The application for equivalence assessment together with all necessary documents is submitted to the responsible IHK FOSA. They will check the equivalence of the training qualification:

• The IHK compares your foreign training qualification with the German training qualification.
• If your training qualification is equivalent, it will be recognized. You will receive a notice of equivalence (notice of recognition).
• If there are significant differences to the German qualification, the proven professional experience or other relevant evidence (e.g. further training) will also be checked. In many cases, full equivalence can be established in this way.
• If full equivalence cannot be established, the training qualification will not be recognized. However, you will receive a notification of partial equivalence. In the notification, the existing qualifications are presented positively and the main differences to the German reference occupation are described. This enables you to gain further qualifications in a targeted manner and to submit a new application for equivalence assessment at a later date.
• If no equivalence could be established between your foreign professional qualification and the German reference qualification, the application will be rejected. In this case, the positive qualifications will not be presented.

Sometimes documents are still missing from the procedure. The IHK FOSA will then inform you by when you must submit the documents.

If you wish to take legal action against the IHK FOSA's decision: You can lodge an appeal in writing within 4 weeks of receiving the decision.

In the regular procedure:

• The IHK FOSA will confirm within four weeks that your documents have arrived. At the same time, it will inform you whether any documents are missing and, if so, which ones. The letter will also include the fee notice with the necessary payment information.
• If all the necessary documents have been received, the procedure should take a maximum of 3 months. In individual cases, the procedure may be extended once.

In the accelerated skilled worker procedure:

• The IHK FOSA will confirm that your documents have arrived after a maximum of 2 weeks.
• It will inform you whether any documents are missing and, if so, which ones. The letter will also include the fee notice with the necessary payment information.
• If all the necessary documents have been received, the procedure should take a maximum of 2 months. In individual cases, the procedure may be extended once.
• In the accelerated procedure for skilled workers, all communication takes place via the responsible immigration authority.