“Spurwechsel” or Changing tracks

The "track change" („Spurwechsel“) is intended to give asylum seekers a residence permit and professional prospects. It also helps companies find the workers they need. If you are a skilled worker or have adequate professional knowledge, you can withdraw your asylum application and apply to change track under certain conditions. This regulation also includes your spouse and underage children (according to Section 10, Paragraph 3, Sentence 4 of the Residence Act). Unfortunately, there is no way to switch from an ongoing asylum procedure to a residence permit, for example, for skilled workers. To do so, the asylum procedure must be withdrawn at the BAMF. 

Please note: If the asylum application is withdrawn before the administrative court, the negative decision becomes final. A withdrawal of the asylum application should always be accompanied by a lawyer.

Important: Even if the asylum procedure is withdrawn, the hurdles are still very high. The section on "Can I change track?" will tell you whether you meet the requirements.

But be careful: You should first check whether your asylum procedure could be successful, as this can bring you great advantages because the stay is not tied to a job, while your stay as a skilled worker will be. You should also first clarify whether you can work as a skilled worker because foreign qualifications are usually not so easily recognised in Germany. You can find out how the recognition of qualifications works on handbookgermany.de.

If you have submitted an asylum application and a final decision has not yet been made on it, you can change track under certain conditions. This regulation also applies to spouses and minor children (according to Section 10 Paragraph 3 Sentence 4 of the Residence Act). You can withdraw your asylum application and change tracks if you meet the following requirements:

• You must have entered Germany by 29 March 2023,

And

• The asylum application has not yet been "irrevocably rejected".

And you are

• either a skilled worker with recognised vocational training or a university degree (§§ 18a and 18b Residence Act)

• or you are considered a person with "extensive professional knowledge" (§ 19c Para. 2 Residence Act)

Caution: Only people who meet the strict requirements can benefit from this option. 

It is advisable to seek expert advice from a lawyer before making a decision.

Changing track can help you get a residence permit more quickly. But you will also receive protection status and thus a residence permit with an approved asylum application. You will lose this option if you apply for a track change. This is particularly important if you want to switch according to § 19 c– in this case, you should definitely seek prior approval from the Immigration Office. Keep in mind that they can issue you this residence permit, but they do not have to.

To be considered a skilled worker with recognised vocational training (according to §18a Residence Act), you must meet the following requirements:

• You have a German professional qualification or a qualified professional certificate that is recognised in Germany. Qualified means that at least two years of vocational training have been completed. You can find out more about the requirements for the recognition of your foreign qualifications at handbookgermany.de.
• You must also have qualified employment. This means that you have knowledge and skills for this job that are acquired in qualified training. However, the job does not have to be related to the content of the training.
• You need the approval of the Federal Employment Agency for employment.
• In addition, comparable employment conditions must be met– this means that the salary must correspond to the usual level in the area and industry.

If you are older than 45 and are applying for a residence permit under §§ 18a Residence Act for the first time, you must meet the following requirements (regardless of whether you are self-sufficient through your wage).

You must:

• either prove a gross salary of €4.427,50 gross per month or €53.130 gross per year as of 2025. (This corresponds to %55 of the annual contribution assessment limit in the general pension insurance)

or

• prove adequate pension provisions.

Please note: Exceptions to this are possible if there is a public, particularly regional, economic or labour market policy interest in your employment. And if the income is only slightly below or the age limit is only slightly exceeded.

Further information on the requirements for obtaining a residence permit as a skilled worker in accordance with Sections 18a and b of the Residence Act can be found at handbookgermany.de.

In order to be considered a skilled worker with a recognised university degree (according to Section 18b of the Residence Act), you must meet the following requirements:

• You have a German university degree or a university degree that is considered equivalent in Germany for qualified employment. You can also do jobs whithin your academic qualifications.
• You need the approval of the Federal Employment Agency for employment.

• In addition, comparable employment conditions must be met, meaning the salary must correspond to the usual level for the location and industry.

