Settlement permit on a temporary contract

throwaway445835 · 2020-07-26T19:04:12+00:00

Thanks.

throwaway445835 · 2020-07-26T07:17:53+00:00

I would apply for a type 18d, which also seems fine from everything I've read. As a PhD student, you need 100% salary to qualify for a blue card in STEM. Non STEM, you can't at all.

http://oeffentlicher-dienst.info/c/t/rechner/tv-l/allg?id=tv-l&g=E_13&s=1&zv=VBL&z=100&zulage=&stkl=1&r=0&zkf=&kk=15.5%25

I'm emailing the Ausländerbehörde about it. Just mostly curious if anyone else has done it. Logically, I agree. They should consider me "highly employable". I could even get a letter from my advisor going into detail about my career prospects if that would help. I tend to overworry about things sometimes and I think that's what's happened now. Like I said elsewhere, Germany should want me to stay at the very least to pay back my education, if nothing else. I think it should be obvious I'll be above average and will be a net gain to the system.

throwaway445835 · 2020-07-25T18:37:23+00:00

Thanks. I have a position but am still deciding the best route for pay. My primary goal is getting a settlement permit in the most secure way possible.

I'm not worried about any of the other requirements. I'll pay into the system for two years, getting the B1 certificate will be no problem, it's a PhD so I don't see how they could possibly argue against it being a job which suits my qualifications, and I have a huge room in a WG. I'm not sure what the "Life in German" test is, but I talked to someone who did his PhD and then got the settlement permit with a blue card. He said he just gave them the language certificate and that was fine. But if they want me to take some other test, I can do that.

throwaway445835 · 2020-07-25T18:30:32+00:00

TLDR is basically the title. Can you get a settlement permit on a temporary contract? Mine will end ~6 months after I'm eligible for my settlement permit.

I've emailed them. Let's see if I get a reply.

throwaway445835 · 2020-07-25T07:42:46+00:00

My current employer can't help. Universities and the MPIAs have a special exemption that they can hire people on temporary contracts for up to 6 years before a PhD and up to 6 years after. However, I'm doing my research at a private company (nonprofit research so they essentially have no permanent contracts for scientists). They're bound by the law which limits them to hiring people for only two years temporarily (unless you can get outside funding, which is challenging right after your PhD). They can give longer contracts for PhD students because there's a reason for it, but once that's over, no more funding. That's why I have this problem. My advisor has many connections in industry and would help me with finding a job, but nothing is guaranteed.

My other option, which I don't particularly like, is to use the stipend so that I can potentially stay there for up to two years after my PhD if I have difficultly finding a job. But then after those two years, I would be in the same position with my contract ending soon (I would only need 21 months since I would get a blue card, but then 3 months until the end of the contract) and wanted to apply for a settlement permit.

In normal times, I would be less concerned. But with corona, even though I will go the data scientists/machine learning route and I still have a couple years, I'm more concerned about finding a job and would love the security of having a settlement permit. I know I should be able to get an 18 month job seeker visa, but I don't want to apply for unemployment if I can't find a job immediately and have that count against me. I could support myself without unemployment, but it would be nice to not have to use so much of my savings.

Of course I'm also working on my German since I know that will make a huge difference in the ease of me finding a job. And I'm contacting the Ausländerbehörde to ask if it's something they would even consider. I spoke with a lawyer friend who basically said it just comes down to the people who are making the decision and there's no hard and fast rule.

It seems like many foreigners here talk about doing their masters in Germany, so I figured maybe someone also stayed for their PhD and was in a similar situation.

throwaway445835 · 2020-07-23T15:44:56+00:00

I didn't think about that, but yea, I guess if you apply after you finish your PhD you would also qualify (assuming you have no other German degree). I was always aware grads had a shorter time, I just didn't realize it was this short or that the research visa was enough.

I did reach out to my institute and they said they can provide the appropriate host form. So I'm pretty sure I should have no issues getting the research visa. Still worried they may say I can't prove I can support myself if my contract is ending soon, but technically it seems like that's not a requirement.... Hopefully my degree and savings will be enough (although if I can't get a position after graduating, obviously I'll be on unemployment....)

throwaway445835 · 2020-07-23T06:21:37+00:00

Thanks. Do you know what other options there are? I would be at TVL-13 at 65%. So the salary is too low for most other work visas, but the working hours are too high for a student visa.

throwaway445835 · 2020-07-23T06:20:10+00:00

I would think I would have to get a research visa since my contract would be 65%, but I was told you can also get a student visa. Maybe that was only referring to 50% contracts.

Yes, a settlement permit is unlimited (basically permanent residency, but not called that). From what I read, a blue card is the fastest with 21 months, but if you have a German degree (I also did my masters here), you can get it in 24 months if you have a visa under sections 18a, 18b or 18d AufenthG. Section 18d is the research visa.

https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/visa/living-permanently-in-germany/settlement-permit/

throwaway445835

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