This topic is very important for me as I have stayed here in Germany for 4 years as a GC, and now from january onwards I wil be joining masters for 16 months.

I would be thankful if any GC could share his similar kind of experiences.

my visa says "Aufnahme eines Studiums oder einer sonstigen Berufsausbildung nicht gestattet". But still i did some witerbildung sponsored by company.

Currently I am arbeitlos and now i am in process of getting the status of my visa changed to BE or EG and I would try if it does not restrict me to study.

lacrima, you say that if a GC do some full time study then it will be a problem. DvD also mentioned it. I cannot understand how? It was discussed here sometime back that for the purpose of calculating aufenthalts time for NE, the time spended in study will be considered half and maximum upto 2 years. In my case, till dec end i will complete 4 year and 4 months. My study will be of 16 months and half of that would be 8 months. This would complete my 5 years for NE. As soon as I get job after study, dont you think I can apply for NE.

I have not yet signed the contract for university.

I am really getting confused as I had made up my mind for study. I was not happy with the kind of response I was getting for my job applications. And I applied for study. And if after study I am again asked to spend 5 years for getting NE, then I will be completely frustrated.

"my visa says "Aufnahme eines Studiums oder einer sonstigen Berufsausbildung nicht gestattet". But still i did some witerbildung sponsored by company."

That is really extra-ordinary.. your ABH-Officer who issued such a residence permit as GC must have been a real ...

"currently I am arbeitlos and now i am in process of getting the status of my visa changed to BE or EG and I would try if it does not restrict me to study."

Yep.. do it.. try to get rid of the stupid sentences on your residence permit. It might be however a little bit tricky when you are unemployed.

"lacrima, you say that if a GC do some full time study then it will be a problem. DvD also mentioned it. I cannot understand how?"
The whole purpose of your residence permit is to allow you to WORK as an IT Specialist in Germany. If you dont want to work then the main purpose of your stay changes, your residence permit needs to be changed as well. In Germany, residence permits are given for specific purposes. This is how it is written in the book. BUT I personally know a GC guy who managed to finish a master's degree when he was unemployed and he received unemployment benefit during his studies. In his case, he didnt have restrictions in his residence permit and he told Arbeitsamt that he was available to the job-market every time and he also told them that the study was taking less than 17 hours in the week.(which makes you avaliable for a job in case AA finds you one). This is quite risky and you might not be that lucky at your AA.

"It was discussed here sometime back that for the purpose of calculating aufenthalts time for NE, the time spended in study will be considered half and maximum upto 2 years. In my case, till dec end i will complete 4 year and 4 months. My study will be of 16 months and half of that would be 8 months. This would complete my 5 years for NE. As soon as I get job after study, dont you think I can apply for NE."

No.. this is a big misunderstanding. Study times which are spent on residence permit for studying purposes(ex-Aufenthaltsbewilligung) are NOT counted for NE and at the time when you apply for NE, you HAVE to possess a residence permit which allows you to work full-time and a student residence permit will not be sufficient for that.
(http://www.aufenthaltstitel.de/aufenthaltsg.html#9
)
BUT the open question is, if you quit working, get a residence permit for studies then get another residence permit for working after your studies(without any break in between) and apply for NE, would your past 4 years spent on working residence permit be counted ? that is really a good question. I suggest that you ask this question in this forum where you can get more competent answers:
http://www.info4alien.de/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi

"I have not yet signed the contract for university."

I am also getting confused here. Did you get a job offer or study offer ? People usually dont sign contracts for studying..

"I was not happy with the kind of response I was getting for my job applications."

Job market is improving quite well actually. Even the companies are complaining that they dont have enough qualified people. See a link here from today:

http://www.n24.de/wirtschaft/multimedia/?n2005112617452600002

Anyway.. good luck..

Lacrima

viking since you are on the right way to get Be you should do this
1. getting Be is almost done
2. search for job and in the mean time
3. start a studium
4. get a job and after another year NE

important is "SAY NOTHING TO ABH OR AA about STUDIUM"
if they find out you could lose BE and ALG so you would be without any income.
ARE YOU ABLE TO FINISH YOUR STUDY IF YOU LOSE ALG?

so say nothing to AA or ABH about studium (with Be you will be alowed to study) and search for the job whole time. search in whole D and be prepared to stop studium if you find a job and have to move. Anyway you do studium to find job so if you find job it makes no sence to throw it away for studium.

I suggest you to find some Berufsbegleitende-Studium.