For non EU citizens to take up legal gainful employment in Austria can be very difficult. Foreign nationals who want to work in Austria need a work permit. Foreign nationals who are not new EU citizens also need a residence permit.

This also applies to citizens of the new EU member states (new EU citizens): Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Rumania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Citizens of Malta and the Republic of Cyprus are no longer covered by the Foreign Labour Act (AuslBG) since 1st May 2004. Citizens of third countries also need a residence permit. Travel or limited stay visas for tourists or for visiting relatives do not entitle the visitors to take up work. Third country citizens who are caught in illegal employment have to expect immediate deportation and a residence ban lasting up to ten years.

The prerequisite for taking up legal employment in Austria is a valid residence permit (not necessary for new EU citizens because they have the right to reside in Austria). This can be either a settlement permit (valid for one year) or an authorisation to stay in Austria (valid for a maximum of six months). Both require a work permit: this can be a pre-employment permit followed by an employment permit, an employment permit alone or a licence as a key staff member. The employer has to apply for the pre-employment and employment permit and - jointly with the foreign employee - for the licence as a key staff member.

Residence permits are issued in accordance with the annually stipulated contingent, i.e. in the framework of the currently valid federal settlement decree. Foreign nationals who are entitled to enter Austria without a visa can apply for residency on presenting their work permit to the residency or police authorities in Austria, if:

• they have a key staff member licence
• they are citizens of the USA
• Citizens of other countries or those who do not have a key staff member licence have to apply for their residence permit in the Austrian consulate in their home country.

You will find the latest up to date information on the types and requirements to optain these permits on the City of Vienna Web Site

foreign Labor Quota

The number of foreign nationals who are allowed to work in Austria is controlled by the upper limit system (upper limits at federal and provincial level to ensure controlled entry of foreign workers).

This system stipulates that (at present) the total number of employed and unemployed foreign nationals must not exceed 8% of the Austrian labour force. All foreign nationals employed within the framework of an employment permit, short-term or long-term work permit are included in this quota.

If this quota is exceeded, only specific groups of people can be conferred a pre-employment permit and an employment permit when it is considered in the interests of the public and general economic good up to a maximum of 9%. Access to the Austrian labour market is still possible for the following cases... More Info

Degree Validation (Nostrifizierung)

Validation is the conversion of a foreign (bachelor's, master's, diploma or doctor's) university degree into a corresponding Austrian one by the organ in charge of study affairs, or into a corresponding Fachhochschule degree by the Fachhochschule Collegium respectively.

This means the complete equivalence of the two degrees, the right to use the respective Austrian academic degree and all the rights connected with its use. This relates in particular to the entitlement to exercise a profession for which in Austria an academic degree is required. Read More

• Doktor (Dr.) a university degree similar to the U.S. doctorate
• Magister (Mag.) similar to the U.S. master of arts
• Diplom Ingenieur (D.I. or Dipl. Ing.) similar to the U.S. master of science

Employment Applications and CV'S

A résumé, commonly written "resume", is a document that contains a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education. It is closely related to a similar document used in Austria and throughout the world, a Curriculum Vitae (CV) which focuses more on education, publications, and other accomplishments. Both are typically used to screen applications, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment. The résumé or CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker, and therefore a large amount of importance is often ascribed to it.

Keep in mind that overseas employers often expect to read the type of personal information on a curriculum vitae that would never be included on an American resume, such as date of birth, nationality and place of birth. United States law on what information job applicants can be asked to provide does not apply outside the country. More Info

Salaries

Salaries and wages have to be paid by law 14 times a year. Normally the 13th salary is paid at the end of June and the 14th at the end of November. For the employees the 13th and the 14th salary are taxed at a very low rate (6%). Collective agreements between representatives of the employers and the employees regulate the minimum conditions of all working contracts including a minimum wage. This minimum wage depends on the standard of the work, on the age of the employees and on the particular business sector. Normally salaries and wages are substantially higher than these minimum amounts. Often they also agree on general increases not only for the minimum wages but for the actual wages. The result of these negotiations is binding on all employers.

Salary Calculator (In German) This handy calculator will figure your monthly take home pay and 13th and 14th month salary.

SOCIAL SECURITY