The Blue Card doesn't require more paperwork via mail. My wife switched to it from an academic visa (postdoc) directly at the Ausländerbehörde. It does have t

The Blue Card doesn't require more paperwork via mail. My wife switched to it from an academic visa (postdoc) directly at the Ausländerbehörde. It does have two very useful features though: - It allows you to switch jobs without an additional trip to the foreigner's office (Ausländerbehörde), assuming it was granted for long enough in the first place. - It allows you to get permanent residence after 33 months of employment, rather than 60, and forgoes the German language requirement of such. The visa for searching for work is particularly useful for folks that aren't from visa-waiver countries. Most people that aren't from the EU or North America require a visa to visit Germany, and the permit to look for work is a relatively straightforward one to get for those with a relevant degree.