Austrian residence permits for US and Canadian citizens
For US and Canadian citizens, you do not need a visa if you are visiting Austria for less than 90 days.
As a citizen of the United States, gaining a visa in Austria is a similar process to that of any other non-EU citizen. Applicants must submit biometric data as part of their application. Frequent travellers to the Schengen Area do not need to give their fingerprints every time they apply for a visa as this information is stored.
Visas for Austria can be submitted at a VFS Visa Application Centre if you reside in certain states, or they can be submitted to an Austrian consulate general – this depends on the jurisdiction of the embassy area. Full details can be found here.
It is important to note that if you do not reside from the US, you cannot apply for an Austrian visa within the US, but your country of residence.
Like with the US, Canadian visa applicants must be made in person at the Austrian Embassy Ottawa.
How to get a work permit in Austria
Most migration from third-country nationals is done through the Red-White-Red Card, which is specifically designed to grant residence based on the skills of potential incoming workers and to fill shortages in the Austrian labour market.
To be considered as a highly qualified worker you must score more than 70 in the points-based scheme by the Austrian authority’s scale. Under this system you score different amounts of points for things like your professional qualifications, work experience and your ability to speak German.
If you need further information, then you can check the government’s migration portal.
Austrian work permit for EU citizens
EU/EEA citizens are free to work as they please in Austria, and do not need any permits at all for the first three months. Just like with residency, if you are planning to stay longer than 90 days, then you must apply for a certificate of registration in order to continue your stay or face a 200 EUR fine.
Austrian work permit for non-EU citizens
Citizens of non-EU countries can apply in three different ways when you seek employment in Austria. The first is a restricted work permit (Beschäftigungsbewilligung) which will last for one year; a work permit that lasts two years (Arbeitserlaubnis), or an unrestricted work permit for five years (Befreiungsschein).
The work permits must be applied for in the sequence given above; you cannot immediately apply for the five-year permit – each permit continues to act as a level of proof that you are in employment and can support yourself.
For non-EU residents, a work permit will require a lot of supporting documentation – which has to be submitted in German at the Austrian Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice, AMS). The approval process will typically take about seven weeks, if everything goes smoothly. If approved, future employees are required to get a visa application in their usual country of residence. Work permits must be applied for by the prospective employer.