Can I get a work visa to Germany without IELTS?

Germany has the strongest economy among European nations and has a huge demand for skilled professionals. By 2030 Germany will require about 3.6 million skilled workers and is looking at immigrants to meet this demand.

 

Based on the motive to attract more immigrant talent to the country, the country offers various work visa options for them to apply for work here.

 

If you are looking to move to Germany for employment, what are your visa options and what are the language requirements? Do you need to be proficient in English and have an IELTS certification to prove it?

 

Work visa options:

If you belong to a non-EU nation, you must apply for a work visa and a residence permit before you travel to the country. The eligibility requirements for the visa include a job offer letter from the firm in Germany and an approval letter from the Federal employment agency in the country.

 

The other option is to apply for the EU Blue Card if you have completed a degree from a recognized university and got a job in Germany that has the specified annual gross salary.

 

You are also eligible for the EU Blue Card if you are a graduate from a German university or if you are a highly skilled professional in the field of either mathematics, IT, life sciences, engineering or medicine. However, you must earn a salary comparable to German employees.

 

The third option is the German Jobseeker visa that allows skilled workers from other countries to come to the country and search for a job and once they get a job, they can apply for a work permit.

 

This visa was introduced to alleviate the skills shortage problem in the country. Visa holders can stay in Germany for six months and look for a job. The eligibility requirements for this visa include at least five years of work experience in a job related to the applicant’s area of study. He must have enough funds for a six-month stay in Germany.

 

IELTS requirements for work visas:

Applicants for the various work visas in Germany have a doubt whether they need to have a certain level of English language proficiency to qualify for the visa. They are not sure is they must score minimum bands in the IELTS to be eligible for these visas.

 

The good news is IELTS is not required to qualify for a German work visa.

 

The English language requirements are dependent on the type of job you are applying for. If the job is for a position that involves travelling around the world, then a certain level of English proficiency is required.

 

Working for a multinational company in Germany or a German multinational will require a certain level of proficiency. The right educational qualification, work experience and basic knowledge of German will improve your prospects of finding a job here.

 

 In such cases, it would be no harm to get an IELTS certification which is a validation of your English proficiency. An IELTS certification will give you an edge over other applicants for the job.

 

Taking the professional IELTS exam and scoring well will give you better work opportunities since it can act as a validation of your global communication skills.

 

Apart from this, a minimum level of proficiency in German with a B2 or C1 level will improve your chances of finding a job here. You will have an edge over other job seekers who have no knowledge of the language.

 

English language proficiency in the form of IELTS is not an eligibility requirement for work visas in Germany. However, having an IELTS certification will significantly increase your job opportunities.