Austria, a landlocked country that lies in the south of Central Europe and a member of the Schengen pact, is the most desirable country to live in. The country has a rich and ancient culture, architect, and social values. The official language of Austria is German; however, the dialect is more complicated than the one spoken in Germany. The language spoken widely though is Austro-Bavarian.
Due to Austria’s standard of living and economic well-being, people from around the globe aspire to be part of Australia, whether as students, employees, or business owners. In this article, we will explore the opportunities that await and the procedure to follow in order to relocate to Austria.
First thing first, the citizens of EU and EAA states can live and work in Austria due to its affiliation with the Schengen states without a visa or work permit. For third-country citizens a visa is required; a restricted work permit, valid for a year, a work permit that lasts for 2 years, or an unrestricted work permit that allows the holder to work for 5 years in Austria. Employment in skill-intensive fields is rather easier to secure, it is even encouraged by the Austrian government to make special allowance for the highly skilled, or in-demand skilled workers. As a pre-requisite, a basic understanding of the German language is necessary.
Austrian visa: Types and procedure
Moving to a new country is daring and exciting as well as overwhelming at the same time. The dream to pursue a new career path, land a fantastic job, or simply live a quiet retiree life in Austria is an effort worth every ounce.
The visa requirements for Austria are pretty straightforward if you follow the tips and tricks laid out in this article.
The encouraging aspect about relocating to Austria is that you will not be alone, thousands of expats and students are already living a wonderful life in Austria. Hence the cultural shock and initial stranger’s anxiety are somewhat mitigated. Just make sure that you have all the documents necessary before applying for the visa of your choice and contact the Austrian embassy nearest to you.
Student Visa
Austrian education standards are at or above par with many developed countries such as Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, etc. The scholarship and grant programs entirely awarded on merit, benefits students globally. Securing admission to a university or college in Austria is simple and can be done online. You can choose an institute that offers your desired program within your financial budget. The confirmation of admission can be a solid basis to obtain a student visa. And as long as your degree program may take, the visa is renewable. Foreign students in Austria are allowed to work a specified number of hours during their stay.
Work permit/Internship program
A work permit, as mentioned earlier comes in 3 forms; a restricted or unrestricted permit is valid for 2 and 5 years respectively. If you have a special skill that is required, then you may be in luck. Austria encourages such people to apply for a work permit. All you need to do is to keep an eye on the job listings, select a job that matches your skill-set, and apply. There are certain skills, such as plumbing, electronic repairs, telecom repairs, barbers, etc. that are always in high demand. Once you have secured employment, the same can be submitted as the basis for a work permit.
As the name suggests, a restricted work permit will only allow the holder to work in the field declared in the employment letter. The status, however, may be changed at a later stage in case of a new job or change of employer’s line of work. Some of the requirements to obtain a work permit are:
- High qualification
- High-demand/shortage occupation skills
- Employment in an Austrian firm
- Employment in a multinational that has an office in Austria or an Austrian origin company having an office in the applicant’s home country
- A high net-worth individual interested in investing in Austria
Permanent residency & Citizenship
A person living in Austria for 5 consecutive years, under any form of visa, is eligible to apply for permanent residence, provided he/she fulfills the residency requirements. Once the applicant qualifies for the residency, he/she is awarded a renewable permanent residency for 5 years; the long-term resident status allows a person to work and live anywhere in the European Union states, however, the rights to vote and participate in the electoral college are not offered except for a citizen.
Citizenship of Austria
So far as citizenship or naturalization is concerned, it requires patience and a consistently healthy record of character and financial stability. 10 years of uninterrupted residence in Austria makes a person eligible to apply for citizenship. He/she is required to pass a written exam which includes, but is not limited to, Austrian history, culture, values, and German language. Needless to say, that a citizen has all the rights as to voting, participation in the electoral college, and other rights reserved for a citizen.
