Another problem with my German work permit. I guess I am always not lucky when dealing with the German immigration thingy 🙁

Last year, it was hell. I had to struggle for 8 months to get my work permit. For 1 month (Nov 2008) I couldn’t work at all since my permit was pending 😐

It happens again this year.

Just 2 weeks ago, I went to the immigration office to extend my work permit. They had set an appointment by sending me a mail a week before my permit expired. Normally, extending work permit is quite fast. You can get it on the same day. Just bring the job contract and the latest pay slips.

Somehow, there was a mistake on a document which was issued by the state job-agency (Arbeitsagentuer)  last year! The document said that I only get 1 year contract job instead of unlimited contract. This is a mistake since from the beginning, my job contract is clearly stated as unlimited and they should have noticed this. The immigration said that they couldn’t do anything and I have to re-apply my work permit which could take another 4-5 weeks 😯

After a long discussion and I even make them talk directly with my HRD person via phone, there is no other way than to re-apply my work permit. I have to start over. Somebody at the German bureaucracy has accidentally pressed the reset button 👿

So since  14 of Oct, I have to stop working until I get my work permit.

This is really bad situation for my employer too. I was in the middle of a project and it was on critical part. The product was almost on its release date and I was the Flex lead programmer. My bosses were panic and they have to change a lot of things in a very short time.

My biggest worry that in the future, my employer might have to think twice before giving a critical position to an immigrant. Hopefully, this will not happen.

It’s really hard to explain this case to other Germans. Usually, their reaction is like ‘impossible’ or ‘unbelieveable’. Maybe they didn’t know how bad their immigration is. At first, my bosses even thought this was my mistake that I forget to bring a document or did something bad. I had to explain my case to them that it was not my fault 🙁

Well, I will take this time to take a break and put all my force to finish my game project 😉

Life goes on!

Finally, I just got my work permit 🙂 Hurrayyy!!! 

It takes me 7 months and 6 times going to the immigration office to get a one-year-work-permit for me and a one-year-stay-permit formy wife. I feel very very relieved and happy 🙂 I can start working again this Monday.

These are some tips which can help you to get a German work permit. This is only based on my experience, so there is no guaranty 🙄

Pray a lot. Even if you have qualified to get one, it is the immigration office who decides whether you can get your permit or when you can get it. Sometimes, I feel like it is based on their mood. Some people can get the permit in just 2-3 weeks while others have to wait for months. Some people can pass by providing just the required documents, some might have to provide additional documents like translated CV/resume. So don’t forget to pray a lot or bring your 4 leaf clover or other lucky charms 😉

Be nice and professional. Wear more formal outfits, silent you mobile phone, and prepare all the required documents (especially your biometric photos). Try to put a smile on your face 🙂 Try your best not to make the immigration offices feels angry. It will suffer you or the person after you.

Bring a native German with you, if possible. Even if you can speak German very well. Preferable, someone related to your job (your boss, HRD person, or colleague) and knows about German immigration law (a little bit is OK). Not all Germans know and aware that there is a big problem in German immigration, so make sure that you tell your case to your colleague/boss/HRD person. Even better, hire an immigration lawyer!

My colleague said to me that good things come to those who waits but in my case (or most people’s cases), good things come to those who fights.

Good luck!

As required for my work permit three months ago, I worked really really hard to finish my master thesis. I have a full time job during the day and have to work my thesis on the evening. For the last three months, those are the only things that I did.

But I managed to finish it 🙂

Last month, August 24, I finally submit my master thesis document via post.  I managed to set a date for my master thesis defend on September 19. A week later, I got a temporary letter stating that I have done all the courses including the thesis and got all the 120 credits out of 120 credits.

I and my wife went to the immigration office on 2nd of September since our temporary permit would end on the next day. But what we got was the worse treatment that we ever had in Germany.

The woman in the immigration office rejected the letter from the university. She didn’t believe the letter and maybe thought that I just made up that letter. She said that it is impossible that a master program have 120 credits. She shouted at us and abandoned any explanations that we gave.

The worse part, she decided to send back our documents back to Bremen! She said that we had to move back to Bremen since we are students from University of Bremen.

We are not allowed to stay in Berlin

We tried our best speak German so language was not the problem. My wife was almost speechless and I was trying my best to stay calm. I explained that I was done with my study and now got a job in Berlin since June. I showed her every document that I got including my latest pay slip. She just didn’t care. A colleague of her joined the debate and also shouted at us.

After about 15 minute debates, I gave up. She gave another 30-days temporary permit for us to move back to Bremen.

We were very disappointed. We were thinking to give up our stay in Germany and go back to Indonesia. I can bare rejection (I heard a lot of horror stories about German immigration) but what I didn’t expect is the disbelievement and some shoutings.

After a week, we calm our head and decided to do our best effort. Luckily the HRD manager from the company where I work is willing to help us with this issue. She contacted the immigration office Bremen, and the guy from Bremen said that our document should not be in Bremen since we stay in Berlin. So he will send back the document back to Berlin as soon as he gets it. FYI, sending a document between immigration office could take more than 1 and a half week 😯 Until now, we still don’t where our documents are.

Stay Positive

That’s the best we can do. On September 19, I finish my master thesis defend. Just last Thursday, my wife managed to finish her master thesis document and I got a temporary master certificate stating that I got M.Sc degree 😎 Now, I more get time to sketch, update my portfolio, blogging, start my next game project, and of course, play games. I am playing Final Fantasy Tactics A2, a present which I gave for myself for finishing my thesis.

We are still in Berlin. Next week, we are going to go to the immigration office, maybe the one in Bremen or Berlin, depends where our documents are. We just do our best, pray to God, and whatever the result, we believe that’s the best for both of us.