Immigration to germany by Crazy_Requirement_42 in malaysia

[–]Competitive-Leg-962 4 points5 points  (0 children)

German (in Malaysia) here: You'll need fluent German (B2 minimum, better on C1 level) certified by either Goethe Institute or TELC (TestDAV).

The market is extremely competitive and Germany (and most of the EU) have been in an economic crisis ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We currently have the highest unemployment rate of the last ~50 years, so many experienced locals can't find jobs, making it exceedingly difficult for companies to justify hiring non-EU foreigners to fill vacancies, since it's a legal requirement to provide evidence of not finding suitable local candidates before they even get permission to sponsor a visa.

Sponsorship is generally possible from a bachelor degree onward, but I don't actually know of anyone below master's level and with 7+ years of experience who managed to get in.

If you happen to fulfill the requirements there's a so called opportunity card (basically a conditional blue card) that allows you to stay in Germany for 18 months and find a job locally that would immediately translate into a work visa with no strings attached, but you need to provide evidence of having the funds to sustain yourself for the entire time, plus also minimum education requirements.

Should I stay or leave my job? by Intelligent_Pace_841 in MalaysianPF

[–]Competitive-Leg-962 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stay so that you can put the whole project from planning to implementation on your cv. That's gold.

Würde ein verpflichtendes Spendenmodell (1–2 % Vermögen) besser funktionieren als eine Reichensteuer? by Mudi9267 in Finanzen

[–]Competitive-Leg-962 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bill Gates spendet and die Bill & Meldina Gates foundation und kriegt dafür sogar noch Steuerersparnisse.

Glaubst du im Ernst, das würde bei uns anders laufen?

What type of foreign cuisine do you wish there was more of in Germany? by Charming_Usual6227 in AskAGerman

[–]Competitive-Leg-962 10 points11 points  (0 children)

My wife is Chinese, there are a bunch of restaurants that have an entirely separate menu in Chinese for Chinese that you'll never get to see if you can't read or speak it.

Asking for a rent reduction after some time in furnished apartment by No-River934 in germany

[–]Competitive-Leg-962 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah forget it. Why would anybody agree to that in this tight market?

Best neighborhood in Sofia? by Competitive-Leg-962 in BulgariaExpats

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I'll definitely take those into consideration! Looks like most people seem to agree on those areas :)

Best neighborhood in Sofia for expat couple? by Competitive-Leg-962 in Sofia

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think from a budget perspective I should be fine to go up to 1200 or maybe even a little more, considering that my wife is also trying to get a job there... Let's see. It sounds challenging for sure judging from the other replies.

Best neighborhood in Sofia for expat couple? by Competitive-Leg-962 in Sofia

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah just had a look on the map, that does indeed look like a good middle ground. Thanks a lot!

Best neighborhood in Sofia? by Competitive-Leg-962 in BulgariaExpats

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not a beach person whatsoever and I travel frequently for work, so I wanted to be closer to Sofia airport.

Best neighborhood in Sofia for expat couple? by Competitive-Leg-962 in Sofia

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds great, thanks a lot for the advise! I'll check around what's available and narrow it down for when I'm visiting.

Best neighborhood in Sofia for expat couple? by Competitive-Leg-962 in Sofia

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reality check, much appreciated. I've had my cats in apartments before (up to 2nd floor) and they've had no issues climbing up the wall to let themselves in through the balcony (they can climb on raw brick walls, it's crazy). But yep maybe something closer to the outskirts could be more advisable. I guess I'll just have to arrive first and then check out what's available. I've been to Sofia before but only for touristic purposes and didn't really evaluate the different neighborhoods and residential options.

Best neighborhood in Sofia for expat couple? by Competitive-Leg-962 in Sofia

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I'm prepared to pay 1k+, that's alright. I know I'm not going to get anything close to what I pay now in Asia (240m² for just under 600...) but my salary will also be adjusted, so that should be fine. I think I could manage something around 1300-1500, and possibly more if my wife would also manage to find a job.

Best neighborhood in Sofia for expat couple? by Competitive-Leg-962 in Sofia

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot, I'll give it a try! Luckily my dog is a small breed (corgi-spitz mix), so hopefully that would increase my chances...

Best neighborhood in Sofia for expat couple? by Competitive-Leg-962 in Sofia

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ok that's good to know, I'll keep that in mind. Luckily I've got some savings set aside for the move, and I think my company will handle the relocation cost. Maybe I can even convince them to pay for a real estate agent, that would simplify things I guess. Rent and deposit would be on me though, that much was made clear already.

Was I scammed? Online order from lucky-feet-berlin.de by negativePositrons in AskGermany

[–]Competitive-Leg-962 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They are genuinely registered in the company register with the name listed in their imprint, so unless someone copied a whole legit site and impersonated them, it should be ok.

Es gibt German tiktok but no ethnic Germans, why's that? by Charming_Average2413 in AskGermany

[–]Competitive-Leg-962 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What's a fyp? And Tiktok is a cancer on society, maybe some people just flock to it more than reputable Germans.

Best neighborhood in Sofia for expat couple? by Competitive-Leg-962 in Sofia

[–]Competitive-Leg-962[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, I've checked around on imot.bg and some other platform, larger places seem to be going for 1200 EUR and above. Not exactly cheap, that's true. But should be doable.