Due to amendments of the relevant legal framework, legislators have taken into account the fact that qualifications cannot be completed as planned due to the Corona pandemic. 
As only a small proportion of staff are at the end of the qualification phase, we would like to point out that extensions due to the Corona pandemic are also possible within the originally permitted fixed-term period. 

In principle, there is a possible qualification period of six years pre-qualification and six years post-doctorate for academic staff under the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz. 

With the amendment of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz at the beginning of the Corona pandemic, the federal legislature created the legal framework for six months to be added to the legally permissible maximum fixed-term period of employment for the qualification period pursuant to Section 2 (1) WissZeitVG (Section 7 (3) WissZeitVG). At the same time, an authorization for a legal ordinance was created to allow a further six months to be added to the maximum fixed-term period. This legal ordinance has also come into force  (WissZeitVG-Befristungsdauer-Verlängerungsverordnung (WssBVV)).

On the basis of these provisions, it is possible for persons who are at the end of a qualification period under the WissZeitVG to have:

• employment relationships that were originally limited in time between 01.03.2020 and 30.09.2020 according to § 2 para. 1 Wissenschaftzeitvertragsgesetz extended by an additional six months, 
• and additionally, those whose employment contract was or will be created in the period between 01.10.2020 and 31.03.2021 to receive a six-month extension to the original permissible fixed-term period.

Due to amendments of the Higher Education Act, state legislature has regulated that non-permanent civil service relationships that primarily serve the purpose of qualification can be extended by six months upon application if the non-permanent civil service relationship existed between 01.03.2020 and 30.09.2020 (Section 39 (5a) HG NRW and Section 44 (8a) HG). At the same time, an authorization for a legal ordinance was created, which enables a further extension. This came into force on 05.11.2020 and provides for a further extension of six months to the total term of office to be permitted. Here, the term of office must be extended by other extension possibilities first.