Evening German courses in Dresden

I'm looking for some evening German Language courses. One evening course that has been proposed to me is at Volkshochschule, starts in September, and runs from 17:00 to 19:30, Mon - Thurs, for about 17 weeks per level. Since I work full-time, I'm certain I won't be able to maintain my productivity at work and learn German that intensively for that long.

Does anyone know of any evening German courses I can take that occurs only 2-3 times per week (preferably 2)?

Also, does anyone know what the requirements are for non-EU people in Germany? I have heard that non-EU people have to take an "integration course", which totals 630h. Does this apply to people like me, who are just working in Germany for several years, with no intention of becoming a permanent resident or a citizen? I heard that acquiring a Zertifikat Deutsch is sufficient in order for my work permit/residence permit to be renewed.

If you plan to stay as a landed immigrant after 5 years then you have to complete the integration course or equiv. I'm pretty sure that you would get credit for taking the VHS course. They told me it has the same material as the int. course. Since noone offers the int. course at night, then what other choice have you got? The VHS course is a bit of a pain because it is mon - thur. and is during what I would consider prime feeding hours. The big problem with all these German courses is that they all happen during the day. They are geared towards students, not full time workers like you and I. Since you have 5 years to complete the int. course, then maybe something will change in one of the schools and it will become easier. Seems like there is no hurry.

There are a few evening classes for german. The Goethe Institute has some etc etc...
Maybe you can look at this one http://www.deutschesprachschule.de/A1-C2.htm

I spent about 12 weeks at the deutschesprachschule and in my opinion its a good school.

Groups are usualy max 4 or 5 people which is quite good for the price they charge.

I can recommend Kästner Kolleg. www.sprachmobil.de

They offer many language courses and have groups of two to ten students. I'm sure you can arrange sth that suits you there.

Since I am Canadian, I have to complete this integration course, which VHS only provides at night with that crazy schedule (for a working person). Does anyone know if I do a non-integration course, if that counts towards my integration? I'm really trying to avoid a grueling schedule for the sake of my sanity. I'm usually pretty tired after work, and I don't think I can handle 2.5h of classes after work for 4 days per week, for 16 weeks. Yikes! That just something I really wanna avoid.

http://www.dresden.de/media/pdf/einwohner/...ndpflichten.pdf under 6.2 says (translated):

A foreigner is obliged to take part in an integration course if he/she has a right to take part and cannot make him/herself understood simply in spoken German or if the immigration authorities order him/her to take part in an integration course depending on whether there are available places on courses within a reasonable distance.

Foreigners are excepted from the duty to take part if:

1. they are on a professional or other education course in Germany,
2. they can prove that they have taken part in comparable educational courses in Germany or
3. their long-term participation is impossible or unreasonable.

If a foreigner does not fulfil his or her duty to take part for reasons which are attributable to him or her, this shall be a violation of his or her duties. The immigration authorities shall take this into account when deciding whether to extend the residence permit or grant permission to settle permanently in Germany. ...

I never took the intergrations course. When i applied for my "green card" I did it in german. I asked if i needed to take a langauge test or a intergrations cource and she told me that for a "green card " my german is good enough. I think it is not to hard atleast for americans at the dresden auslander behorde. Still i did take a 2 week intensive cource at the kastner kolledge and if you can get to a ok level they have a once a week gramtic and conversation course at the VHS. but you should be around b1 or higher. Atleast on the speaking level.

as far as I know B1 is the standard aimed for by the integration course. If you get the Goethe Institut B1 exam or higher, the alien authorities will probably accept it. Your volkshoaxskule should let you sit the exam even if you dont do the course. Bo to the goethe institute website for sample papers.

Thanks for all your input. It has been very helpful for me!