Services for skilled workers and companies

WORK in AUSTRIA brings international skilled workers and Austrian companies together and supports them with digital services, personalised advice and international networking.

Digital tools for skilled workers and companies
Information on residence, employment and life in Austria
Concrete, transparent personalised advice

Services for comapanies

Services for skilled workers

Digital services. Personalised advice.

Our services

International mobility creates many opportunities – but also organisational, legal and practical questions. WORK in AUSTRIA combines digital services with personal support and creates services for skilled workers and companies that provide guidance, simplify processes and bring people together.

Centre of expertise for the international mobility of skilled professionals
Practical information on residence permits and digital self-service solutions
Promoting Austria as a work destination for skilled professionals in selected target markets
Connecting skilled professionals, employers and relevant institutions

More about our services

Raising Austria's profile internationally

Already in their countries of origin, WORK in AUSTRIA’s market managers inform international skilled workers about career opportunities in Austria. This means the first contact often happens long before the actual journey to Austria begins.
Providing guidance

Practical information on residence, employment and life in Austria. Our tailored digital guides bring together key information and make orientation easier – from a first overview to detailed questions.
Bringing skilled workers and companies together

The Talent Hub connects international skilled workers with Austrian companies. Its integrated search agent helps find suitable jobs and talent faster and make the recruitment process more efficient.
Personal support

Personal support with questions about residence permits, procedures and legal frameworks – from first guidance to a specific individual case.

Austria in the competition for international ialent

Today

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2019

2011

1995

Since 1960

Today

WORK in AUSTRIA is Austria’s centre of expertise for attracting international skilled workers. Digital services, personal advice and international networking support skilled workers and companies in successfully finding each other.

According to forecasts, the number of people of working age will fall by around 256,000 by 2040.
72% of Austrian companies have difficulty finding suitable staff.
In industry, this share is 85%.

International skilled workers strengthen Austria as a location

Demographic change is making international recruitment an integral part of modern HR strategies. International skilled workers not only help close staffing gaps. They bring additional skills, international networks and new perspectives into companies and can thereby promote innovation, knowledge transfer and productivity.

2025

Austria concludes another skilled workers agreement with Brazil. It builds on the cooperation already agreed in 2024 and aims to facilitate the mobility of qualified skilled workers between the two countries.

Facilitating the mobility of qualified skilled workers and specialised employees
Focus on sectors with particular demand for skilled workers
Cooperation on vocational qualification and continuing education

International cooperation becomes strategic

Skilled workers agreements form the basis for long-term cooperation with selected partner countries. Step by step, Austria is expanding its international network for attracting qualified skilled workers.

2024

WORK in AUSTRIA significantly expands its international presence and broadens its digital service offering for international skilled workers and companies.

New focus markets in Brazil, Indonesia and the Philippines
Launch of the Talent Hub
Launch of the Personal Guide

International networks are expanded

Austria concludes another skilled workers agreement with Indonesia. International exchange on labour markets, qualifications and the attraction of skilled workers is further expanded.

2023

Austria concludes its first skilled workers agreement with the Philippines. Agreements of this kind create the framework for closer cooperation between the countries involved and for the targeted attraction of qualified skilled workers.

Austria’s first bilateral skilled workers agreement
Cooperation on vocational training and German language skills
Support for skilled workers and employers in the recruitment and admission process

New partnerships for international talent

To address the growing demand for skilled workers, Austria is strategically expanding cooperation with selected partner countries. Skilled workers agreements create reliable framework conditions for sustainable and fair international recruitment.

2022

With a comprehensive reform of the Red-White-Red Card, Austria further develops its immigration system. Simplified procedures and adapted access requirements make it easier for qualified skilled workers to come to Austria and strengthen the competitiveness of Austria as a business location.

Professional experience is given greater weight in the points system.
Access requirements are eased for qualified skilled workers.
Long-term prospects are created for regular seasonal workers.

Advice receives a legal basis

With the Immigration and Residence Service Centre, the Austrian Business Agency receives a statutory advisory mandate. International skilled workers and companies benefit from a central point of contact for questions on residence and employment.

2021

The Immigration Guide is created as a digital service that supports international skilled workers and companies with immigration, residence, and living and working in Austria. Instead of general information, the guide provides answers tailored to the individual starting situation.

Takes individual requirements into account
Supports immigration, residence, and living and working in Austria
Available digitally and free of charge

International recruitment needs guidance

As international mobility increases, practical information on residence, employment and administrative procedures becomes more important. Answers tailored to the individual starting situation make the path to Austria easier for international skilled workers and companies.

2019

WORK in AUSTRIA is established as a business unit of the Austrian Business Agency. The aim is to support companies in attracting international skilled workers and to position Austria internationally as an attractive place to work.

Free services for companies and international skilled workers
Support with recruitment, immigration and integration
Central point of contact for working and living in Austria

International recruitment becomes more important

The shortage of skilled workers is presenting more and more companies with challenges. As vacancies are becoming increasingly difficult to fill domestically, international recruitment of qualified skilled workers continues to gain importance.

2011

With the introduction of the Red-White-Red Card, Austria creates a modern, criteria-based immigration system for qualified skilled workers from third countries and their families.

Comes into force on 1 July 2011
Granted according to a legally defined points system
Criteria include qualifications, professional experience, language skills and age

Qualifications move centre stage

With the Red-White-Red Card, Austria aligns immigration more closely with qualifications. This fundamentally changes the focus of attracting skilled workers: it is no longer only about immediate labour demand, but about the targeted attraction of qualified skilled workers.

1995

With Austria’s accession to the EU, the framework conditions for mobility, work and life in Europe change fundamentally. The Austrian labour market becomes part of the European Single Market and gains new perspectives as a result.

Austria joins the European Union on 1 January 1995.
The European Single Market also becomes increasingly important for the labour market.
Mobility within Europe becomes easier.
New perspectives for skilled workers and companies.

Talent moves across borders

Open labour markets increase mobility within Europe. International skilled workers and companies benefit from new opportunities to work across borders, attract talent and exchange knowledge.

Since 1960

After the Second World War, Austria changes from a country of emigration into a country of immigration. From the 1960s onwards, growing labour shortages lead Austria to actively recruit workers from abroad.

Recruitment agreement with Spain in 1962
Recruitment agreement with Türkiye in 1964
Recruitment agreement with Yugoslavia in 1966
A new phase of labour-market-related immigration

Labour market in transition

Austria mainly recruits so-called “guest workers” from Türkiye and the former Yugoslavia, who initially only stay in the country temporarily. Unlike today, the focus is not on qualifications – the decisive factor is the labour shortage in the respective economic sector.