If you have one of the following residence permits, you may work in Austria without further approval under the Employment of Foreign Nationals Act:
- Permanent residence – EU
- Red-White-Red Card plus
- Residence permit plus
- Residence permit Family member
- Proof of establishment
Most migrants are allowed to work in Austria on the basis of their residence permit. The employment permit is therefore only relevant for a few groups of people.
An employment permit is required to take up work if you have not yet worked in Austria, are a student, want to do seasonal work in agriculture or tourism in Austria or if you do not meet the requirements for the issuance of a residence permit.
The employment permit is limited to a specific job and a specific activity, and is issued for a limited period of no more than one year from the date of issue. The employer must apply for it at the responsible regional office of the Public Employment Service.
If the application is rejected, only your employer can file a complaint. If the permit is granted, your employer may employ you. If the application for an extension of the employment permit is submitted before its expiry, it shall automatically be deemed to have been extended until a final decision on this application has been made.
TIP: The rules are often very complicated. The best thing to do is to seek advice from the Counselling Centre for Migrants.
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