More than 3,200 applications for Austria’s red-white-red card were approved in the first four months of 2024 alone, marking an almost 35 per cent increase compared to the same period last year’s figures.
The recent statistics show that the number of skilled third-country nationals heading to Austria for work purposes is surging, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
Furthermore, Austria’s Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) said that this number could rise to 10,000 by the end of the year, with the trend expected to experience an ongoing increase.
The surge in the number of approved applications is also attributed to the new regulations that became effective on October 1, 2022, aimed at simplifying the process of acquiring residence permits through the red-white-red card.
Number of Unemployed People Fell in 2023, However, it Remains High
The increased demand for skilled workers has been considered among the most significant challenges for Austria’s economy in the past few years.
Figures from Austria’s Federal Statistical Office, Statistics Austria, revealed that the number of unemployed people, based on the international definition, increased to 240,900 in 2023. However, there were also more people in employment compared to the previous year, at 4.5 million.
The same source showed that at 206,400, the number of job vacancies continues to remain very high.
With the list of occupations in shortage getting longer, the demand for suitable personnel is also increasing constantly.
| Federal provinces | Unemployed total | Unemployed men | Unemployed women | Unemployment rate total (in %) | Unemployment rate men (in %) | Unemployment rate women (in %) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 240 900 | 133 200 | 107 600 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| Burgenland | 7 700 | 4 000 | 3 700 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| Carinthia | 12 400 | 7 000 | 5 400 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.2 |
| Lower Austria | 37 700 | 19 500 | 18 200 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| Upper Austria | 28 100 | 16 000 | 12 100 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.2 |
| Salzburg | 9 000 | 4 400 | 4 600 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| Styria | 27 900 | 15 900 | 11 900 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
| Tyrol | 12 700 | 6 600 | 6 100 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Vorarlberg | 7 300 | 3 800 | 3 500 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
| Vienna | 98 000 | 56 000 | 42 000 | 9.6 | 10.3 | 8.8 |
Red-White-Red Card Is Effectively Helping to Fill in Labour Shortage Gaps, Minister Says
The red-white-red card is a combination of residence permit and work valid for a period of two years, projected to attract a large number of foreigners.
The card, according to Minister Kocher, is effectively helping the country to fill in labour shortage gaps.
The card is particularly effective in those areas where there are no unemployed people in Austria in the short term and only very few who could take up these professions.
The Minister said that about a third of all permits issued this year come from tourism alone, emphasising that the tourism sector has particularly benefited from the changes applied to this card in 2022.
At present Austria is focusing on bringing qualified skilled workers from Indonesia to further tighten cooperation between both countries.
New Changes to Red-White-Red Card Since October 2022
On October 1, 2022, amendments to the Act Governing the Employment of Foreign Nationals (AuslBG), the Settlement and Residence Act (NAG), the Labour Market Promotion Act (AMFG), and the Aliens Police Act 2005 became effective.
Such amendments were introduced to create faster processing times and procedures while imposing more straightforward criteria for holding the red-white-red card.
