the BA is not required if your gross annual salary reaches at least €45,300.00 (as of 2024).
- It is important to note that you no longer need to provide proof of German language skills.
The salary threshold is adjusted annually, so please check your eligibility. Contact our team for an individual assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
The initial consultation is EUR 280 and takes 60 minutes. We determine whether the cleanest route is the EU Blue Card (Section 18g) or the experience-based IT track (Section 19c(2) in conjunction with Section 6 BeschV) and deliver a clear document and timeline roadmap.
Yes. Germany provides an experience-based pathway for IT specialists with proven practical skills. In practice, multi-year relevant experience is key (often referenced as 3 years within the last 7 years) and BA approval is typically required. In certain salary constellations BA approval may not be required. We package project evidence, role depth, tech stack, contract data, and salary logic so the file is authority-ready.
Three levers: (a) role description (specific and seniority-accurate), (b) salary threshold (updated annually; certain levels may remove BA approval), and (c) evidence pack (experience/qualification + contract + timeline). We align job profile, contract, and evidence so the case stays consistent and avoids request loops.