Employing holders of a Red-White-Red – Card or an EU Blue Card

Special rules apply to third-country nationals who already live in Austria and hold a Red-White-Red – Card or an EU Blue Card. Depending on how long your candidate has been living and working in Austria, your options vary. In any case, you cannot employ such third-country nationals without further ado, because every Red-White-Red – Card and EU Blue Card is bound to a specific employer. Let us help you find out which path to choose!

Has your candidate not lived and worked in Austria for about 21 months? Do you want to employ your candidate as soon as possible?

• You need to apply for a separate Red-White-Red – Card or EU Blue Card, because your candidate's permit is bound to her/his previous employer.
• This process is called a change of purpose due to a change of employer ("Zweckänderung wegen Arbeitgeberwechsel").
• This process is similar to standard a Red-White-Red – Card or EU Blue Card process, but easier and faster. This is because the Austrian authorities already have file on your candidate and have once already approved a residence permit for her/him.
• Once she/he has his new Red-White-Red – Card or EU Blue Card in hand, your candidate can start working for you! Please make sure to properly register your new employee and to notfiy your AMS branch accordingly.

Has your candidate already lived and worked in Austria for about 21 months?

• In that case, a change of purpose towards a new Red-White-Red – Card or Blue Card may not be the best option for you and your candidate.
• Holders of a Red-White-Red – Card or EU Blue Card are eligible for a residence permit called Red-White-Red – Card Plus after 21 months of uninterrupted employment and residence in Austria.
• Once your candidate has her/his Red-White-Red – Card Plus in hand, she/he can be employed just like you would employ any Austrian, EU, EEA or Swiss national. The Red-White-Red – Card Plus is ideally valid for three years and provides free access to the Austrian labor market. 
• The process of obtaining such a Red-White-Red – Card Plus is usually much easier than the processing of obtaining another Red-White-Red – Card or EU Blue Card. However, please know that the earliest possible day you may employ candidate is exactly two years after having received the very first permit as this is the basic prerequisite for a Red-White-Red – Card Plus.

Are you unsure which path best suits you and your candidate?