Letter from the Ausländerbehörde (immigration office): what you need to do now

First: Look for a date in the letter. It often says „bis zum …“ (by …). This is your deadline.

Second: Check what the authority wants. Does it want documents? Is it inviting you to an appointment (Termin)? Or does it want to hear your view before it decides (Anhörung, a hearing)?

Third: Reply before the deadline ends. Always write your Aktenzeichen (file number) and your name in the letter. Keep a copy.

Write your reply in German. German authorities work in German, so a letter in German is the safest way to make sure your reply is understood and processed. The templates (Vorlagen) on this site are in German.

Apply for the extension before your Aufenthaltstitel expires. Then your current permit stays valid until the authority decides (§ 81 Abs. 4 AufenthG). This does not apply to a visa under § 6 Abs. 1 AufenthG.

You will then get a Fiktionsbescheinigung. This document shows that your application is being processed (§ 81 Abs. 5 AufenthG).

This depends on the federal state (Bundesland). In some states you can file a Widerspruch against decisions of the Ausländerbehörde. In other states there is no Widerspruch. Then you have to bring a court action (Klage) directly at the Verwaltungsgericht (administrative court) (§ 68 Abs. 1 VwGO).

Which applies to you is written at the end of the decision in the Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung (information on legal remedies). In both cases the deadline is one month (§ 70, § 74 VwGO). If this information is missing or wrong, the deadline is one year (§ 58 Abs. 2 VwGO).

Important: if the authority refuses your application for an Aufenthaltstitel, a Widerspruch or a Klage does not automatically protect you (§ 84 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 AufenthG). In this case, get help from a lawyer immediately.

The Migrationsberatung für erwachsene Zuwanderer (MBE) (migration advice for adult immigrants) is free. It helps people aged 27 and over. For young people aged 12 to 27 there are the Jugendmigrationsdienste (youth migration services). Advice is also available online.

If you have little money, you can apply at the Amtsgericht (local court) for a Beratungsschein (Beratungshilfe, legal advice aid). A lawyer will then advise you for a small fee. If your application is refused or you may have to leave the country, you should ask a Fachanwalt or Fachanwältin für Migrationsrecht (lawyer specialised in migration law).