Residence Permit
As a citizen from a foreign country you will encounter a complex body of laws and regulations when traveling to and living in Germany. Immigration law as been changed profoundly and modernized to a certain degree by the Zuwanderungsgesetz enacted in 2005 and the subsequent modifications. However, one general rule is still valid: The residence and the employment of a foreign national in Germany is forbidden, until it has been allowed by the authorities. As your lawyer and legal counsel, I would guide and represent you in the application process and communicate with the administration on your behalf.
According to the law of residence (das Aufenthaltsgesetz) of 2005 there are three kinds of legal residence (Aufenthaltstitel):
the permanent residence permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) and
EU-citizens and nationals from certain countries (e.g. the U.S. or Japan) can travel to Germany without a visa for entry.
The foreigner’s office (Ausländerbehörde) will hand out a temporary certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung) , when you apply for a renewal of the residence permit from within Germany and the application cannot be processed before the old permit has expired. The old permit then is considered to remain valid until the decision about the application has been made.
Apart from these types of residnece permits, there are other permits or certificates for asylum seekers and refugees staying in Germany after their claim for asylum has been rejected.
For more information, please follow the other articles on my site.