For German employers
Can you hire someone who is on a Chancenkarte?
Yes, and the appeal for you is narrow but real: the candidate is already in Germany. The Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) is a job-seeker permit, so the person can already work a limited part-time allowance for you while searching, and once you make an offer you convert them to a work title at the local foreigners authority with no consulate wait.
Read in Deutsch. For German companies considering a candidate who already holds the Opportunity Card.
In short
The Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) is a points-based job-seeker residence permit (§ 20a/20b AufenthG). The person is already in Germany and may work up to 20 hours a week while searching. As an employer you do not initiate it. Once you make an offer, you switch the person onto a work title (usually the EU Blue Card or a § 18a/18b skilled-worker permit) at the local Ausländerbehörde, with no consulate appointment to wait for. It is a candidate already on the ground you can convert quickly, not a hiring channel you open.
At a glance
- What it is
- A job-seeker residence permit, not a work permit
- Who applies for it
- The candidate, usually from abroad. Not the employer
- Where the person is
- Already in Germany
- Work while searching
- Up to 20 hours/week, no BA approval needed
- Trial employment
- Up to 2 weeks per employer (Probebeschäftigung)
- Search duration
- 12 months (extendable by up to 24 more)
- Points threshold
- 6 points under § 20b (or full degree recognition)
- You convert them to
- EU Blue Card or § 18a/18b skilled-worker permit
- Statute
- § 20a / § 20b AufenthG
Looking at a candidate who already holds a Chancenkarte?
Tell us the role, seniority, stack, city, and salary. We send matched, visa-checked candidates, some already in Germany on a Chancenkarte, and connect you with an immigration lawyer who can run the conversion to a work title with your Ausländerbehörde.
Submit a hiring brief →No upfront fee. No account required. Founding-employer access while we build the pool.
What the Chancenkarte is, from your side of the table
The Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card), issued under § 20a of the German Residence Act, is a points-based job-seeker residence permit. A skilled professional applies for it, usually from abroad and without a job offer, then moves to Germany to look for work. The points test that gates it sits in § 20b AufenthG. From an employer’s side this matters in one specific way: the candidate you are looking at may already be in Germany, holding a permit that lets them work for you part time today and convert to a full work title quickly.
The Chancenkarte is not a work permit and not a sponsorship route you open. You do not apply for it, you do not pay for it, and you cannot use it as a channel to bring someone in. Its value to you is that it puts a qualified candidate on the ground in Germany, past the consulate stage, available to convert.
The employer advantage in three points
- The candidate is already in Germany. No consulate appointment queue, no national visa to issue, no relocation to wait on. The slowest part of hiring from abroad is already done.
- You can run a short trial first. A Chancenkarte holder may do a trial employment (Probebeschäftigung) of up to 2 weeks per employer, and may work up to 20 hours a week for you while you both decide, with no Federal Employment Agency approval needed.
- Conversion happens domestically. Once you make the offer, the person switches to a work title at the local Ausländerbehörde without leaving Germany. There is no second consulate trip.
What the holder can do before they convert
| Activity | What § 20a allows |
|---|---|
| Part-time work | Up to 20 hours a week on average, no BA approval needed. |
| Trial employment | Up to 2 weeks per employer (Probebeschäftigung), so you can assess fit before an offer. |
| Full-time work | Not on the Chancenkarte itself. Requires conversion to a work title first. |
| Freelance / self-employed | Not permitted on the Chancenkarte. |
How the conversion works once you make an offer
When you decide to hire, the person applies at the local Ausländerbehörde to switch from the Chancenkarte to a work title. The two most common destinations are the EU Blue Card, where the role and salary qualify, and a § 18a or § 18b skilled-worker permit. For ICT and shortage roles the 2026 EU Blue Card salary floor is €45,934.20. Because the applicant is already lawfully in Germany, this is a domestic change of status, not a fresh visa from abroad.
You support the conversion the same way you would any skilled-worker hire: a compliant employment contract at the right salary level and the Federal Employment Agency declaration where it applies. The candidate carries their qualification documents and the offer to the authority.
Want a candidate you can convert quickly?
Submit a hiring brief and we send visa-checked profiles, including candidates already in Germany on a Chancenkarte whose eligibility under § 18g and § 20b AufenthG is already confirmed.
