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Toleration and employment

As a rule, holders of tolerated status are only permitted to work with the approval of the Migration Office and after an examination by the Federal Employment Agency. Therefore, the employment permit must usually be applied for by the toleration holder for a specific job. Training and studies are generally permitted.

However, employment and education are excluded by law if the tolerated person:

  • has come to Germany exclusively to receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act,
  • he/she is a national of a so-called "safe country of origin" according to Section 29 of the Asylum Act (Member States of the European Union, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, Kosovo Macedonia, Montenegro Senegal and Serbia) and his/her application for asylum filed after August 31, 2015 has been rejected or
  • if he/she causes the obstacle to deportation by his/her own deception regarding his/her identity or nationality or by his/her own false statements

In the toleration already granted, there is the indication:

  • whether the employment is not permitted, so that no employment relationship may be established by the tolerated person,
  • whether employment is permitted with the approval of the Migration Office, in which case a written application must be submitted to the Migration Office before employment is taken up,
    that a specific employment relationship may be established (please refer to "Procedure")
  • whether employment is generally permitted, then the tolerated person can enter into an employment relationship without applying to the Migration Office.

The implementation of an internship, training or studies is allowed during the time of the toleration, unless they had to be prohibited due to existing reasons for exclusion (see above); then this is noted on the toleration as a condition.