I applied to extend my residence permit but have not heard from the LEA for months. What can I do?

As long as your online application went in before your permit ran out, you are allowed to stay here while the LEA decides. Keep the confirmation safe.

Response times at the LEA (Berlin's immigration office) vary a lot: you may hear back within a few weeks, or it can take 3-5 months. For a Blue Card extension, the appointment can take 5 months to come. It usually depends on the officer and the type of application.

If you need to travel, use the emergency contact form (Kontaktformular) on the LEA website. Write that you need to travel and attach your flight ticket. This has brought an appointment a week before the flight, and the trip to Turkey and back with a Fiktionsbescheinigung (temporary certificate) went without problems. The actual extension appointment came later.

If they ask for missing documents, send them quickly. If you hear nothing for a long time, you can fill in the form again. Going through a lawyer is another option, but there can be waiting even then.