"You were talking about 6 years of overall stay in germany. is this for unlimited WP or unlimited RP ?. I am confused on this. Because as per cmreddy and VSK, they are getting unlimited WP after completing 5 years."
LOL i was talking about unlimited WP. as you rightfully said, there are two most common ways of getting an unlimited WP:
1. after five years of work in Germany; here apply some restrictions: 1) if the foreigner was absent in Germany for some period of time which makes authorities think that he changed his usual place of residence to a residence abroad, then this five years counter is reset. lol if cmreddy was absent for six months and then came back with a new entry visa and officials still gave him unlimited WP after five years without any questions, he is just lucky! 2) his work permits should not be issued accordingly to regulation, which regulates issue of work permits to foreigners which have usual place of residence abroad. GC normally is understood as a regulation which regulates issue of work permits to foreigners which have usual place of residence abroad - he is lucky as well if he got an unlimited WP after five years! And yes, in this case an applicant must pay contributions to pension fond during five years - i just understood that they have got their unlimited WPs after six years, oh well, excuse me for a misunderstanding
2. after six years of living in Germany, and in this case it is clearly written in the law that in case of absense of a foreigner up to six months the six year counter is not reset; also in this case any contributions to pension fond are not necessary.
GCs which will be able to prove that their work permits were obtained when they did not have their usual residence abroad, will get an unlimited WP after five years accordingly to §286 Abs.1 Satz 1 Nr.1a) SGB III in case if they worked all those five years (and probably even if they were unemployed and received unemployment benefit for some time - we will see *lol*). From cases of cmreddy and VSK we can see that it's very real, because officials countered their years as GC in those five years *lol*
For Russians probably such thing is not real (lol found it: http://www.trust7.com/forums/integration/residance_permit_of_spouse_of_a_green_card_holder_, "§286 Abs.1 Satz 1 Nr. 1a) SGB III and §2 ArgV - here Abs.6 unreal. _You_ can try. For all others better not."
), but for others - it's very real *lol*
And even if in some cases officials will not give unlimited WP after five years and will tell somebody to leave the country, but his employer will apply for an ordinary work permit for him and will get it - the guy is going to receive unlimited WP after six years accordingly to §286 Abs.1 Satz 1 Nr. 1b) SGB III i.V.m. §2 Abs.6 ArGV in case when he was absent in Germany for a period up to six months. One other possibility i posted in other thread as well - exchange of unlimited WPs inside a family because spouse temporarily can not work. So probably there is no need to worry much about immigration law, hmmm *lol*? ;)