To help make the realities of working in Austria clearer this article analyses the necessary requirements to work in the country and the Austrian visas prospective workers will need. It also studies the ease of employment in the country for foreigners and considers the biggest advantages of working in the country.

What are the Advantages of Living and Working in Austria?

There are many reasons that workers from abroad target Austria as a destination. Firstly, Austria is home to Vienna, which has been recognized as the World’s Most Livable City. Additionally, the country itself was ranked as number 12 in the World Happiness Report 2018.

The country also boasts high wages for workers, with a new national minimum wage of around €1,500 per month due to be implemented from 2020 onwards. In addition to this, jobs in Austria give employees a generous five weeks of vacation time a year.

Aside from the high quality of life in the country and its high salaries, Austria is known for its multicultural and vibrant culture and its beautiful natural landscape. The country is a hotspot for culture lovers and winter sports enthusiasts alike making it a great place to enjoy during downtime too.

Austrian Jobseekers Visa

The Jobseekers Visa is a points-based entry permit for workers seeking employment in Austria and who do not already have an existing job offer. This visa is granted depending on the level of the applicant’s qualifications, work experience, spoken German and their age.

Red-White-Red Card

The Red-White-Red Card allows highly trained workers to come to the country to fill essential skills gaps in the workforce. This work and residency permit is granted subject to educational qualifications, language abilities, work experience, sector of employment and the salary levels of the applicant. It is also tied to a specific job offering the applicant employment in Austria.

EU Blue Card

The EU Blue card is assigned to applicants already holding a firm job offer from an Austrian company and a university degree. It is valid for up to 2 years and also improves the ease of working in other EU countries. This work and residency permit is also linked to the specific job with the specific company that offered employment in Austria.

Very Highly Qualified Workers

As a Highly Qualified Worker from a third country, you have two options:

• You can either enter Austria under a Job Seeker Visa to look for work here.
  • If you receive an employment offer during the validity period of the visa, you can apply for a Red-White-Red card at the competent residence authority in Austria.
• You may apply for a Red-White-Red card with the competent Austrian representation in your home country or your country of residence, provided that you have received an employment offer.

Reaching a minimum of 70 points according to the following list of criteria is a prerequisite in both cases:

Please Note:

For the following occupations and completed trainings, a total of 65 achieved points instead of the 70 points otherwise required is sufficient to apply for a job search visa or a Red-White-Red card (Regulation for the Admission of Very Highly Qualified Workers for the Year 2020):

1. Graduates mechanical engineering
2. 2. Graduate in power engineers
3. Graduate engineers for data processing
4. Graduates in weak-current and telecommunications engineering
5. Graduate engineers (special professions)
6. Graduates in business administration
7. Social scientists, economists, scientific statisticians
8. Economic trustee
9. Physicians

Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations

As a third-country citizen, you may apply for a Red-White-Red Card as a Skilled Worker in a Shortage Occupation valid for 24 months, if

• you are able to furnish proof of completed training in a shortage occupation under the regulation
• you have received a binding job offer in Austria and the prospective employer is willing to remunerate you with the minimum pay stipulated by law, regulation or collective agreement (in the event that overpay is customary in the respective company, it must also be granted to you)
• you reach a minimum of 55 points according to the following list of criteria:

What happens when I receive an employment offer?

If you receive an employment offer (work contract) during the validity period of your visa, you may apply for a Red-White-Red Card with the competent residence authority in Austria

For professional assistance, get in touch with Round The Globe Immigration Services. With the help of a professional consultant, the immigration process becomes easy.