Austria is one of the European Union countries that has been reporting shortages in different industries, with the hairdresser occupation being the most recent to join the list.
As the authorities have revealed, the country is in immediate need of hairdressers as several parts of the country are dealing with shortages and are being unable to fill in hairdressing positions.
Data show that currently, hairdressers are highly needed in Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg.
As the need for hairdressers continues to increase, it means that citizens of non-EU countries who are skilled workers in the field will be able to access the labour market of Austria more easily.
Skilled foreign hairdressers who wish to apply and move to Austria for work purposes must note that they can only get a job in one of the parts of the country that is affected by the shortage.
Apart from the above-mentioned industry, tens of others are also facing a shortage of skilled workers. In general, occupations for which a maximum of 1.5 jobseekers are registered per vacancy are considered to be in shortage.
Skilled workers from non-EU countries are permitted to enter Austria for work purposes under the Red-White-Red Card, and when applying for one of the positions on the shortage list, all applicants must be able to provide proof of completed training on the position.
Moreover, when applying for the card, citizens of third countries must also provide proof of having received a job offer in Austria and proof that the employer is willing to remunerate with them the minimum pay stipulated by law.
Lastly, third-country nationals applying for the card must prove that they reach a minimum of 55 points from the list of criteria. The list of eligibility criteria for skilled workers includes qualifications, work experience and language skills, among others.
The application for the Red-White-Red Card can be filed from the country of residence of the applicant, or the potential employer can do so with the competent Austrian authorities.
When applying for the Red-White-Red Card, applicants are required to submit their valid travel document, a photo that must not be older than six months, and proof of having purchased health insurance covering all risks.
The authority may also require you to submit other documents on a case-by-case basis. For example, many authorities require the submission of an extract from police records (or a certificate of good standing) in case of first-time applications.
Applicants also have to submit documents regarding their professional qualifications, graduation, work experience, and language skills.
Those who get issued a Red-White-Red Card are entitled to fixed-term settlement and employment specified in the application. The Red-White-Red Card is generally issued for a period of 24 months.
