Immigration glossary

The German term for a residence title — the physical or digital document confirming a non-EU national's legal right to reside in Germany.

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Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees — the central authority for immigration policy implementation, qualification recognition for some routes, and refugee processing.

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A credit-card-sized document issued to non-EEA nationals in the UK that proves their right to live, work, and study in the UK.

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A residence permit for remote workers and freelancers who earn income from foreign clients or employers while living in a European country.

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The European Economic Area comprises the 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, whose nationals enjoy free movement rights across all EEA countries.

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An EU-wide work and residence permit for highly qualified non-EU workers. Requires a job offer meeting a minimum salary threshold and recognised qualifications.

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The local German government office responsible for processing residence permit applications, renewals, and related immigration matters for non-EU nationals.

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A formal contract between a recognised research organisation and a non-EU researcher, required to apply for a researcher residence permit in the EU.

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A permit allowing managers, specialists, or trainee employees to be temporarily transferred from a non-EU company to an EU branch, subsidiary, or parent company.

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A requirement for employers to demonstrate they could not find a suitable EEA candidate before hiring a non-EU worker for a specific position.

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A long-stay visa (Type D) issued by a Schengen country that allows the holder to reside and work in that country for more than 90 days, typically the first step before obtaining a residence permit.

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A German points-based residence permit that allows qualified non-EU jobseekers to enter Germany to search for work without a prior job offer.

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An indefinite residence status granted to long-term foreign residents, conferring near-citizen rights without requiring naturalisation.

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An immigration selection mechanism that assigns points to applicants based on characteristics such as qualifications, language ability, salary, and work experience, and admits those above a threshold.

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The formal process by which a European country or authority evaluates and accepts a foreign academic degree or professional qualification as equivalent to a domestic one.

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A profession for which access or practice requires specific qualifications formally recognised by a competent national authority, such as medicine, law, or architecture.

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A residence permit for non-EU academic or scientific researchers to carry out research projects in a host EU member state under a hosting agreement.

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An official document or authorisation that entitles a non-citizen to legally reside in a country for a specified period, often but not always including the right to work.

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A minimum annual gross salary that a job offer must meet for an applicant to qualify for certain work permits, most notably the EU Blue Card.

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A zone of 29 European countries that have abolished passport and border controls at their mutual borders, allowing free movement of people.

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A time-limited work authorisation for non-EU nationals to take up seasonal employment, typically in agriculture, horticulture, or tourism, for up to 90 days.

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A combined work and residence permit issued by EU member states that replaces separate work and residence authorisations with one document.

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A formal arrangement where a licensed employer or organisation takes legal responsibility for a non-EU worker's immigration application and compliance obligations.

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A residence and work permit for non-EU entrepreneurs who want to found or develop an innovative startup company in a European country.

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A French multi-year residence permit for highly qualified workers, researchers, investors, artists, and other talented non-EU nationals.

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A person who is not a citizen of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland — the primary applicant group for European work and residence permits.

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An official authorisation granting a non-citizen the legal right to be employed or self-employed in a country, usually issued alongside or embedded in a residence permit.

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