# Paid Internship Offer--Visa/Work Permit Clarification



## Dberryillus

Hi All,

Quick about me: I'm an American illustration student/27/frustrated with this...


I've received an offer letter from a German company that I occasionally freelance for and they would like to offer me a 3 month paid internship. However, they are small (but established) and have no experienced in hiring employees outside of the EU. I have contacted the German Embassy office locally here in California, they are very terse and it's difficult to get important details out of them. According to them, I do not need to apply in the US, I can apply in Germany, it is also faster that way. They have made it sound like: "All you do is go to your local labor office in Germany, show proof of insurance/income/police record/proof of rent and you're set." That seems...way too easy. I've heard Germany is fairly easy to relocate to for Americans, comparatively speaking.

Question is, what is required to accept and start this job legally? I'm seeing tons of info online that is making it more complicated than what I'm hearing from the folks at the office. According to my prospective employers I would be considered 'freelance'. So.. here are my questions and the details:

1. What is the processing time for a work permit?
2. Do I even need a work permit if I am only working for 90 days and considered a freelance employee?
3. I'm seeing mentions of the German government requiring all full time or part time employees to hold a contract--do I need this as well?
4. Will I be required to prove German language compotency or take a labour market test?

Basically, I'm looking for a patient person to clarify the legal process of an American taking a 90 day paid internship and what to look forward to. I'm planning on calling the office again and demanding a little more time from the visa folks over there, but I'd really like to give these folks the heads up since it's getting close to when they'd like me to start.

Any help would be sincerely appreciated!!


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## Bevdeforges

Taking a quick look at the visa information on the German consulate website, it's fairly clear that you can, indeed, apply for your visa and work permit after you get to Germany. Though for a 90 day internship, you might actually be able to get in and out under the terms of a 90 day "Schengen visa" - as a sort of "business trip."

The Germans aren't as strict about visas as many of their neighbors. It's probably a huge advantage for you to wait until you arrive, when someone from your work can go with you to the labor office and/or the immigration office to get you registered and then the company can arrange to get the necessary paperwork done.
Cheers,
Bev


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