FAQs "I have found a job in Austria. What’s next?"

If you meet all the criteria for the Red-White-Red - Card for Graduates, it is theoretically possible to get this Red-White-Red - Card. Please note, however, that you must have completed not only one semester, but your entire studies at an Austrian university or university of Applied Sciences in order to be eligible for this Red-White-Red - Card. So, in most cases you would have a Residence Permit - Student and then "switch" to the Red-White-Red - Card for Graduates. Cases with visa are rather rare but you are welcome to contact us, if you or your employer have questions about this issue.

If you have a Red-White-Red - Card or the EU Blue Card and have not yet worked 21 full months on the basis of this permit, you cannot work for another employer without further ado. Instead, you must go through what is known as a change of purpose process ("Zweckänderungsverfahren").  You must submit your change of purpose application ("Zweckänderungsantrag") to the correct branch of the immigration authorities and your application will be reviewed again by various Austrian authorities. However, since the authorities already know you, this procedure is usually faster than an initial application procedure. You cannot start working for your new employer in Austria until you physically pick up your new permit.  

If you are terminated by your current employer, we generally recommend that you inform the Immigration Authority about the termination of your employment and your efforts to find a new job. If you have an EU Blue Card, you generally have up to 6 months to find a new job, provided your EU Blue Card is still valid for that long. If you have a Red-White-Red - Card, the Immigration Authority generally grants you about 3 months to find a new job, before it starts a withdrawal procedure. Should the Immigration Authority ask you to hand in your residence permit, you are of course obliged to do so.

Assuming that you no longer have a Residence Permit - Student but a Red-White-Red - Card, an EU Blue Card, a Red-White-Red - Card Plus or another type of residence permit, half of the years you spent in Austria with the Residence Permit - Student will be counted towards the Long-term Resident EU permit ("Daueraufenthalt EU").

Example: If you studied for four years and held the Residence Permit - Student during these four years, these years will count as two years for the Long-term Resident EU permit. For the Long-term Resident EU permit, you need at least five years of uninterrupted settlement in Austria as wells as fulfill Module 2 of the Integration Agreement.

The EU Blue Card is aimed at third-country citizens with a binding job offer in a company in Austria. They must be paid a certain minimum salary and have a university degree in a field relevant to the position to be filled. The EU Blue Card is not linked to a points system like most Red-White-Red - Cards. 

Only in very specific cases, a university degree is not required for the EU Blue Card. 

If you have recently graduated from an Austrian university, the Red-White-Red - Card for Graduates is probably the more attractive option compared to the EU Blue Card:

Firstly, because the Red-White-Red Card for Graduates does not require a minimum salary and secondly, because the AMS may conduct a labor market test ("Ersatzkraftverfahren") in the context of an application for an EU Blue Card.

The Red-White-Red - Card Plus is relevant for various target groups. It grants free access to the Austrian labor market. Thus, one can work both employed and self-employed not bound to an employer.

Yes, as a doctoral student you have various options, such as the Settlement Permit - Researcher, the Settlement Permit - Special Cases of Gainful Employment, the Residence Permit - Student or a Red-White-Red Card. Which of these permits is suitable for you depends on your specific situation and qualifications. If you would like to know which of these options is best suited for you, please contact us.

Yes, this is generally possible. The steps you need to take depend on your specific situation: 

1. you are a Residence Permit - Student holder: 

a. If you currently hold a Residence Permit - Student and plan to work full-time for a company in Austria (NOT a research institution), you have the following options:  

You can convert your Residence Permit - Student into a Red-White-Red -  Card or EU Blue Card. This is probably the best option if you have a long-term job offer from the respective company. Please note that you are only eligible for a Red-White-Red - Card for Graduates if you have recently graduated (in the last 12 months) from an Austrian university. Otherwise, you may be eligible for another Red-White-Red - Card or the EU Blue Card. Contact us and we will help you to find the best option. 

Your respective employer could alternatively apply for an employment permit (“Beschäftigungsbewilligung”) for you while you still have a valid Residence Permit - Student; however, if you work more than 20 hours per week, the AMS may conduct a labor market test ("Ersatzkraftverfahren").  

b. If you currently have a Residence Permit - Student and plan to work part-time in addition to your doctoral studies:  

Your future employer could apply for an employment permit for you. If you work up to 20 hours per week, the AMS may not conduct a labor market test (“Ersatzkraftverfahren”). 

Please note: If you do not convert your Residence Permit - Student into a Red-White-Red - Card or a EU Blue Card, you must make sure that you continue to meet the requirements for the extension of your Residence Permit - Student despite employment. 

2. if you currently hold a "Settlement Permit Special Cases of Self-Employment" or a "Settlement Permit - Researcher" and plan to work for a company in Austria (not for a research institution!) on a full-time/part-time basis and complete your PhD at the same time, please contact us as both of these permits were originally granted due to your scientific/research activity and we can find the best solution for you. 

During a labor market test (in German:"Ersatzkraftverfahren"/"Arbeitsmarktprüfung") the AMS checks whether it can provide the company with equally qualified workers who are registered as job seekers with the AMS.

Examples: The AMS may conduct a labor market test when an Austrian company applies for a work permit to employ a person with a Residence Permit - Student for more than 20 hours/week. When applying for the Red-White-Red - Card for Graduates, the AMS is not allowed to carry out such a labour market test.