u/goldenwildfire

Hi everyone, I wanted to ask if anyone here has experienced converting from Chancenkarte to a work visa or EU Blue Card while the Chancenkarte is still valid.

For example, my Chancenkarte is valid from November 2025 until 2026, but I recently applied for a work visa conversion because my job start date is in August 2026.

From what I’ve been reading in other posts, many employers seem hesitant because of the long processing times at the ABH, often around 3–5 months. There’s also the risk that employers may rescind offers if the visa process takes too long.

I know some employers allow people on a Chancenkarte to start part-time (up to 20 hours/week) while waiting for approval, but that doesn’t always seem guaranteed. Since the Chancenkarte is still relatively new, some companies may simply choose another candidate instead.

To avoid this issue, I’m considering returning to my home country and processing the work visa conversion through the embassy there instead. In my experience, embassy processing was much faster for my Chancenkarte application (around 1 month).

My concern is whether an approved work visa or EU Blue Card would invalidate my currently active Chancenkarte. If that happens, I’m worried I could be denied re-entry to Germany before my job starts in August.

So my main question is:

Does a newly approved work visa automatically invalidate an active Chancenkarte, or can both remain valid until their respective start and end dates?

Thanks in advance!