Date:5th July 2004
Hi All
My husband is going for further studies to Germany for 2 years ( on scholarship) and i want to go along with him

Can i apply for Visa with him?

Also, i have 3 year experience in IT/Software industry in a well reputed MNC.
What should i do?
If i reach there, can i try for a job there?
What will be the Visa Procedure then?
Should i apply for a permanent resident permit with my husband or should i apply for tourist visa
Any help or direction to any relavant link would be greatly appreciated
Thanks,
Garima

Hi Garima,

I think you should apply separately with your husband if you want to work while your husband is studying. If you apply as a wife and your husband is under scholarship then you have only "Aufenthaltsbewiligung" (residence permit for a certain purpose, that is to study) and not "Befristete Aufenthaltserlaubnis" which you need to work. Every student - be that Dipl, MSc, or PhD students - gets only "Aufenthaltsbewiligung". Both residence permit are NOT permanent residence permits, also what we called "Green Card" here (clearly speaking, don't be fooled by political terms:-)). It is very different with US Green Card. According to still-valid alien law, permanent residence (Unbefristete Aufenthalterlaubnis) only be granted if you already posses 5-year "Aufenthalterlabnis", understand the simplest German language, and so on.
You can not convert tourist visa to any other visa, it is not advisable to apply this only to accompany your husband because than you should back to home country in 1 or 3 months. It is another story if you only want to see everything here and apply "Aufenthlaterlabnis" later from your country. Another possibilty is to apply study together with your husband, then you have student visa, but you need what is called "Verpflichtungserklaerung", that is, financial ability proof since you have no scholarship. In Munich you need EUR 7000 deposit to get that. Otherwise be patient to apply job from your country, which has small probablity, truly speaking :-(

Regards,
NN