Submit a hiring brief →Hiring a Chancenkarte holder vs hiring from abroad
The difference is mostly about where the person is and how long it takes them to start.
| Chancenkarte holder you hire | Hiring from abroad (Blue Card visa) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the person is | Already in Germany | Abroad, in their home country |
| Consulate appointment | None needed | Required, wait varies by mission |
| Work before conversion | Up to 20 hrs/week, plus a 2-week trial | None until the visa is issued |
| Path to full-time | Convert to a work title at the Ausländerbehörde | National visa from the consulate, then residence title in Germany |
| Time to start full-time | Driven by the domestic conversion | Driven by the consulate appointment and visa decision |
The honest limit: this is a narrow angle
The Chancenkarte is not a way to source candidates from abroad. You cannot initiate it, and you cannot rely on it to bring someone in for a specific role. Its usefulness to you is confined to one situation: a qualified candidate who already holds the Opportunity Card and is searching in Germany now. When that is the case, you have a faster path to a hire than starting a fresh visa from abroad. When you are sourcing from scratch, your starting points are the EU Blue Card salary thresholds and, where speed matters, the accelerated skilled-worker procedure (§ 81a) instead.
When you want a lawyer, and how we help
Many conversions from a Chancenkarte to a work title are handled by the employer’s HR team directly with the Ausländerbehörde. Bring in an immigration lawyer when the role is regulated and qualification recognition is uncertain, when the candidate is close to the end of their 12-month search window, or when you want someone to manage the authority correspondence end to end. We connect you with vetted immigration lawyers for exactly this, and the candidates we send already have their Blue Card or Chancenkarte eligibility checked, so the conversion starts from a clean base.
Start with a candidate, not paperwork
Submit a hiring brief in five minutes. We send matched, visa-checked profiles, including people already in Germany on a Chancenkarte, and an immigration lawyer who can run the conversion for you.
Submit a hiring brief →Founding-employer access is free while we build the candidate pool.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hire someone who is on a Chancenkarte?
Yes, but with one step in between. The Chancenkarte is a job-seeker residence permit, not a work permit. The holder may work up to 20 hours a week while searching, but to employ them full-time you make an offer and they switch to a work title (usually the EU Blue Card or a § 18a/18b skilled-worker permit) at the local foreigners authority. The person is already in Germany, so there is no consulate appointment to wait for.
Do I initiate the Chancenkarte as the employer?
No. The Chancenkarte is applied for by the candidate, usually from abroad before they arrive, and it does not require a job offer. As an employer you come in later: you make the offer to someone who already holds it and you convert them to a work title. It is a candidate already on the ground you can hire quickly, not a hiring channel you open.
How much can a Chancenkarte holder work for me before they convert?
Up to 20 hours a week on average during the search period, with no Federal Employment Agency approval needed, under § 20a AufenthG. You can also run a trial employment (Probebeschäftigung) of up to 2 weeks per employer. Freelance and self-employed work is not permitted on the Chancenkarte.
How long does the candidate have to find a job?
The job-search Chancenkarte runs for 12 months under § 20a AufenthG. It can be extended by up to 24 further months where a qualified job offer is in hand but no other residence permit applies yet, with Federal Employment Agency approval. In practice you want the conversion to a work title done well inside the initial 12 months.
What does the candidate convert to once I make an offer?
Most commonly the EU Blue Card, if the role and salary qualify, or a § 18a/18b skilled-worker permit. The conversion happens at the local Ausländerbehörde while the person stays in Germany. For ICT and shortage roles the 2026 EU Blue Card salary floor is €45,934.20.
Is hiring a Chancenkarte holder faster than hiring from abroad?
Often yes, because the person is already in Germany. There is no consulate appointment queue and no national visa to issue. The conversion to a work title is a domestic step at the foreigners authority. Hiring the same person from abroad on a Blue Card visa instead means a consulate appointment and a national visa first.
Sources
All factual claims on this page are sourced from German government publications only:
- § 20a AufenthG: Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card), Bundesministerium der Justiz
- § 20b AufenthG: Points system, Bundesministerium der Justiz
- § 18g AufenthG: EU Blue Card, Bundesministerium der Justiz
- Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte), Make it in Germany, Federal Government
- EU Blue Card, Make it in Germany, Federal Government
We are not a law firm. This page provides general information only, not legal advice. German immigration law changes, and practice varies between foreigners authorities. The candidate may qualify to convert depending on their qualification, the role, and the salary. Always verify current rules with the relevant Ausländerbehörde before acting.
Last reviewed: 3 June 2026. Sources: Make it in Germany, gesetze-im-internet.de (§ 20a, § 20b, § 18g AufenthG).