u/BGW_18

Hey everyone, I’m currently living in Germany and wanted to get some opinions from people who have experience teaching/living in Asia.

I’m a gay Black American male, and I previously lived and taught in South Korea for about two years. I really enjoyed my time in Korea overall, but eventually decided to move to Germany to do my master’s degree in Strategic Digital Marketing.

I’ve now finished my master’s and I’m currently looking for a full-time job in Germany, ideally in digital marketing/communications. However, if I’m not able to find something here, I’m seriously considering going back to Asia and teaching again for a while.

China is one of the places I’ve been considering, especially because there seem to be a lot of teaching opportunities and the salaries can be pretty good. One of my priorities is being somewhere where I can make a decent income, save money, and still have a good quality of life.

At the same time, being openly gay and Black, I’m obviously thinking about what the experience would actually be like socially and culturally.

For anyone who has lived or taught in China, especially people who are Black and/or LGBTQ+, what has your experience been like? Would you recommend China as a place to live and teach?

I’m also wondering if Taiwan might be a better option for someone in my situation. I’ve heard Taiwan is much more LGBTQ-friendly, but I’m curious how the teaching market, salaries, cost of living, ability to save money, social life, and overall experience compare with China.

I’m not necessarily looking for the highest salary possible, but I do want somewhere where I can earn a decent income, live comfortably, and ideally save a reasonable amount each month.

Basically, if my Germany job search doesn’t work out, I’m trying to figure out which Asian country would make the most sense for me.

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone in Berlin has experience with the Ausländerbehörde and can give me some advice about my situation.

I’m a US citizen and have been living in Berlin while completing my Master’s degree. My previous German residence permit expired on March 31, 2026. I completed my degree and subsequently applied for a Job Seeker Visa/residence permit in Germany.

I submitted my application in May, and it has now been approximately 3 months. I still haven’t received an appointment, biometric appointment, or any other update from the Immigration Office.

I contacted my university’s German Visa Support team, and they told me that the Berlin Immigration Office generally allows some grace period if an application is submitted after the previous permit expires, as long as the delay isn't excessive and the required documents have been submitted. They also specifically advised me not to leave Germany while my application is pending and my residence status hasn't been clarified.

At this point, I'm getting pretty anxious because:

• It's been about 3 months with no appointment.
• My previous residence permit has already expired.
• I don't know whether my application is actually being processed or if I need to do something else.
• I'm currently waiting for the Job Seeker Visa so I can legally move forward with finding employment.
• My university has basically told me to wait, but I'm wondering if I should be contacting the Immigration Office myself.

Has anyone been in a similar situation with the Berlin Immigration Office?

Should I contact the Ausländerbehörde directly to ask about the status of my application? If so, what's the best way to do that?

Also, does anyone know whether I should be requesting a Fiktionsbescheinigung or some other document proving that my application is pending, especially given that my previous permit expired?

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with a similar situation. I'm especially interested in what you did after waiting several months without receiving an appointment.

Thanks in advance! 🙏

Hey everyone, I’m kind of freaking out and could really use some advice.

I just discovered today that my residence permit here in Germany actually expired at the end of March. I genuinely thought I still had a few more months left, so this completely caught me off guard.

For context:

• I moved here for my masters in October 2024 and submitted my master’s thesis in January
• Found out I passed my course in March
• Since January, I’ve been applying for jobs (even part-time) with no luck so far
• My plan was to apply for the job seeker visa once everything was finalized

But now I’m realizing I’ve technically been overstaying for over a month without knowing it. I’m American, if that makes any difference.

I’m really worried about what this means for my ability to stay in Germany or apply for the job seeker visa. Has anyone been in a similar situation or knows what steps I should take immediately? Should I contact the Ausländerbehörde right away, or is it better to get legal advice first?

Any help or shared experiences would mean a lot right now.