work permit and visa process from India

hameed2k2 New member

Member since 29 January 2016

hameed2k2New member16 June 2021 12:15:12

Hello everyone,

My sister currently in India got selected by a German IT startup company to work in Germany after 1 yr of research & hard work and today the company said that they are not aware of the work permit and visa process from India and asked my sis to look for more information by contacting the German embassy in India. She tried to contact the embassy in India but they don't answer at all. My sis is now a bit nervous thinking she may lose this opportunity so could you please help me with your valuable inputs here?

1. whose responsibility is it to apply for a work permit & visa? is there any company to help us with the paper work?
2. What is the duration for approval for a work permit?
3. Since it is a startup company, do you think the German authorities will approve the work permit?

Thank you so much in advance.

TominStuttgart Germany Expert

Member since 19 March 2012

TominStuttgartGermany Expert16 June 2021 14:54:41

2792

She has the responsibility to get the work permit, best through the German embassy in New Delhi but it will only happen if she can show a binding offer for a specific job from the potential employer. In addition there are 5 German consulates, most of which use a company called VFS Global for the visa application and processing – and they have additional offices.

But the visa itself is still issued by the consulates themselves. On this site we often hear that the online visa application appointments in India are nearly impossible to get under normal circumstances but are likely even harder, if possible at all, during the pandemic. With a negative Covid test and already having a Germany residency or Family Reunion visa, an Indian can currently still get to Germany if they find a flight. But I am not sure if work visas are currently being issued.

But why would such a company even negotiate with foreigner workers if they are ignorant of the visa rules? Sounds very suspicious. There are many scams with people making false claims to offer jobs, often targeting Indian tech workers. And it is more difficult to know for sure if it is a startup rather than an established company.

Here are a couple of good sites for information about getting the work visa:

https://www.germany-visa.org/india/https://india.diplo.de/in-en/service/-/2288440