How hard is it for an American au pair to get a work/residence visa in Germany?

Question

I want to au pair in Germany next year. I'm 18 and an American. How hard will it be to get a work permit/residence visa? How much German will they want me to know? If I go for 90 days and enroll in German language courses and then go and apply will this help my chances of them granting me a work permit?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Just contact the German embassy in Washington for the details of the Au Pair visa.

While it is generally so that US-citizens can just fly over to Germany and apply for the necessary work and residency permits once they are there, as an Au-Pair must do this while you are still in the US.

Andrea's answer is very good, I would have written the same if she hadn't been faster.

Answer 2

You should be able to talk some German and there are Agency which will place you as an Au Pair.

Their will handle your VISA, match you with the right Family

Here is the Name of one of them:

www.Aupairworld.net

emal: [e-mail]

Telephone:English Language- 49-560 39178 17

between 8:00am and 5:00pm European Time

Greetings from Seattle(I am a Native from Hamburg)

Answer 3

Rosetta Stone and Rocket German are great Language Software courses to get you off to a great start. Also, try to get your employers to have a copy of whatever contract you may have so the Government will know that you're making money.

Another option for you regarding staying in Germany to work, since there are quite a few US military bases, is to try for what's called Logistical Support. You can work on "Post" (Base) for 20 hours /week to get your Fosa Stamp on your Passport and a Military ID card which will get you permission to stay in Germany on the US's behalf.

The Cons:

- Not the greatest PT work or pay and they'll probably want hours that you may not want to give. They know that you need what they have, though so you may be at their mercy if you work for someone with a chip on their soldier. Most of the people I've met are pretty nice though. :)

- Forms out the wazoo. Minor annoyance but worth noting

- Military family members get job preference over you so might want to get hooked up with a friend in the military who can help move the process along

For these few Cons you have a pretty hefty bunch of Pros which include:

- Shopping at Base PX. American products at american prices and no german taxes to deal with.

- Access to american movie theaters so you can see English titles not long after they come out in the states.

- You can make BIG purchases in Germany by getting a form on base and then handing the German's that form so you can, yet again, get out of paying German taxes.

- The best part is if you plan on driving. Buying your gas on base...AT AMERICAN PRICES. Gas is horrendously expensive in Germany (and most of Europe for that matter) so many people say this perk alone is worth the PT hours.

Best of luck! :)

Answer 4

It is not difficult to get an au pair visa. You won't have a hard time. You have the right age (between 17 and 25 only)

The residence permit must be requested before departure at the responsible German representation abroad (that is the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany or a regionally responsible consulate) in form of a visa.

The entry visa requires the previous approval of the local authority for foreigners at the residence of the host family. The work permit is given on request by the locally responsible labor office. It presupposes the presence of a valid residence permit or their promise. You will  need a valid passport for the entry and for the duration of the stay intended.

In Germany aupairs are paid 260€/month, for 30 hours of work per week, and all transportation and Visa costs are the responsibility of the Aupair.

You need basic knowledge of German- you don't have to speak it fluent, because- going there to learn german is the whole purpose anyway....

Wherever you live, just google up the closest german embassy or consulate in order to get your visa started. Good luck!

Answer 5

Firstly you have to speak German well to hold most jobs you will find there for certain so knowing the language is important even if not fluent and just really good will do you well.

90 days of classes will not teach you enough if you are starting from scratch to speak German well enough, if you already speak some and need to get better than it may help or if you are going to be able to keep learning from some one else after than maybe. I found living there the easiest way to learn it. Being emmersed into it will help you a lot.

In order for a foreigner to work in Germany UNLESS you own your own company and the rules are different. You have to prove why your skill and labor is necessary over a German there. They have high unemployment in many areas, some worst than others, but you have to prove that your skill is needed. If you do not have a company there willing to vouge for you and hire you then just going and applying for them will not work for you have to have a work visa first before you can apply for work in Germany if you are living in Germany. You must have a job lined up though in order to get that Visa. Do you see the problem here now? So basically unless you have a company willing to hire you ahead of time awaiting for you to get your work permit than you will have little luck finding work or getting the permit.

NOW if you operate your own business as i did when I lived there the rules are much different. Now you have to apply for a permit to operate your company there and if any of your income comes from Germany you will have to pay them taxes. If you just live there but say all your clients are in the USA as I did with my WEB Design company, I was only responsible for taxes in the USA for all the clients for from there and paid from there into a USA bank.

It is not an easy way to do it and you have to already have a business that is up and running and making you money and will allow you to work from where ever you are in the world as I do with Web Design.

I wish you luck, Viel Glueck, no matter what you will have a great time there!! You can always just try and sell yourself off as a TUTOR of ENGLISH to Germans part time during your stay for extra pocket money which I also did once many years ago and it was not a real job I only had three people i tutored and was paid 10 DM an hour at the time and we met three times a week for three hours so i made 270 DM a week give or take back then as pocket money during my four months stay.  

That is something you could do just be careful for if you make too much then you are a business and not a hobby and will have to have a license and pay taxes.

I hope this is of help to you, from one American to another who has both lived and worked there and travel there nearly every year now.