Integration courses
Language is key to successful integration. This is why, with the entry into force of the Immigration Act, a minimum framework of state integration programmes was created with the integration course at its core.
The general integration course comprises a total of 645 lessons. The language course, the first part, consists of 600 lessons. The second part is called the orientation course and consists of the remaining 45 lessons. The orientation course focuses on the following subject areas:
- politics in democracy
- history and responsibility
- people and society.
The aim of the integration course is that immigrants should be able to make themselves understood in everyday life and participate in German society.
Special integration courses (for example youth integration courses or literacy courses) comprise a total of up to 945 lessons.
Attendees
The Residence Act regulates whether an immigrant may attend an integration course or even whether he can be obliged to attend (sec. 44 and 44a of the Residence Act (AufenthG), section 11 subs. 1 of the Act on Freedom of Movement within the EU (FreizügG EU) and sec. 9 subs. 1 of the Federal Act on Expellees (BVFG)). The legislature differentiates here between foreign nationals, citizens of the European Union, ethnic German repatriates and German nationals. As a rule, attendees must contribute to the costs of an integration course by paying one euro per lesson. It is possible to gain exemption from the obligation to contribute towards costs.
Evaluation commission
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is responsible for the formal structure and content of the integration courses. In agreement with the Evaluation Commission, it has also developed concepts for the general language course and the special courses, and specified and established basic structures and course content for these.
Course providers and teachers
The BAMF appoints private and public providers to run the integration course. Currently, approximately 1,450 integration course providers in Germany have been authorised by the BAMF to run integration courses. The teachers who teach on the integration course must have completed a degree in "German as a foreign language" or "German as a second language" or have acquired the qualification through special further training.
Direct and local: BAMF’s regional offices
The regional offices of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees coordinate integration courses locally. There is at least one regional office in every Federal Land. The regional offices are responsible for authorising course providers and attendees (§ 44, para. 4 of the AufenthG). In addition, they monitor the proper implementation of courses and process all the attendees’ applications.
The employees at the BAMF’s headquarters in Nuremberg develop the specialist guidelines, process individual cases, and draw up instructions for processing. In addition, the headquarters is also responsible for authorising teaching staff for the courses.
