Hello everyone,

I am planning to start working for a company in Hamburg, starting from 1st Sept 2011. I have the contract with me and the job that has been offered to me is in the Controlling Dept. The reason for getting the job was that I did 1 year internship with them (2009-10). I'm based in India and the university is Oxford Brookes.

Till this point everything is fine but now the real quest begins. I have been reading a lot regarding the work permit issuance from the German Embassy and the entire procedure. I am still not sure about somethings for which I need your help.

1. I have to "submit my Qualification Degree and Certificates for future employment in Germany." Now, I would be getting my degree in the month of October from the University so what should I submit to the embassy?

2. Do I need a consent letter from the "Zustimmung der Agentur für Arbeit" or "Zustimmung der Ausländerbehörde"

3. My company has never hired a foreign national before so they are unaware of the procedures. Do they have to apply/register/inform somewhere/someone before I submit my documents for at the embassy in India?

4. I read that I have to appear for a personal interview. can someone share their experiences here.

I would really appreciate your help here.

Thank you very much

>>1. I have to "submit my Qualification Degree and Certificates for future employment in Germany." Now, I would be getting my degree in the month of October from the University so what should I submit to the embassy?

Is it a Master or a Bachelor you are doing now? If Master then submit the bachelor degree for now and probably a letter from your present university about you finishing the Master Degree in October.

>>2. Do I need a consent letter from the "Zustimmung der Agentur für Arbeit" or "Zustimmung der Ausländerbehörde"

See answer 3.

>>3. My company has never hired a foreign national before so they are unaware of the procedures. Do they have to apply/register/inform somewhere/someone before I submit my documents for at the embassy in India?

Your company has to initiate the process by contacting the "Agentur für Arbeit(Labour Office)" in their city and fill in the application for employing a person. They have to prove that no other German or EU citizen is available for the job. They could just make the job description in your favour that one else can satisfy the conditions except you. When the Labour office decides it is ok to hire you, they will send a confirmation to your company and the Auslanderbehörde. The embassy will again get this letter from the Auslanderbehörde. The faster your company starts the procedure the less time it takes to issue the visa.

>>4. I read that I have to appear for a personal interview. can someone share their experiences here.

It is nothing like a US Visa interview. So stay calm, give proper documents and answer truthfully.

Hi Raj,

Thanks a lot. This helps.

I would be completing my Bachelors this April and was thinking the same as you said that I would get a letter from the University about my qualification.

I have just signed the contract and sent them to my company. I will now inform them about the procedure. This is quite similar to the procedure of getting the INTERNSHIP. Hopefully I get this too without any hassles.

Thanks again Raj.