German citizenship, unemployment benefits in Germany and a job in UK

You will lose your residence permit the moment you leave Germany with permanent intentions (meaning a plan to stay away for more than 6 months) - and with that, your chance of becoming German citizen is also gone.
Your options are:
- Delay the UK job until you are German.
- Work remotely from Germany for the UK employer (you'd be classified here as freelancer, which involves some administrative difficulties)
- Forgo the chance to become German - it won't help you in the UK anyway!

The process to naturalize as a citizen takes about year. They don't even begin to process an application until all documents are requirements are fulfilled. There are often waiting lists to do the citizenship test and/or German test. And one has to get on the list just as the next date is scheduled. Can take months or forever if one doesn't get there on the first day to sign up.

And these are far from the only requirements in addition to having had long enough residency. One has to have a stable financial situation to pay their own way. If you are on unemployment or any kind of social assistance then you CANNOT get citizenship. I've been through the process so I know this first hand. Plus as a non-EU citizen of India you would have to renounce your Indian citizenship to get German if you ever get approved.

Plus as Beppi mentioned, the UK is no longer in the EU so German citizenship doesn't help much; doesn't give one a right to work there. Also correct that going to the UK for anything other than limited tourism would be an abandonment of one's residency allowance in Germany.

Thank you Tom for your reply. I am already signed up for the B1 and neutralization test for the next month. The results should come in 4-6 weeks, so potentially by the end of January latest. As long as you do not get help from the state (Arbeitslosengeld II), you are eligible to get citizenship. But I also realized that each state has slightly different rules. In Saxony Anhalt, they ask for full-time permanent employment, in Bayern, it is not the case. So there is variability there.

1rk2 wrote:

Thank you Tom for your reply. I am already signed up for the B1 and neutralization test for the next month. The results should come in 4-6 weeks, so potentially by the end of January latest. As long as you do not get help from the state (Arbeitslosengeld II), you are eligible to get citizenship. But I also realized that each state has slightly different rules. In Saxony Anhalt, they ask for full-time permanent employment, in Bayern, it is not the case. So there is variability there.

The processing of an application won't even start until the results are given in on the citizenship and German tests. Usually an additional 6 months at the very least; more likely up to 12 months.

And even if one does not have automatic disqualification by having certain types of assistance, that doesn't mean one qualifies. They want to see information about one's accommodation and the cost, assets, income etc. Without showing a reliable income one is rejected. Unemployed? No chance! One would definitely have to get a job before applying.

And history of unemployment, while not conclusive, undermines the image that one will not need assistance in the future. The exception would be to show that it was an extraordinary event and one is actually highly skilled in a very demanded field. And just because one can check off the boxes of requirements does not mean one is automatically accepted. They weigh all of the factors. Even citizens of most rich western countries only have about a 50 - 70% acceptance rate; non-western countries tend to be much lower.

This link gives a good overview and to quote just one sentence; "ability to support oneself without recourse to social assistance".
https://www.bmi.bund.de/EN/topics/migra … -node.html

I agree, my husbands naturalization was put on hold until he had completed the probationary period in his new job.

When he finally had the assurance of naturalization, he had to renounce his birth citizenship and that took the longest of all!

Note: In the process, a decision is made whether you will be granted naturalization or not (assurance), then you renounce and only after your home country has completed that process will you get your naturalization certificate with which you can apply for a German ID card and passport.

My husband's naturalization took around 18 months total from the first advisory appointment to getting the certificate.

1rk2, just a hint: naturalization and neutralization are not the same.
You don't want to be neutered, right?

Thanks a lot, Beppi. You are absolutely right. I do not want Neutralization just Naturalization would be enough :-).

Here is some development in my situation and I would love to know your/anybody's thoughts on my following situation:

For my application for Einbürgerung, I made the initial consultation with the appropriate department in Munich Landehauptstadt and after the initial telephone consultation, a lady assigned for my case has sent me the application form with the list of additional documents that I should have ready for my application and my case number. I already passed the telc B1-German test and "Living in Germany test" last December.
To summarize, I have all the necessary documents the lady from the Staatsangehoerigkeit, Einbürgerung, asked for. The only problem is that I have only one month left in Germany before I shift to the UK for my new job

I have the following questions:
1. What happens to an Einbürgerung application when the person moves out of the country after the application?
2. Will such application can bear some fruits, in terms of whether such applications can lead to acceptance leading to getting Einbürgerung?
3. If yes, will I be able to travel to Germany to collect my Einbürgerung certificate and apply for a German ID. Because I will be in the UK by the time the decision will come?
4. How likely it is that the application will stop or be canceled when they will realize that I do not permanently live in Germany anymore?
5. Will applying for  Einbürgerung can keep my door in the foot, which can later help me to either keep my permanent residentship active/valid if, after 2-3 years, I plan to come back to Germany?
6. Will taking help from a lawyer can boost my chances of getting either  Einbürgerung or keeping my residency permit valid?
7. Can hiring a lawyer/ law agency for this purpose make the process faster for me?
8. Can a law agency be my representative while I move to the UK and can proceed on behalf leading to  Einbürgerung?
9. As my Wife is EU-national (non-German), can this somehow help my case?
10. Should I de-register myself at Bürgerbüro (Abmeldung) before I move to the UK?
13. As de-registering would mean that I have no more residence in Germany that I am registered and hence should I only do it on the last day or after my application for the  Einbürgerung?

I appreciate any help from the active community here.
Thanks a lot.

Wow, so man questions! I hope you do not expect anyone here to have all the answers. I'll try to the best of my knowledge (but of course without guarantee):
1. - 4. Ask the lady who is processing your case - she will know better than us!
5. Once you are citizen, you do not need a permanent residence. So the question is obsolete.
6. - 8. I am personally critical of engaging lawyers: They cost a lot and often help little.But in cases where a detailed knowledge of tricky legal topics is needed, it may be justified to ask one - but in your case not just any lawyer, but one with experience in naturalisation matters!
9. No. (She can only help you get a residence permit, not citizenship.)
10. & 13. You are legally required to de-register (within a week before or after) when you move away.

@1rk2

Hi there,

Hope you found a solution to this thread! I just want to check a one point with you as I am facing a related situation. This is regarding - I recently lost my job and currently getting unemployment money from Arbeits fur Agentur - It looks like as long as you do not get benefit II support you can be eligible for citizenship, if you have niederlassungserlaubnis.

Is my understanding right? Would be great if you can share your views.

Thanks,

P

@1rk2
Hi there,
Hope you found a solution to this thread! I just want to check a one point with you as I am facing a related situation. This is regarding - I recently lost my job and currently getting unemployment money from Arbeits fur Agentur - It looks like as long as you do not get benefit II support you can be eligible for citizenship, if you have niederlassungserlaubnis.
Is my understanding right? Would be great if you can share your views.

Thanks,
P
-@SN!1P

There are many requirements for naturalization, it's not just a matter of having lived here long enough. And one of them is to be financially able to support themself. One cannot naturalize if getting unemployment or social assistance like Harz-4. Even if one gets off of such assistance, it shows a bad track record of sorts, even if say one lost a job totally beyond their control like their employer going bankrupt. They look at one's overall financial sitaution. Does one own their apartment or house outright, do they have debts or do they have adequate assets. Are their job skills in high demand that they are likley to get a new job if they lose one. This is particully difficult in Germany when one is over 50 years old even if they have decades of exprience. Employers tend to look for younger workers in most fields. Bottom line is that they don't want to give citizenship to anyone who they think is likley to live off of the state in the future.