There is a special regulation for older people: If you are older than 45 and are applying for a residence permit under Section 18b of the Residence Act for the first time, you must meet the following requirements. (regardless of whether you are self-sufficient through your wages). You must:

• either have a salary of €4.427,50 gross per month or €53.130  gross per year (as of 2025). (the amount corresponds to %55 of the annual contribution assessment limit in the general pension insurance)

or

• prove adequate pension provisions.

Please note: Exceptions to this are possible if there is a public, particularly regional, economic, or labour market policy interest in the employment and if the income is only slightly below or the age limit is only slightly exceeded.

To be considered a person with "extensive professional practical knowledge" ("ausgeprägten berufspraktischen Kenntnissen") according to Section 19c Paragraph 2 of the Residence Act), you must meet the following requirements:

• You have completed vocational training (2 years or longer) abroad, and it is recognised there, or you have a university degree (which does not necessarily have to be recognised in Germany). Please note: The ZAB must have determined via a "Statement on a Foreign Vocational Qualification" or a “Statement of Comparability” that the qualification is recognised in the country of origin. You must apply for this assessment yourself. The requirement of a formal qualification abroad does not apply to IT professionals.

And

• You must be in qualified employment, i.e., the job you do typically requires at least 2 years of vocational training or a university degree.

And

• You need at least 2 years of qualified professional experience within the last 5 years.

And

• You need at least an income of €3.622,50 gross per month or €43.470 gross per year (as of 2025). Exceptions apply to companies bound by collective agreements.
• If you are older than 44 and are applying for track change (“Spurwechsel”) for the first time in accordance with Section 19c Paragraph 2, you usually need a minimum income of €4.427,50  gross per month or €53.130gross per year (as of 2025)– exceptions to this general rule, however, are possible.

Be careful– before withdrawing an asylum application, you should always seek legal advice. You should first check the prospects of success of your asylum procedure, which, if successful, can have significant advantages for you, e.g., your stay would not be tied to a job unlike skilled worker residence permits. You also need to make sure you can work as a skilled worker because foreign qualifications are mostly not automatically recognised in Germany. You can find out how the recognition of qualifications works at www.handbookgermany.de. 

A track change (“Spurwechsel”) is possible if you entered Germany before March 29, 2023, and your asylum application has not yet been rejected in court (providing you meet the requirements for a skilled worker job according to Sections 18 a or b or employment according to Section 19 c Paragraph 2 in conjunction with the Employment Ordinance.)

You can, therefore, make use of the track change (“Spurwechsel”) if your asylum procedure is still ongoing. You can also withdraw your asylum application and change track after BAMF rejects your application. To do so, you must file a complaint against the rejection decision within the deadline. And the legal proceedings must not yet have been legally concluded because then you contest the decision. Even after the verdict has been announced, you can still withdraw your asylum application within the appeal period (usually one month). 

Please note that in this case, the asylum application must first be withdrawn at BAMF; because if you only withdraw the complaint at the court, the original rejection becomes valid. This must not happen if you want to change track.

Even if your asylum application was rejected as obviously unfounded (“offensichtlich unbegründet”), you can still withdraw it if the decision is not yet conclusive. However, in some cases (e.g. in the case of deception regarding your identity), there is a special feature that you can only change track to a residence permit in accordance with Sections 18a, 18b of the Residence Act (i.e. you need a qualification recognised in Germany). This depends on the reason behind the rejection of your application as "obviously unfounded". If that is the case, please seek advice.

Please note: Changing track to a skilled worker position according to §§ 18 a and b (i.e. jobs that require 2 years of training, a certain salary and a professional qualification recognised in Germany) will be no problem if you meet all the requirements, as you are then legally entitled to be granted this type of residence permit. You should be particularly careful with all other jobs (including those according to § 19 c Paragraph 2 in conjunction with the Employment Ordinance) since it is at the discretion of the Immigration Office to grant you those permits.

If your asylum application has been rejected, you can find further information under “Asylum application rejected”. If you have a temporary residence permit, find out about possible residence permits and other safer residence options at handbookgermany.de.