NRW Integration Compass
Collection of Useful Ressources for People new to NRW
About us
The NRW Integration Compass is an initiative by the Global Shapers Community (GSC) Düsseldorf Hub. The initiative is part of the Hub’s Uplift Program that supports people new to Germany and the NRW region.
The Düsseldorf Hub is part of the Global Shapers Community - a worldwide network of young volunteers that address societal and ecological challenges. The Düsseldorf Hub consists of volunteers in the Düsseldorf region.
Our work
The NRW Integration Compass is a pilot project by the GSC Düsseldorf Hub. It consists of two pillars:
- This website aims to offer a collection of information and services provided in the NRW region.* This includes information and helpful services in Legal Guidance, Housing and Accommodation, Health and Well-Being, Education and Employment, and Cultural and Social Integration. Currently, we only provide links to services in the Dusseldorf Area. We plan to expand the collection to other NRW cities soon.
- In addition, we also want to help connect people to help each other with everyday life tasks. Therefore, we also set up a Buddy Program that connects people new to the NRW region with local volunteers who act as companions in their integration journey. You can easily register and take part in the program if you are new to NRW and in need of a helping hand (as a “Shapee”) via the link provided below.
*Please note that the Global Shapers Hub is not responsible for the linked websites and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the content of the linked resources. The following collection is for information purposes only.
Legal guidance
Visa and residence permit
- Obtaining the appropriate visa and residence permit is often the first step for immigrants.
- Research the specific visa or permit that corresponds to your situation (e.g., work visa, family reunion visa). Gather all required documents, such as proof of financial stability, health insurance, and a clean criminal record.
Language requirements
- For certain visa types, such as work visas or permanent residence, you may need to meet specific language proficiency requirements, usually in German.
- Enroll in language courses to improve your German language skills. Language certificates, such as the Goethe-Institut's certificates, may be required.
Recognition of qualifications
- If you have professional qualifications, ensuring their recognition in Germany can be a challenge.
- Contact the appropriate German authority or chamber responsible for recognizing your qualifications. They will evaluate your credentials and inform you of any additional requirements or exams.
Family reunion
- If you plan to reunite with family members who are already in Germany, there may be specific requirements and obstacles related to family reunion visas.
- Contact the German embassy or consulate for family reunion visa requirements and gather necessary documentation, including proof of family ties.
Housing & Accommodation
Zusammenleben Willkommen
- Zusammenleben- willkommen brings together people who provide housing and refugees in order to initiate a private life together. They are the point of contact for questions about living together in shared flats and help prepare for the assumption of costs by authorities. In addition, they offer advice for refugees on how to find a shared flat – one of the few that is aimed at refugees throughout Germany and on social media.
Chancen.nrw
- Chancen.nrw offers opportunities for children, youth, family, LGBTIQ* in their pursuit of integration covering different aspects of social integration including the reception and accommodation of refugees in North Rhine-Westphalia.
District Government of Düsseldorf
- The district government works closely with care associations for the care and accommodation of those seeking protection. Currently, the Düsseldorf district government operates two initial reception facilities (EAE) and eight central accommodation facilities (ZUE).The state's accommodation facilities include the initial reception .
Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)
- Accommodation in one of the initial reception centres of the German federal states. Your contact for accommodation-related matters is the local foreigners’ registration office.
Healthcare and well-being
PSZ Düsseldorf
- The Psychosoziales Zentrum für Flüchtlinge Düsseldorf e. V. (Psychosocial Center for Refugees Düsseldorf e. V.) offers counseling and psychotherapy services.
- Services include psychotherapy and counseling, social work, medical assessments, crisis intervention and expert assessments in different languages and with the help of language and cultural mediators.
STAY! Medizinische Hilfe - MediNetz Düsseldorf
- MediNetz Düsseldorf provides medical assistance for individuals without valid residence papers, addressing the healthcare needs of refugees and migrants facing challenges in accessing medical services due to their legal status.
- The organization offers two weekly open consultation hours, which do not require prior appointments and facilitates referrals to specialized physicians who have committed to providing anonymous treatment to refugees and migrants.
