One Way Ticket Team
Since June 1, 2024, Germany has been issuing the Chancenkarte — the "opportunity card" under Section 20a of the Residence Act. It is the first German visa where the decision runs on points, Canada- or Australia-style: age, language, experience and qualifications convert into numbers, and with 6 points you can go job-hunting on German soil — no employer offer required. Here is how the system works, with the math done on real examples.
What the opportunity card gives you
The Chancenkarte is issued for up to 1 year to look for work in Germany. Throughout that time you may work part-time up to 20 hours per week and take trial employment (Probebeschäftigung) of up to 2 weeks per employer — a legal way to prove yourself to a future company. Once you land a job, you switch to a work residence permit or a Blue Card without leaving the country.
Baseline conditions: no points are counted without them
- •A university degree or vocational training of at least 2 years, recognized in the country where you obtained it
- •Language: German at A1 OR English at B2
- •Finances: a blocked account of roughly €1,027 per month (about €12,300 for the year; the amount is indexed annually) or a part-time work authorization
- •National visa fee: €75
💡 If your qualification is fully recognized in Germany (checked via the anabin database or the ZAB recognition procedure), you need no points at all — the opportunity card is issued outright, as to a skilled worker (Fachkraft).
The calculator: getting to 6 points
If your qualification is not fully recognized, the points system kicks in. The passing score is 6 points. Here is the official table — simply add up your positions:
- •Partial recognition of your qualification or a notice of compensatory measures: 4 points
- •A shortage occupation (Engpassberuf) — IT, engineering, medicine, care work, construction: 1 point
- •Professional experience of 2 years within the last 5: 2 points
- •Professional experience of 5 years within the last 7: 3 points
- •German: A2 — 1 point, B1 — 2 points, B2 and above — 3 points
- •English at C1 or native: 1 point
- •Age under 35: 2 points; 35 to 40: 1 point
- •A lawful stay in Germany of 6+ months within the last 5 years (tourism excluded): 1 point
- •A spouse who also qualifies and applies with you: 1 point
A worked example
A developer, 32 years old, English C1, German A2, 4 years of IT experience. Baseline met via English B2+. Points: under 35 — 2, experience 2+ years — 2, shortage occupation — 1, German A2 — 1, English C1 — 1. Total: 7 points — a comfortable pass. A 42-year-old marketer with only B2 English and no German, however, scores just 2–3 points — better to push German to B1 first (+2) or hunt for a direct offer.
What comes next: from opportunity card to Blue Card
Once you find qualified employment, you convert to a work residence permit (Sections 18a/18b) or an EU Blue Card without leaving Germany. If you have an offer but the contract is not yet a "full" one, the law provides an extension — the Anschluss-Chancenkarte for up to 2 years. You cannot get the opportunity card itself twice in a row: between two cards you must spend as long abroad as the first card lasted.
“The Chancenkarte is the first time Germany has allowed job-hunting from inside the country without an offer. For a market where cross-border interviews kept failing over time zones and mistrust, this is a quiet revolution.”
One Way Ticket helps you count your points, prepare the documents and walk the path from Chancenkarte to Blue Card. Consultation — $500 on Telegram: @immigrationGuidePro