Welcome to Germany. Information for immigrants Integration course.

Transcription

1 Welcome to Germany Information for immigrants Integration course

2 Contents What is an integration course and what are its goals? 2 Who is entitled to attend an integration course and what requirements must they meet? 3 What must you do to attend an integration course? 4 How long does the integration course last? 6 How is the integration course structured? 6 How much does the integration course cost? 8 What are the benefits of attending an integration course? 8 This brochure is part of the series Welcome to Germany Information for Immigrants. General information can be found in the main section of the brochure.

3 What is an integration course and what are its goals? The integration course consists of a language course and an orientation course. The course targets those immigrants who wish to live in Germany on a permanent basis and do not yet have an adequate command of the German language. The integration course aims to promote the integration of immigrants by facilita- ting their participation in social life and providing them with equal opportunities. An adequate command of the German language is the key to Integration. Adult education programs, private language schools, church and charitable associations are amongst the institutions that conduct the integration courses. Attending an integration course will enable you to acquire an adequate command of the German language. Equipped with this knowledge you will be better able to cope on your own in German with all the important situations you encounter in your daily life and at work. These include shopping, using public transport, dealing with authorities, looking for an apartment, making good use of your leisure time and conversing with friends and neighbors. You will learn how to write letters in German, to make phone calls, and to apply for a job. You will learn new words, and will become more confident when using the German language. Who is entitled to attend an integration course and what requirements must they meet? The integration course is a government-sponsored course for newcomers to Germany. Even if you have already lived in Germany for some time you can still attend the course at your own expense. Courses are not open to children of school age, young people and young adults who are integrated as part of the education they receive. Foreigners who are newcomers to Germany If you do not yet have an adequate command of the German language, live in Germany permanently and have been awarded a residence permit for the purposes of taking up work or for the purposes of family repatriation or for humanitarian reasons you are entitled to attend an integration course. If you are not yet able to express yourself in simple German you may be required to attend a course. In the orientation course you will learn about Germany s legal system, culture and history. You will receive information about your rights as well as your duties as a German resident and will find out about regional features and characteristics. Other topics addressed in the course are life in German society, and the values of its democratic system such as religious freedom, tolerance and equality. On completion of the course you will be in a position to cope with living in Germany. Late repatriates who are newcomers to Germany Late repatriates who are newcomers to Germany as well as late repatriates and their husbands/wives and other family members covered by the assimilation resolution are also entitled to attend an integration course.

4 Foreigners who have lived in Germany for some time and EU citizens Foreigners who have lived in Germany for some time and EU citizens Foreigners who have already lived in Germany for some time can also attend an integration course. However, they are not automatically guaranteed a place and must first apply for one, assuming such places are still available. Foreigners who have lived legally in Germany for some time and are not, or no longer entitled to attend an integration course can make a written application to do so at the appropriate regional office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. Priority is given to foreigners, who wish to attend a course to acquire the level of German necessary for keeping a settlement permit or attaining German nationality, who are entitled by law to attend an integration course, but were prevented from doing so for reasons beyond their control. Alternatively you can contact a course organizer in your area who will assist you with your application. You can obtain application forms from your Aliens Registration Office, course organizer or via the Federal Office Web site. Should you receive a place on an integration course, you will receive a letter confirming your entitlement, instructions on your rights and duties in connection with the course, as well as a list of organizers in your area so you can register. The Aliens Registration Office can oblige those foreigners who have lived in Germany for some time to attend a course, provided free places are available and the persons involved draw state benefits. EU citizens are entitled to attend a course provided sufficient places are available. The same regulations apply to EU citizens. Late repatriates who are newcomers and those who have lived in Germany for some time What must you do to attend an integration course? Foreigners who are new to Germany Foreigners who are new to Germany should apply to the appropriate Aliens Registration Office. The Office will determine whether you are entitled to take part in an integration course. (In some cases, you may even be obliged to attend one). Should you meet the necessary requirements the Office will issue you with a document confirming your eligibility for the course. You will also receive a leaflet informing you of your rights and duties in this connection together with a list of regional organizations offering courses to enable you to choose the one that best suits you. Late repatriates, including those who have lived in Germany for some time but who have not yet been able to attend a language course, should contact the Friedland office of the Federal Office of Administration. Should you need assistance with your application you can contact a course organizer in your area. Once the Federal Office of Administration has determined that you meet the requirements for attending a course it will notify you accordingly. You will also receive instructions on the integration course s goals and its content. The Federal Office of Administration will also supply you with a list giving details of course organizers in the state of which you are a resident. Once you have settled at your final place of residence you can select a suitable organizer in your area from the said list.

