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After your German degree: job search and residence
18-month job-search residence, Blue Card vs skilled-worker paths, and what to prepare before you graduate.
Summary: Graduates of German universities can usually apply for an 18-month job-search residence permit (AufenthG §20). That is not an automatic stamp — you apply at the Ausländerbehörde with degree proof and finances. Blue Card and skilled-worker permits have salary and job-fit rules that change; confirm the live threshold before you resign a Werkstudent contract.
Guides in this cluster
- 18-Month Job-Search Permit After a German Degree (2026)
Job seeker visa after studying in Germany: §20 gives graduates 18 months to find skilled work. Then EU Blue Card (€50,700 / €45,934.20) or a skilled-worker title.