Are you eligible for a Job Seeker Visa?

No. The legacy 6-month external Job Seeker Visa for foreign-degree holders no longer exists in 2026. The 2024 Skilled Immigration Act reform (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz) split the routes into §20 (post-graduation in Germany, up to 18 months) and §20a Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card, external entry, up to 12 months). Many embassy pages and travel agencies still describe the old 6-month visa; ignore that guidance and use either §20 or §20a depending on your location.

§20 AufenthG is for applicants already in Germany completing a German degree, vocational training, research stay, or healthcare assistant training. It runs up to 18 months and allows unrestricted part-time work during the search. §20a AufenthG (Chancenkarte / Opportunity Card) is the external-entry route for applicants applying from abroad. It runs up to 12 months and allows 20 hours per week part-time work plus 2-week trial employments with qualifying employers. Both replaced the old 6-month visa.

Two routes pass: (a) your foreign university degree appears at H+ in the Anabin database, or (b) you obtained a positive ZAB Statement of Comparability (Zeugnisbewertung). Either is sufficient. ZAB takes 4 to 6 weeks and costs about 200 EUR; Anabin is free but only some institutions are listed. For vocational qualifications, the Digital Statement on Professional Qualification is the equivalent.

You can still qualify for §20a via the points path. You need at least 6 Chancenkarte points plus A1 German OR B2 English. Points come from recognition status (partial), shortage occupation, experience, language, age, prior stay in Germany, and a partner who also qualifies. Use the Chancenkarte Points calculator to score yourself and identify the easiest single boost.

For the §20a Chancenkarte, the official figure is usually 1,091 EUR per month (Make it in Germany; German missions ask for at least that much), so a 12-month stay works out to 13,092 EUR, for example in a blocked account. For §20 (job search after a German degree), the law only asks that your living costs are secured. There is no national monthly figure; your local foreigners office (Ausländerbehörde) decides. This checker uses the same 1,091 EUR per month as a guide, so the 18-month maximum is 19,638 EUR. A Verpflichtungserklärung (formal declaration of support) from someone living in Germany can be the proof instead of a blocked account.

Yes, but with limits. §20 (in-Germany graduates) allows unrestricted part-time work, since you're already settled. §20a Chancenkarte allows 20 hours per week part-time plus 2-week trial employments with qualifying employers (typically those who could later sponsor a §18b skilled-worker visa or §18g Blue Card). The 2024 reform killed the legacy 'no work allowed during search' rule. The trial employments are a key feature; they let you test fit before a full sign-on.