5 How long does the integration course last? Various language courses are available: The language course is conceived as fulltime instruction comprising 25 hours of teaching per week and should generally be completed in six months. If you are unable to attend a full-time course, say for workrelated reasons, you can do a part-time course comprising at least five hours a week. Under certain conditions, e.g., taking up employment, it is possible to switch from a full-time to a part-time course. Everyone learns at a different pace and we take this into account by offering courses that proceed at different speeds. What is more, afternoon and evening courses are available. This means you can select and attend the course that best suits your personal needs and takes your family situation into account. How is the integration course structured? The integration course consists of a language course comprising 600 teaching units designed to give participants an adequate command of German and an orientation course comprising 30 teaching hours that deals with Germany s legal system, history and culture. The language course consists of a basic language course and a follow-on language course each made up of three course modules à 100 teaching units. If you already have a basic command of German the organizer of the integration course will give you a placement test. On the basis of your results you will be assigned to the module that best suits your individual knowledge and skills as well as your particular learning pace. Later on you have the option of switching to a course with a different learning pace, skipping or repeating individual course sections. Students are offered a maximum of 600 hours of teaching. Provided you have attended your course regularly, you can ask the course organizer to issue you with a certificate confirming you have completed a specific course section. Integration courses are also envisaged for special target groups, for example if there is a need for particular instruction or a higher level of tutoring. This applies in particular to: young people past the normal school age but below the age of 27, who wish to prepare for advanced schools, college/university or some alternative professional training. persons involved in parenting with time restraints, or women whose culture does not permit them to attend a normal integration course. In such cases, special courses can be set up. foreigners with insufficient reading and writing skills. In such cases, special courses can be organized that include these skills. Having acquired an adequate command of the German language through the language course or otherwise, you can attend an orientation course comprising 30 hours of instruction. On completion of this course you will take a test to check your comprehension of the course material. On completion of the integration course you can take a written and oral examination leading to the qualification Zertifikat Deutsch. If you are taking the exam for the first time, you are not required to pay an examination fee. However, you must pay a fee if you are not, or no longer eligible to take the course but were awarded a vacant place. In principle the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees may also assume the costs in such cases, provided you submit an application to this effect. If you do not pass the language test the first time you can repeat it later at your own expense. The course organizer will issue you with a certificate confirming your successful completion of the integration course. On completion of the basic language course participants take a language test. Subsequently, you can continue with the follow-on language course. It repeats material from the basic course but in greater detail and also includes new topics. Again students take a language test on completing the follow-on course. This allows you to determine your language proficiency before registering for the final examination Zertifikat Deutsch.

6 How much does the integration course cost? As the integration course is state-run, the German government covers a large portion of the costs. You are required to pay a nominal contribution of one euro per hour of instruction. For each course module comprising 100 teaching hours you must pay the course organizer 100 euros in advance. Naturally, you can repeat parts/all of the course at your own expense. Under certain conditions you may be exempt from the requirement to contribute to the cost of the course. This generally applies if you draw unemployment benefit in accordance with Book II of the Social Security Code (unemployment benefit II) or supplementary benefit in accordance with Book XII of the Social Security Code. You can also apply to a regional office of the Federal Office in your state to be exempted from the costs of the course. Late repatriates are exempted from the costs of the course. What are the benefits of attending an integration course? Having successfully completed the course you will find it much easier to cope on your own with day-to-day situations requiring a command of German. You will be able to speak coherently on familiar topics and areas of interest to you, and will be capable of relating experiences. Moreover, you will be able to read and understand a German text, and repeat the content in written or spoken form. The successful completion of the integration course and attainment of the Zertifikat Deutsch will considerably improve your chances of success in everyday life and at work. if you are a foreigner, contact the local Aliens Registration Office, which is generally located in the municipal, local or district authorities or the initial advisory services provided to newcomers to Germany/young migrants if you are a member of the European Union, i.e., an EU citizen, contact the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, if you are a late repatriate, contact the appropriate advisory services for newcomers to Germany located at the initial registration office, the Friedland office of the Federal Office of Administration, or your transitional home. For any other information please contact the Bundesamt für Migration unf Flüchtlinge Bürgerservice Nürnberg Tel.: (09 11) Fax: (09 11) info.buerger@bamf.bund.de Internet: There are regional offices of the Federal Office in all German states. You will find the address of the office closest to you in the Addresses brochure. Addresses are also posted on the Federal Office s home page, or you can contact your local Aliens Registration Office. We wish you every success with the integration course! What is more, successful completion of the integration course is an important prerequisite for being awarded a settlement permit or possible nationalization. Perhaps you wish to find out more about child care facilities? Or need other information?

7 Imprint Published by: Federal Ministry of the Interior Bundesministerium des Innern Alt-Moabit 101 D Berlin Edited by: Federal Office for Migration and Refugees Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge Referat Informations- und Bürgerservice, Informationsmaterial, Monika Seiler Nürnberg Erstinformation@bamf.bund.de Production: MEDIA CONSULTA Germany GmbH Sylvia Müller (creation) Dörte Hansen (editing) Patrick Pabst (production) Printed by: Bonifatius GmbH Druck-Buch-Verlag, Paderborn First edition Status: December 2005 Languages: English/German, Russian/German, Turkish/German, Arabic/German, Polish/German Other brochures in this series: Welcome to Germany Information for Immigrants Welcome to Germany Information for Immigrants; Late Repatriates Welcome to Germany Information for Immigrants; Addresses This brochure is part of the publicity work of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. It is distributed free of charge and is not intended for sale. It may not be used by political parties or those canvassing for votes during an election. This applies to European, parliamentary state and local elections. In particular, its distribution at election rallies, party information stands as well as its insertion into, or inclusion in party political information and promotion material constitutes improper use. Nor should it be passed on to other persons for canvassing purposes. Irrespective of when, how and in what number this brochure was conveyed to the recipient it may not even if this does not occur during a period of campaigning for a forthcoming election be used in such a manner that it could be construed as support by the Federal government for a specific political party.