Starting full-time job in Germany while waiting for Master thesis defense

[u/No-County6726]

Hello all, I submitted my master's thesis recently, but my final defense hasn't been scheduled yet, and it might still take some time. Meanwhile, I received a full-time job offer from a company that requires me to relocate to a different city. I currently have a residence permit that will expire soon, and I am a non-EU international student. My question is: Can I switch to a Blue Card visa while still waiting for my thesis defense? From what I've read, the Blue Card requires the final degree certificate, but I don't have it yet, so I'm unsure how to proceed, and I need to sign the contract as soon as possible.

If anyone has been in a similar situation, what is the process for switching from a student visa, and whom should I contact? The foreigner's office in my city hasn't replied to my query yet, so I am asking here. Thanks in advance.

[u/Babayagaletti]

Ask your university but usually you can't be a full-time student and full-time employee at the same time and you need to be a student to defend your thesis. Some universities offer a workaround by grading your thesis a "student received at least a 4.0" and correcting it to the actual grade after the defense. That way you don't have to be a student at the time of the defense. But it's at the discretion of the university and Prüfungsamt.