Beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren (accelerated skilled worker procedure)

• Foreign skilled worker with qualified vocational training or a university degree • Possession of a domestic qualified vocational training qualification or a foreign vocational qualification that is equivalent to a domestic qualified vocational training qualification, or • Possession of a German (or, if applicable, already recognized) foreign university degree, or a foreign university degree that is comparable to a German university degree • Employment contract or concrete job offer An employment contract should already be in place, or at least a draft of one. • Business establishment (Betriebsstätte) in Berlin The Business Immigration Service (BIS) is only responsible if the skilled worker is to be employed at a business establishment in Berlin. Under Section 12 of the Abgabenordnung (Fiscal Code), a business establishment (Betriebsstätte) is any fixed place of business or facility that serves a company's activity (see the "Further information" section). For an accelerated skilled worker procedure, the BIS's responsibility does not depend on whether the foreign skilled worker will take up residence in Berlin or in another federal state. • No visa application in the country of origin • The skilled worker concerned must still be in their country of origin or in a third country and must not yet have applied for a visa at a German mission abroad. • This also applies to spouses and children who wish to move to Germany together with the skilled worker, or no more than 6 months later, as part of Familiennachzug (family reunification). • Language skills In some cases, both the skilled worker and the spouse must have knowledge of German. Where required, you will receive individual advice on this. • Valid passport Valid passports must be available for the foreign skilled worker as well as for their family members. • Health insurance Persons with statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) are adequately insured. Persons with private health insurance must pay attention to the type and scope of their health insurance. For more information on this, please read the accompanying information sheet (Merkblatt). • Powers of attorney (Bevollmächtigungen) • The skilled worker must issue a power of attorney to their future employer for carrying out the procedure. If family members of the skilled worker also wish to make use of the procedure, they too must issue a power of attorney to the employer. • Using sub-powers of attorney, the employer may generally also engage service providers such as relocation services or law firms to carry out the procedure. For this too, the skilled worker and their family members must grant power of attorney to the employer. • Registration with the Business Immigration Service (BIS) The employer, or the service provider engaged by the employer, must be registered as a customer with the BIS of the Landesamt für Einwanderung (State Office for Immigration) (see the "Further information" section). • Written agreement with the BIS Before the procedure is initiated, a written agreement is concluded between the employer and the BIS. This agreement covers in particular the description of the procedure's workflows and deadlines, the evidence to be submitted, and the powers of attorney granted.

• Color copy of the passport Copies only of the passport's data page (not the entire passport) For family reunification with the skilled worker: also color copies of the passports of the joining family members • If the skilled worker is resident in another EU member state: copy of the residence permit issued by the other EU member state For family reunification with the skilled worker: also copies of the residence permits of the joining family members, if they are also resident in another EU member state • Proof of training • For a skilled worker with completed vocational training: training certificate / training diploma • For a skilled worker with academic training: university degree (In each case, as an officially certified copy in the original language and as a simple copy in German translation) • Tabular curriculum vitae (in German) From the start of the relevant training: Complete list of the training and further education programs completed, as well as all employment activities carried out • Only for regulated professions: proof of lawful practice of the profession in the country of origin If the skilled worker has already worked in a regulated profession (particularly in healthcare) in the country of origin, corresponding proof must be submitted (for example, a Berufsausübungserlaubnis (professional practice permit)) • Proof of relevant professional experience For example: employment references, work record books, letters of reference (In each case, as an officially certified copy in the original language and as a simple copy in German translation) • If available: other proof of qualification For example: certificates and diplomas for further training, courses, classes, language level (In each case, as an officially certified copy in the original language and as a simple copy in German translation) • If available: previous notices on the recognition of the vocational training • Declaration regarding equivalence of the foreign training not yet having been determined Only if the professional or academic qualification has not already been recognized in Germany: a declaration, signed by the skilled worker, in the German language, stating that no application has yet been submitted in the Federal Republic of Germany to determine the equivalence of the foreign training qualification with a comparable German qualification. • As a rule: fully completed and employer-signed form "Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis (Stellenbeschreibung)" (declaration on the employment relationship (job description)) Exception: In a procedure for determining the equivalence of a qualification acquired abroad, the form is only needed after the recognition procedure has been concluded positively. • For the joining of a spouse: marriage certificate • Certified copy of the international marriage certificate, or • Certified copy of the national marriage certificate with apostille (In both cases, together with a certified translation into German) • For the joining of a spouse: certificate of German language proficiency (if required) • For the joining of children: birth certificates of the children • Certified copy of the international birth certificates or • Certified copy of the national birth certificates with apostille (In both cases, together with a certified translation into German) • Power of attorney from the skilled worker, issued to the employer • If the employer wishes to engage an external service provider for the procedure, the skilled worker must have issued a sub-power of attorney for this. • For family reunification with the skilled worker: also powers of attorney of the joining family members • Sub-power of attorney Authorization of an employee of the employer, or a sub-power of attorney for a commissioned external service provider

• Declaration of employment relationship (job description) www.berlin.de/einwanderung/_assets/stellenbeschreibung.pdf

• 411.00 euros: for the accelerated skilled worker procedure (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren) • The fee is payable already upon conclusion of the agreement on carrying out an accelerated skilled worker procedure. • The costs for the certification and translation of documents, as well as for the recognition of vocational training qualifications and academic degrees, are to be borne by the skilled worker or the employer.

• Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG, Residence Act) § 81a www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/BJNR195010004.html#

At least 15 weeks pass between initiation of the procedure and issuance of the entry visa by the responsible German mission abroad: • Around 8 weeks are allowed for the necessary checks for recognition of the qualification by the responsible authorities (§14a BQFG [Act on the Assessment of Equivalence of Professional Qualifications]). However, meeting this deadline requires that all documents necessary for recognition are complete at the start of the procedure. The recognition authorities may extend this deadline once, with justification, by a reasonable period. • The subsequent involvement of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) for the work permit should be completed within one week. • The scheduling of the appointment at the German mission abroad and the issuance of the visa should take place within 6 weeks.

• Information from the Business Immigration Service of the LEA Berlin and online forms for registration and application with the BIS (Landesamt für Einwanderung [State Office for Immigration]) www.berlin.de/einwanderung/service/business-immigration-serv • Anerkennung in Deutschland (Recognition in Germany – information from the Federal Government on the Anerkennungsgesetz [Recognition Act]) www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/de/index.php • "anabin" database on foreign higher education degrees (Kultusministerkonferenz [Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs] − Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen [Central Office for Foreign Education]) anabin.kmk.org/cms/public/startseite • Zeugnisbewertung (certificate evaluation) for foreign higher education qualifications (Kultusministerkonferenz − Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen) zab.kmk.org/de/zeugnisbewertung • Merkblatt (information sheet) on the required health insurance coverage (Landesamt für Einwanderung) www.berlin.de/formularverzeichnis/?formular=/labo/zuwanderun • On the term Betriebsstätte (permanent establishment): § 12 Abgabenordnung (AO) [Fiscal Code] www.gesetze-im-internet.de/ao_1977/__12.html

This service can only be used at the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA, State Office for Immigration), at the Business Immigration Service location.