Route: vocational training (Ausbildung)

§ 16a AufenthG, money, German level, training pay.

An Ausbildung is a 2-3.5 year vocational programme, usually dual (company plus vocational school). Legal basis: § 16a AufenthG. You can enter visa-free and apply in Berlin: Entry.

Requirements and money

• A training contract; German at B1, fixed by law (§ 16a (3) S. 2 with § 2 (11) AufenthG).
• Living costs must be secured: €822 net / €1,048 gross a month for company-based training; €959 for school-based training. A blocked account or sponsor can cover a gap.
• Minimum training pay (Mindestausbildungsvergütung) for contracts starting 2026: €724 / €854 / €977 / €1,014 in years 1 / 2 / 3 / 4. Collective agreements often pay more.
• Side job: up to 20 hours a week (§ 16a (3) S. 1).

Searching for a place (§ 17)

The permit to look for a training place (§ 17 (1)) requires: a school qualification that gives access to university either in Germany or in the country where you earned it, age under 35, German at B1, and the living costs of €1,091 a month (§ 2 (3)). See Costs. Whether a US high-school diploma counts as university access: see Study and ask the authority.

Information: Make it in Germany, BA.