Guide to applying for the Red-White-Red Card
General information
What is the red-white-red card?
The Red-White-Red Card gives key workers limited access to the Austrian labor market. It is issued for a limited period of 2 years.
Requirements for applying for the Red-White-Red Card:
- the Public Employment Service (AMS) cannot provide the company with equally qualified employees who are registered as jobseekers with the AMS (labor market check)
- Gross monthly salary of at least € 2,685 (as of 2020) plus special payments if you have not yet reached the age of 30
- at least € 3,222 (as at 2020) if you have already reached the age of 30
To be able to submit an application at all, at least 55 out of 90 points must be achieved in the points calculator. The following criteria are weighted and evaluated here:
- Education
- Professional experience
- German language skills
- Knowledge of English
- Age
https://www.migration.gv.at/de/service-und-links/punkterechner/
The application
Where can I apply for the Red-White-Red Card?
The Red-White-Red Card must be applied for at the respective Austrian representative authority abroad (embassy or certain consulates). With appropriate authorization, the application can also be submitted by the employer in Austria. In this case, the competent authority depends on the applicant's future place of residence.
In statutory cities such as Vienna, the magistrate is responsible. Otherwise, responsibility falls to the respective district authority.
- Competent authority (Vienna): Immigration Office MA 35
- Initial applications (Vienna): Department of Immigration Unit 1.3 - Initial Application Center
- Renewal applications (Vienna): Immigration Department - branch offices in the districts
What do I need for the application?
Foreign-language documents must be translated. The translations must be notarized. The original must also be submitted.
The following documents are required as originals and copies for the application:
- Application for a residence permit in German https://www.bmi.gv.at/302/Formulare/20171001/11Rot-Weiss-Rot-Karte-Formular.pdf
- Valid travel document
- Current biometric passport photo, but not older than six months
- Birth certificate
- If available: Marriage certificate, divorce certificate
- In principle: Proof of health insurance that covers all risks and is liable to pay benefits in Austria (presentation of the insurance policy) - in normal Austrian employment, however, this is covered by registration for social insurance
- Proof of legal entitlement to local accommodation (tenancy agreement, right of residence agreement) - the contract must be for at least 2 years!
- Proof of the amount of rent (usually included in the rental agreement) - a rent amount must be specified for right of residence agreements
- Pay slip, wage confirmation or employment contract
- Current information from the records of a creditor protection association - possibly depending on the country of origin
- Employer's declaration in accordance with the Aliens Employment Act
- Extract from the criminal record (from the country of origin)
- Papillary line impressions (fingerprint)
Depending on qualifications:
- Proof of completed vocational training with certificate
- Proof of special knowledge and skills (certificate of employment and confirmation of employment)
- If available - Proof of general university entrance qualification from an officially recognized university
- Proof of a degree with a minimum duration of three years
- Proof of professional experience commensurate with training
- Confirmation (internationally recognized language diploma or course certificate) of knowledge of German (min. A1) and English (min. A2), but the certificates must not be older than six months
How does the application process for the Red-White-Red Card work?
In the following, we describe our personal experiences in the application process. All of our applications were submitted to Vienna City Council.
- The application must be submitted in person on site.
- A number must be drawn at the immigration office for the first application check. After an initial check, another number is allocated for the relevant application office (dependent key workers). There, the application is gone through step-by-step, after which the application fee must be paid at the cash desk one floor higher (cash and ATM).
- During this time, the confirmation of submission will be prepared by the person responsible. After payment, the payment confirmation must be collected in exchange for the submission confirmation (from the responsible case handler) - you no longer need to take a number here.
- Eventuell fehlende Dokumente müssen persönlich oder per Mail nachgereicht werden. Die noch benötigten Dokumente sind auf der Einreichbestätigung ausgewiesen.
Die Einreichung bei der MA 35 wird anschließend automatisch an das AMS weitergeleitet. Dieses meldet sich in den nächsten Wochen beim Dienstgeber, um eventuell gleich qualifizierte österreichische Arbeitskräfte zu vermitteln. Wird festgestellt, dass es keine gleich qualifizierte österreichische Arbeitskraft gibt, wird der Antrag wieder zurück zur MA 35 zur Endprüfung geschickt.
Innerhalb von 8 Wochen wird über die Erteilung einer Rot-Weiß-Rot Karte entschieden. Wurden alle Unterlagen geprüft und genehmigt, so wird dem Antragsteller ein positiver Aufenthaltstitel gewährt.
Was für Kosten kommen auf mich zu?
Grundsätzlich fällt eine Pauschalgebühr von ca. €160,00 an. Wobei zusätzliche Kosten durch die Übersetzung und Beglaubigung von fremdsprachigen Dokumenten entstehen.
Nach der Genehmigung
Was ist zu tun, wenn der Antrag genehmigt wurde?
Spätestens nach Einreise des Antragstellers muss bei der MA 35 ein Fingerprint abgenommen werden. Hier ist wieder eine Nummer zu ziehen, sowie eine Gebühr zu entrichten. Nach 7 bis 8 Werktagen muss die Karte mit dem gültigen Aufenthaltstitel wieder persönlich abgeholt werden. Ohne dieser und der Anmeldung zur Sozialversicherung darf kein Arbeitsbeginn stattfinden.
Der Arbeitgeber muss nach dem ersten vollen Arbeitsmonat einen Auszug aus dem Lohnkonto sowie einen Nachweis der Anmeldung zur Sozialversicherung an das AMS senden.
Verlängerung des Aufenthaltstitels
Soll der Aufenthaltstitel verlängert werden, so muss frühestens 3 Monate vor Ablauf aber spätestens an dem Tag an welchem der Aufenthaltstitel abläuft, ein Verlängerungsantrag gestellt werden.
Wird der Verlängerungsantrag jedoch zu spät gestellt, so gilt der Antrag als Erstantrag und der Antragsteller muss mit großer Wahrscheinlichkeit aus Österreich ausreisen.
