The Chancenkarte lets qualified people move to Germany and look for the job, instead of needing the job before they can move. We score your points and a licensed German immigration lawyer signs the file.
Most German work permits ask for a signed job offer first, which is a hard thing to get from another continent. The Opportunity Card is the route built for that gap: it lets a skilled worker come to Germany and search from inside the country, with limited work allowed while they do. It is scored rather than simply granted, so the whole application turns on whether your points are counted correctly.
Mechanical engineer in Chennai, no German, no offer. On paper she was short. Her qualification turned out to be partly recognisable, she had unclaimed English points, and her partner qualified too. Scored properly, she cleared the bar — and a lawyer signed the file.
If your degree or vocational training is already recognised as equivalent in Germany, you do not score points at all — you qualify directly. Most people do not know whether they are in this group. Checking it is the first thing we do, because it decides everything after it.
Otherwise you need a qualification your home country recognises, a language level in German or English, and enough points from the criteria below. We score your file honestly before you pay anything, including when the answer is that you do not clear the bar yet.
You are coming to look for work, so the office wants to see how you will live while you look. That is usually a blocked account or a part-time contract. The required amount changes each year, and we confirm the current figure for your case.
The card is temporary by design. What matters is the permit you move onto when the offer lands, usually the EU Blue Card or a skilled worker permit. We plan that switch at the start rather than improvising it under deadline.
The single biggest lever most applicants can still move. Points rise with each level from A2 upward, so a few months of study before applying can change the outcome of the whole application.
A qualification that is partly recognised, or one in an occupation Germany is short of, scores here. This is the criterion people most often get wrong on their own, because partial recognition has to be applied for before it can be counted.
Recent, relevant experience in your qualified occupation. What counts is experience inside a defined recent window, not your whole career, and it has to be evidenced the way the office expects.
Younger applicants score more, with the bands stepping down as you get older. Nothing you can influence, but it changes how many points you need from everywhere else.
A high level of English scores on its own, and can be combined with German. For many applicants this is a point already in hand that they simply never claimed.
A qualifying earlier stay in Germany counts, provided it was long enough and was not tourism. Study and work stays are the usual ones.
If your spouse or partner is coming with you and also meets the requirements, the pair of you score for it. Couples routinely miss this point because they apply as though they were applying alone.
Points are counted per case, not per country. The criteria above are the framework the office scores you against; the exact value each one carries in your file, and the threshold you have to clear, are confirmed by the licensed German lawyer who reviews and signs your application. We tell you your score before you pay anything, including when the honest answer is that you do not clear it yet.
A licensed German lawyer reviews and signs every step. You only open the case.
Tell us your qualification, languages, experience and age. Our AI scores you against every criterion, and a lawyer confirms whether you qualify on recognition, on points, or not yet.
AI drafts the application, the proof of funds, the translations and the recognition request in days. A licensed German lawyer reviews each page and signs the file.
You arrive with a complete file and a tracked timeline. When the offer comes, we move you onto the permit that fits it, so the search ends in status rather than in a scramble.
Case is a case-preparation service, not a law firm. Our AI drafts and checks your documents, which is why we are fast. A licensed German immigration lawyer reviews and signs everything, which is why it holds. Nothing is filed without a lawyer's approval.
The Opportunity Card, or Chancenkarte, is a residence permit that lets skilled workers from outside the EU come to Germany to look for a job. It is the route for people who are qualified but do not have a contract yet, which is exactly the gap the Blue Card cannot fill.
If your foreign qualification is already fully recognised in Germany, you qualify without scoring points at all. Otherwise you need a qualification, a language level, and at least six points from the scoring criteria. We score your file before you pay anything, so you know where you stand.
Yes, within limits. The card is for searching, not for full-time employment, so part-time work is capped and short trial periods with a potential employer are allowed separately. We set out exactly what your card permits so you do not put your status at risk.
You switch. Once you have qualified employment, we move you onto the permit that fits it, usually the EU Blue Card or a skilled worker permit, without you leaving Germany. That transition is planned from the first day of your case, not improvised at the end.
No. Case prepares the case file. A licensed German immigration lawyer reviews it and provides the legal advice. Nothing is filed without a lawyer's approval.
Tell us your qualification, languages and experience. Within one working day you get your score, your route and a fixed price. No obligation.
Last reviewed 22 August 2026. German immigration rules, salary thresholds and fees change, sometimes in the middle of a year, and local offices apply them differently from city to city. Anything below that date may have moved since.
This page is general information about German immigration law. It is not legal advice, it is not a substitute for advice on your own situation, and reading it does not create a lawyer–client relationship. The figures and deadlines on it have not been checked by a lawyer against your case.
Case is a case-preparation service, not a law firm, and does not give legal advice. Legal advice is given by independent licensed German immigration lawyers, who review and sign every file before it is submitted.
Found something out of date or wrong? Tell us and we will correct it: permanaharianja@gmail.com.