{"id":2278,"date":"2026-09-15T17:58:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T15:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonnenberg-lawfirm.de\/2278\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T23:07:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T21:07:16","slug":"2278","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonnenberg-lawfirm.de\/en\/2278\/","title":{"rendered":"The Immigration Office Isn’t Responding? Here’s What You Can Do!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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No appointment at the immigration office? Here’s how to get a decision. <\/p>\n

Action for Failure to Act Against the Immigration Office\u2014When It’s Worth It.<\/p>\n

Naturalization: No appointment for months? You don’t have to put up with that. <\/p>\n

Applied for a residence permit\u2014and still no response after months?<\/p>\n

You may be familiar with this situation: You can\u2019t get an appointment at the German Embassy to apply for a visa. The Foreigners\u2019 Registration Office hasn\u2019t responded to your application for a settlement permit for months. The Naturalization Office is putting you off until next year for an appointment, when you\u2019ll finally be allowed to submit your application. <\/p>\n

You don’t have to accept that.<\/p>\n

Her first important insight:<\/p>\n

An application is not subject to any specific format and does not have to be submitted in person to be valid. This means you do not have to wait for an appointment, use a specific form, attach numerous documents, or pay a fee to submit a valid application. The only important thing is that your application clearly states what you want.
\nIf the agency offers an online portal or downloadable forms, you should of course use them if doing so doesn\u2019t waste your time. After all, it\u2019s convenient.
\nFor documentation purposes, it\u2019s recommended that you submit your application in writing\u2014via email or the agency\u2019s online platform\u2014rather than verbally. If you receive a confirmation of receipt or something similar, keep it.
\nTHE TIMING OF YOUR APPLICATION, which you can determine yourself, is particularly important for two reasons.
\nFirst: the presumption of legal residence. If you already hold a temporary residence permit and submit your application before the permit expires, your stay remains legal even after the expiration date, even if the Foreigners\u2019 Registration Office has not yet responded. Your stay remains legal until the Immigration Office has made a decision on your application. No provisional certificate is required for this. This is because the certificate serves only as PROOF of authorized stay after the deadline has passed; it is not a PREREQUISITE for it. However, the provisional effect applies only to the extension of an existing residence permit or a national visa that has already been granted.
\nSecond: Action for failure to act\u2014this is a lawsuit filed with the administrative court to compel the authorities to finally decide on your application. If the authorities remain inactive for more than three months, you can file a lawsuit against them. The deadline begins either from the date you submitted your application or, in the course of an ongoing proceeding, from your last action\u2014for example, after you have responded to inquiries from the authorities.
\nI would not recommend filing a lawsuit immediately after the deadline has passed, as a reminder to the authorities often helps. After all, everyone makes mistakes sometimes; messages can get lost, or, in exceptional cases, things may take longer due to vacation or illness.
\nHowever, I want to make it clear to you that you do not have to put up with everything if the first or next step in your proceedings drags on well beyond three months. You do not have to wait many months for an appointment. You do not have to accept it if the agency fails to respond to your reminder emails or keeps requesting the same documents over and over again every few months.
\nIf you file a lawsuit for inaction in court, the agency has the opportunity to \u201cjustify\u201d the delay. A clear example would be a situation like the COVID-19 pandemic, when the public administration is disrupted by external events.
\nOtherwise, however, the requirements are very strict. For example, the vast majority of courts do not accept an excuse based on ongoing work overload. Just recently, the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia summarized the requirements very well in its decision of September 17, 2025 (Case No. 19 E 310\/25).
\nNevertheless, I am in favor of using the action for failure to act sparingly and not immediately after the deadline expires simply as a matter of principle. Before you decide to file an action for failure to act, you should take all the circumstances into account.
\nHow has your case proceeded so far? How do other cases typically proceed? How does the agency communicate\u2014does it even give advance notice of delays? Does the agency create obstacles to filing an application in the first place?
\nOne more thing: I know from experience that many foreigners are reluctant to go to court\u2014for example, out of fear that the authorities will retaliate, or for cultural reasons, such as the belief that it\u2019s better not to cross the authorities. In my experience, these concerns are unfounded. The authorities usually take it in stride. And standing up for yourself can actually earn you respect.
\nPlease note that, despite our best efforts, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information.
\nThis post is also not intended to replace individual advice.
\nIf you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. I look forward to welcoming you back here soon. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"No appointment at the immigration office? Here’s how to get a decision. Action for Failure to Act Against the Immigration Office\u2014When It’s Worth It. Naturalization: No appointment for months? You don’t have to put up with that. Applied for a residence permit\u2014and still no response after months? You may be familiar with this situation: You...","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2277,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-foreigner-law-en","category-law-on-foreigners","post_format-post-format-video"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Immigration Office Isn't Responding? 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