u/S_N_I_P_E_R

Hi everyone,

I have a question about the Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) under § 20a AufenthG.

The law says (Absatz 2 Nummer 1):

"eine Beschäftigung von durchschnittlich insgesamt höchstens 20 Stunden je Woche auszuüben"

Translation: "to pursue an employment of on average a total of at most 20 hours per week"

My questions:

Does this mean I can work more than 20 hours in one week and less in another week, as long as the average stays at or below 20 hours/week?

Over what period is this average calculated? I found a source from the DIHK (NETZWERK Unternehmen integrieren Flüchtlinge) that says the average is calculated over the entire Aufenthaltszeitraum (entire period of stay). Can anyone confirm this?

Sources I found:

Official law text: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__20a.html

DIHK guidance: https://www.unternehmen-integrieren-fluechtlinge.de/lebensunterhaltssicherung-bei-aufenthalt-mit-chancenkarte-%c2%a7-20a-aufenthg/

The DIHK page states:

"Die Nebenbeschäftigung darf bis zu durchschnittlich 20 Stunden pro Woche betragen. Der Durchschnitt wird über den gesamten Aufenthaltszeitraum gebildet, sodass auch Wochen mit Mehrarbeit möglich sind."

Has anyone here had practical experience with this? Has your Ausländerbehörde confirmed this interpretation?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm currently on the Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) and looking for a part-time job (max. 20 hours/week, as per the visa restriction). I've applied to quite a few companies — warehouses, retail, customer service, food service — but I keep running into the same wall: most companies only hire students, even ones who are just proficient in English, and they completely deny, reject, or don't accept any other type of visa like the Chancenkarte. Basically, they only want students, full stop.

So I wanted to ask this community directly:

• Has anyone here successfully landed a part-time job (20h/week) while on a Chancenkarte?
• If so, which company/industry was it, and were they already familiar with the visa, or did you have to explain/convince them?
• Which companies are known to hire English speakers (i.e., don't require fluent German)? I don't mind what kind of job it is — warehouse, retail, delivery, food service, admin, anything — as long as it's legal and pays at least minimum wage.
• Any tips on how to explain the Chancenkarte quickly and clearly to employers who've never dealt with it before (maybe a short line to put in a cover letter or say in an interview)?
• Are there certain industries or company sizes (e.g., bigger corporations vs. small local businesses) that tend to be more familiar with this visa type?

Any advice, personal experience, or company names (even DMs if you'd rather not post publicly) would be hugely appreciated. Trying to make the most of this opportunity and Survive!