The process is highly reliable on the respective authorities and appointment waiting times. Dependent on the country your talent is living in, it can take up to three months and more.

We recommend allowing at least three months of processing time and ensuring expectations are realistic with both the talent and internally.  

‍Info: Please note that you take into account the waiting times from theoffices. Example: We start the process at the beginning of October; thenyou should issue the employment contract on February 1 at the earliest. 

The EU Blue Card is a residence title for graduates intended to facilitate and promote the permanent immigration of highly-qualified persons from outside the EU to Germany. Whether or not an applicant may receive a Blue Card depends on the following factors: 
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- A German university degree or a foreign degree that is recognized in Germany
- A minimum annual gross salary of 56.400 € (4.700 € per month) or 43.992 € (3.666 € per month) for occupational fields of e.g. computer science, the natural sciences, engineering.

A pre-approval (ZAV) is issued by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, the federal employment agency. The agency verifies the conditions of employment in accordance with the legal regulations of the immigration act (Aufenthaltsgesetz). It is not always required to have this pre-approval before taking an appointment at the embassy, but it accelerates the process and a visa is usually issued much faster.

You don’t have to apply for a German work permit separately from a residence permit; you get them both through a single application at the German Immigration Authority Office (Ausländerbehörde). Most non-EU workers will also have to get a visa from a German Embassy or Consulate abroad.