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Work after study
After a German degree, use the 18-month job-search visa — not the Opportunity Card
Section 20 of the Residence Act gives 18 months to find a job, with full work rights, after you graduate in Germany. The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) is a different, weaker visa for people who did not study there.
Wednesday, 26 August 2026 · Make it in Germany · 4 min read
If the degree is German, §20 is the door. The Opportunity Card is for someone standing outside.
Many Indian consultants now sell the word Chancenkarte. The Opportunity Card is a points-based, one-year job-search visa for people who trained outside Germany. You can work only part-time on it. It can help an engineer sitting in Pune. It is the wrong form if you are finishing TUM, RWTH Aachen or KIT.
A graduate of a German university applies for the job-seeker residence under Section 20 of the Residence Act. That visa lasts 18 months. You can work without a cap while you look. After you find a qualified job, you move to an EU Blue Card or a skilled-worker permit. That is one of the strongest post-study products in this briefing. It is why a low-fee public master’s in Munich or Aachen can beat a full-fee taught MSc in a weak UK town on cost.
What this means: the real German filter is language. English-taught programmes get you in. German at B1 or B2 gets you the job that makes those 18 months worth the blocked account.
Sources we used
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