Foreigners’ Registration Office
General Health Care Information by the Federal Ministry of Health
- The website “Migration und Gesundheit” by the Federal Ministry of Health provides information on various topics of healthcare in more than 40 languages.
Health Care Guide for Refugees and Asylum Seekers by the Federal Ministry of Health
- The Federal Ministry of Health provides a comprehensive guide to the German health care system for refugees and asylum seekers.
- (Click the button beneath to access the website and scroll down to the document: “Health guide for asylum seekers in Germany”)
Foreigners’ Registration Office
Explanation of the Düsseldorf healthcare system by the City of Düsseldorf
- The City of Düsseldorf offers a free pdf-explanation (English) of the health care system in Düsseldorf
- It can be accessed on the city’s web page.
Information on the German healthcare system
- The guide to the German health care system by the Federal Ministry of Health summarizes important information on the topics health insurance, medical care, emergency services, prevention and care insurance. It can be downloaded in various languages.
Foreigners’ Registration Office
- The German Red Cross (GRC) offers short films on various important healthcare topics and health issues in Germany.
Education & Employment
Heinrich-Heine-University
- The Heinrich-Heine-University offers preparatory German courses for refugees, support in choosing a field of study, scholarships and support with the application process among other things.
- For refugees with a higher education entrance qualification, the HHU offers preparatory German courses, support in choosing a subject, with applications, scholarships and much more.
Heinrich-Heine- University
Volkshochschule Düsseldorf
- Key focus area: Language courses and integration. VHS Düsseldorf offers German integration and professional language courses, Naturalisation test and “life in Germany test”, German sign language and many other language courses for refugees.
Institut für Internationale Kommunikation e.V. (IIK)
Language requirements
For certain visa types, such as work visas or permanent residence, you may need to meet specific language proficiency requirements, usually in German. Enroll in language courses to improve your German language skills. Language certificates, such as the Goethe-Institut's certificates, may be required.
Institut für internationale
Kommunikation e.V. (IIK)
First steps in Germany - Erste Schritte in Deutschland
- Offers all types of consultation and service based on appointments. This consultation includes advice on asylum law, advice on residence rights, form filling aid, advice on CV/ application, career and training advice and many other kinds of supports for refugees.
Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency)
The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) and local job centers provides job-seeking assistance and information about employment opportunities.
At the Integration Point, the job center, the employment agency and the state capital Düsseldorf work together across departments. Refugees are advised there and their professional qualifications are determined so that they can be better integrated into the labor market
The Integration Point (Job Center) - Central contact point for job-seeking refugees
Federal office for immigration and refugees
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees ( BAMF ) offers you a secure job and family-friendly working conditions.
AWO Düsseldorf
Offers attractive social benefits for career prospects:
• Secure employment relationship in a growing social enterprise
• Remuneration according to the collective agreement (TV AWO NRW) including annual special payment
• Good work-life balance: 39 hours/week (full-time) and 31 days of vacation
• finance your company pension plan 100 percent
• Cheaper on the go: discounts on the Rheinbahn ticket or a subsidy for the Germany ticket
• Values lived: tolerance, fairness, justice and religious freedom
• Functioning works council committees and representation for the severely disabled
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Cultural and social integration
KRASS
- KRASS organises weekly mobile creative studios for artists, art therapists and volunteers. By painting pictures, the young refugees learn to process traumas and to confront what they have experienced.
Welcome App Germany
- The Welcome App Germany offers help in an emergency, facts about different cities, and advice on the asylum procedure. It can be downloaded free of charge in German, English and Arabic
Über den Tellerrand
- Über den Tellerrand plans cooking events and courses where Refugees and course participants prepare dishes together. Cooks show how a set meal is prepared in their home country, and also offers an opportunity to get to know other cultures.
Start with a Friend
- The Start with a Friend initiative brings together citizens and refugees. The tandem partners explore the city together, talk or learn German and help in dealing with the authorities.
NRW Integration Compass
Sign up for a Buddy here
nrwintegrationcompass@gmail.com
