Help for refugees: Job hunting
It is no simple matter for refugees to find a job. In addition to difficulties with the language, there are also a number of legal obstacles to overcome. Saarland’s broadcaster Saarländischer Rundfunk would like to help with this: How to apply for a work permit and how the employment agency can help in finding a job.
The residence status plays an important role: Recognized refugees are not subject to any restrictions and can begin to look for a job immediately. Those whose residence status is as yet unclear or who have exceptional leave to remain for humanitarian reasons are not entitled to seek work until three months after they have applied for political asylum.
Having found a job, they still need to obtain a work permit from the foreign nationals registration authority. The foreign nationals registration authority also checks whether a German national would be available for the job. This is called a priority examination. This priority examination is not applicable to those who have lived in Germany for over 15 months, or who would like to complete an internship/traineeship, a course of study or professional training.
There are two agencies which provide help and advice in the search for a job: the Jobcenter (Job Centre) and the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency). Which of these is the competent agency depends on how much living allowance is received from the particular agency. For this reason, refugees should call the Job Centre or Federal Employment Agency beforehand to find out. Once that is clear, they can immediately arrange an appointment for a consultation. It is generally helpful to go to the Job Centre or Federal Employment Agency with an interpreter or language mediator.
An advisory service is also available in the regional reception centre in Lebach, in the clearing office. There, refugees can find out everything they need to know about requirements, recognition of training qualifications from their home country and which skills are particularly in demand in Germany.
Those who have proof of their school, university or professional qualifications can have these qualifications recognized. A service centre for international professionals – Servicestelle zur Erschließung ausländischer Qualifikationen (SEAQ) – can help with the procedures. It is not necessary to have the qualifications recognized for certain professions. SEAQ can also give advice in this respect. Those who no longer have their certificates should be able to have their knowledge tested in companies in the future.
Video: Guide for Refugees (Bayerischer Rundfunk)
Useful addresses for Job hunting
Servicestelle zur Erschließung ausländischer Qualifikationen SEAQ
(service centre for international professionals)
saar.is
saarland.innovation&standort e. V.
Franz-Josef-Röder-Str. 9
66119 Saarbrücken
Anne Schroer – Raum 5.18
Tel.: 0681 9520-456
E-Mail: anne.schroer@saar-is.de
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 - 12:00 Uhr / 13:00 - 16:00 Uhr
Friday: 9:00 - 12:00 Uhr / 13:00 - 15:00 Uhr
Please call and make an appointment.
Arbeitsagenturen im Saarland
Hafenstr. 18
Saarbrücken
Tel.: 0800 4 5555 20
Open:
Monday 8:00 - 16:00 Uhr
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 - 12:30 Uhr
Thursday 8:00 - 18:00 Uhr
Agentur für Arbeit Saarland
66088 Saarbrücken
Blieskastel
Florianstr. 5
Blieskastel
Tel.: 0800 4 5555 20
Please call and make an appointment.
Heusweiler
Saarbrücker Str. 28b
Heusweiler
Tel.: 0800 4 5555 20
Please call and make an appointment.
Postanschrift
Agentur für Arbeit Saarland
66088 Saarbrücken
Homburg
Richard-Wagner-Str. 26
Homburg
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
Öffnungszeiten:
Mo 8:00 - 16:00 Uhr
Di 8:00 - 13:00 Uhr, danach nach Vereinbarung
Mi, Fr 8:00 - 13:00 Uhr
Do 8:00 - 18:00 Uhr
Postanschrift
Agentur für Arbeit Saarland
66088 Saarbrücken
Lebach
Tholeyer Str. 2
Lebach
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
Merzig
Saarbrücker Allee 1
Merzig
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
Neunkirchen
Ringstr. 1
Neunkirchen
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
Saarlouis
Ludwigstr. 10
Merzig
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
St. Ingbert
Rickertstr. 23
St. Ingbert
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
Please call and make an appointment.
Sulzbach
Sulzbachtalstr. 20
Sulzbach
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
Völklingen
Poststr. 11-17
Völklingen
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
Please call and make an appointment.
