PARTICIPATION POSSIBILITIES / COURSE TYPES / COURSE SEARCH

As a non-EU citizen (third-country national foreigner), you are entitled to participate in an integration course,

• if you received a residence permit for the first time after 1 January 2005 and are permanently resident in Germany

  • as an employee (§§ 18, 21 AufenthG),

  • for reasons of family reunification (§§ 28, 29, 30, 32, 36 AufenthG);

  • as a long-term resident (§ 38a AufenthG),

• if you first received a residence or settlement permit for international, humanitarian or political reasons after 1 January 2005 and are permanently resident in Germany

  • by order of the Federal Ministry of the Interior to safeguard special political interests (§ 23 Abs. 2 AufenthG) or

  • by order of the Federal Ministry of the Interior for the resettlement of persons seeking protection (resettlement refugees, § 23 Abs. 4 AufenthG) or

  • in the case of recognition as a person entitled to asylum (§ 25 Abs. 1 AufenthG) or

  • if refugee status or subsidiary protection is granted (§ 25 para. 2 AufenthG) or

  • as a victim of a criminal offence pursuant to §§ 232, 233 or 233a StGB after the end of the criminal proceedings, if humanitarian or personal reasons or public interests require continued presence in the Federal territory (§ 25 para. 4a sentence 3 AufenthG) or

  • in the case of sustainable integration (§ 25b AufenthG).

Furthermore, ethnic German repatriates and their spouses or descendants are entitled to free participation in an integration course (§ 9 para. 1 BVFG). The corresponding confirmation is issued by the Federal Office of Administration.

You are not entitled to participate in the integration course if

• you are a child, adolescent or young adult and you are taking up school education or continuing your previous school career in the Federal Republic of Germany,

• you have a noticeably low need for integration, or

• if you already have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1 of the CEFR).

In the latter case, however, you have the opportunity to participate in the orientation course.

Under certain circumstances, an authority may also oblige you to participate. Such an obligation to participate may be considered:

• by the Foreigners' Registration Office: If you are entitled to participate and

  • cannot communicate at least in a simple way in German (level A1 of the CEFR) (§ 44a para. 1 sentence 1 no. 1 lit. a) or

  • do not have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1 of the CEFR) at the time of issue of the residence permit pursuant to § 23 para. 2, § 28 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 1 or § 30 AufenthG (§ 44a para. 1 sentence 1 no. 1 lit. b).

The Foreigners' Registration Office may also oblige you to attend the course when issuing the residence permit pursuant to § 25 (1) or (2) AufenthG (person entitled to asylum, granting refugee status or subsidiary protection) if you can only communicate in a simple way in German (level A1 of the CEFR).

In addition, you are obliged to participate in the integration course if you are particularly in need of integration and the immigration authority asks you to participate (§ 44a para. 1 sentence 1 no. 3 AufenthG).

A particular need for integration can be assumed in particular if you, as the holder of personal care for a minor child living in Germany, do not have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1 of the CEFR) and have therefore not yet succeeded in integrating into the economic, cultural and social life of the Federal Republic of Germany without state assistance.

• by the basic social security institution:

  • If you receive unemployment benefit II and participation in the integration course is provided for in the integration agreement according to SGB II (§ 44a Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 2 AufenthG).

• by the provider of benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (§ 44a para. 1 sentence 1 no. 4 AufenthG): If you receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act and

  • as an asylum seeker have a residence permit according to § 55 Abs. 1 AsylbLG and a lawful permanent residence is to be expected with you (good prospects of staying, which is currently given in the following countries of origin: Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Somalia and Syria) and the Federal Republic of Germany is responsible for carrying out your asylum procedure or

  • have a tolerated stay according to § 60a Abs. 2 S. 3 AufenthG or

  • have a residence permit according to § 25 Abs. 5 AufenthG.

You are exempt from the obligation to participate if

• you are undergoing vocational or other training in Germany,

• you can prove that you have participated in comparable educational offers in Germany (e.g. public or private schools, vocational schools or private courses offered by employers or other providers) or

• Their participation is permanently impossible or unreasonable (e.g. in the case of their own disability or the care of disabled family members).

If there are places available, you can be admitted to an integration course by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees,

• if you are a German citizen, do not have sufficient knowledge of the German language (level B1 of the CEFR) and you have not yet succeeded in integrating into economic, cultural and social life in Germany without state assistance (§ 44 para. 4 sentence 2 alt. 1 AufenthG in conjunction with § 5 para. 4 no. 4 IntV),

• if you are an EU citizen entitled to freedom of movement or his family member without sufficient language skills (level B1 of the CEFR) and you have not yet succeeded in integrating yourself into economic, cultural and social life in Germany without state assistance (§ 11 para. 1 sentence 1 FreizügG/EU in conjunction with § 44 para. 4 AufenthG and § 5 para. 4 no. 4 IntV),

• if you are a non-EU citizen and acquired your residence permit before 1 January 2005 (§ 44 para. 4 sentence 1 AufenthG),

• if you are a non-EU citizen who had a legal right to participate in an integration course, but was prevented from participating for reasons beyond your control,

• if you are a non-EU citizen and

  • as an asylum seeker have a residence permit according to § 55 Abs. 1 AsylG and a lawful permanent residence is to be expected with you (good prospects of staying, which is currently given in the following countries of origin: Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Somalia and Syria) and the Federal Republic of Germany is responsible for carrying out your asylum procedure or

  • have a tolerated stay according to § 60a Abs. 2 S. 3 AufenthG or

  • have a residence permit according to § 25 Abs. 5 AufenthG.