The German government aims to help asylum seekers and individuals with tolerated residence status to integrate rapidly on the German labour market. Internships can be a valuable stepping stone.

To date the Federal Employment Agency has been required to authorise any internship undertaken by asylum seekers and individuals with tolerated residence status. The internship was only authorised if, for the specific internship in question, no suitable German or EU citizen was available.

Easier to undertake an internship

This is to change in future. Some types of internship will no longer have to be approved by the Federal Employment Agency.

This puts into practice an agreement reached at the meeting of federal and state governments to discuss asylum and refugee policy. The working group "German courses, education and preparatory vocational training" agreed in June to make it easier for young asylum seekers and individuals with tolerated residence status, with good prospects of staying in Germany, to undertake internships.

The new regulations apply to

• Compulsory internships
• Job orientation internships
• Internships of up to three months in length parallel to training or degree courses
• Participation in an introductory training placement or a preparatory course for vocational training.

Under the provisions of the Minimum Wage law no minimum wage must be paid for these internships, irrespective of whether the intern is a German citizen or not.

Vocational training possible

Today the Federal Employment Agency is not required to authorise initial in-company vocational training undertaken by asylum seekers or individuals with tolerated residence status. The situation changes when they wish to start to work.

Individuals who have been in Germany for three months has access to the labour market. Generally, however, the authorisation of the Federal Employment Agency is required before they can begin to work. This authorisation will only be given if there is no German citizen, EU citizen, or foreigner with comparable status to EU citizens in terms of working in Germany, who is suitable for the job in question.