Wadern
Unterstr. 11-15
Wadern
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
Please call and make an appointment.
St. Wendel
Wendalinusstr. 5-7
St. Wendel
Fon: 0800 4 5555 20
Please call and make an appointment.
Jobcenter in Saarland
Regionalverband Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Hafenstraße 18
6111 Saarbrücken
Fon: 0681 876490-0
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Saarbruecken@jobcenter-ge.de
Burbach
Bürgerhaus Burbach
Burbacher Markt 20
66115 Saarbrücken
Fon: 0681 876490-0
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Saarbruecken.Burbach@jobcenter-ge.de
for Burbach, Altenkessel, Klarenthal and Gersweiler
Außenstelle Dudweiler
Rathaus Dudweiler
Rathausstraße 5-7
66125 Saarbrücken
Fon: 0681 876490-0
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Saarbruecken.Dudweiler@jobcenter-ge.de
for Dudweiler, Jägersfreude and Scheidt
Außenstelle Halberg
Rathaus Brebach
Kurt-Schumacher-Straße
66130 Saarbrücken
Fon:0681 876490-0
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Saarbruecken.Halberg@jobcenter-ge.de
for Bischmisheim, Brebach-Fechingen, Bübingen, Ensheim, Eschringen, Güdingen, Güdingen-Unner and Schafbrücke
Außenstelle Heusweiler
Saarbrücker Straße 28b
66265 Heusweiler
Fon: 06806 917171
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Saarbruecken.Heusweiler@jobcenter-ge.de
zuständig für Püttlingen, Riegelsberg and Heusweiler
Außenstelle Sulzbach
Sulzbachstraße 36
66280 Sulzbach
Fon: 06897 9520-0
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Saarbruecken.Sulzbach@jobcenter-ge.de
zuständig für Friedrichsthal, Quierschied and Sulzbach
Außenstelle Völklingen
Poststraße 11-17
66333 Völklingen
Fon: 06898 5010-21
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Saarbruecken.Voelklingen1@jobcenter-ge.de
for Großrosseln andVölklingen
Jobcenter Saarlouis
Dillingen
Stummstraße 29-33
66763 Dillingen
Fon: 06831 4448000
for Dillingen, Rehlingen-Siersburg, Nalbach
Lebach
Tholeyer Str. 2
66822 Lebach
Fon: 06831 4448000
for Lebach and Schmelz
Saarlouis
Bahnhofsallee 4
66740 Saarlouis
Fon: 06831 4448000
for Bous, Ensdorf, Saarlouis, Saarwellingen, Schwalbach, Überherrn, Wadgassen and Wallerfangen
Jobcenter Merzig-Wadern
Torstraße 28
66663 Merzig
Fon: 0180-100294950-101
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Merzig-Wadern@jobcenter-ge.de
Wadern
Unterstraße 11-15
66687 Wadern
Fon: 0180-100294951-062
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Merzig-Wadern.Wadern@jobcenter-ge.de
Jobcenter Neunkirchen
Neunkirchen
Ringstr. 1
66538 Neunkirchen
Fon: 06821 204819
E-Mail: Jobcenter-Neunkirchen@jobcenter-ge.de
Illingen
Rathausstraße 12
66557 Illingen
Fon: 06825 40480
Jobcenter St. Wendel
Tritschlerstraße 5 – Wendelinuspark
66606 St. Wendel
Fon: 06851 8013000
E-Mail: Job@lkwnd.de
Jobcenter Saarpfalz Kreis
Blieskastel
Florianstr. 5
66440 Blieskastel
Fon: 06842 961290
for Blieskastel, Gersheim and Mandelbachtal
Homburg
Talstraße 57
66424 Homburg
Fon: 06841 92230
E-Mail: Jobcenter-SPK@jobcenter-saarpfalz.de
for Homburg, Bexbach and Kirkel
Geschäftsstelle St. Ingbert
Rickertstr. 23
66386 St. Ingbert
Fon: 06894 929680
for St. Ingbert