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Tag: Immigration

Meaning of a change of purpose application for a residence title

Written by service on . Posted in Blog.

What are the advantages of a change of purpose application and what distinguishes it from a renewal application or initial application?

Tim is a US citizen, studies in Austria and has had a residence permit “student” for several years, which he has to renew annually. He has been together with Andreas, an Austrian citizen, for 2 years now and is already living with him in his flat. They are also planning to enter into a registered partnership next year.

In the past academic year, Tim had a lot on his plate and could not concentrate properly on his studies. After he has applied again for an extension of his “student” residence permit, he receives information from the immigration authorities that he did not achieve the required academic success in the past academic year to extend his residence permit.

Tim is initially devastated, but Andreas knows that registered partners can obtain a residence title in Austria as family members. The two therefore conclude the registered partnership earlier than originally planned and assume that the authorities will simply grant Tim the right residence title. What do you have to pay attention to?

Application for a change of purpose in case of a change of the purpose of residence

If during the current period of validity of an already existing residence title the requirements change so fundamentally that a new residence title with a different purpose of stay can be applied for, an application for a change of purpose can be submitted to the competent immigration authority at any time, even before the current residence title expires. The advantage of such a change of purpose application is that it can be filed within the country. Even a rejection of an application for a change of purpose has no effect on the existing right of residence. An application for the extension of an existing residence permit can therefore still be submitted as long as the current residence title is still valid.

Missing the change of purpose leads to initial application

Even after Tim receives the information from the immigration authorities that his study success is not sufficient to extend his residence permit “student”, he does not care any further and simply sends his partnership certificate to the authorities without any further comment.

Since Tim has failed to change his current application for extension into an application for a change of purpose, the authorities issue a negative decision on his application for extension of his “student” residence permit. After Tim receives this decision, he is very surprised and writes an e-mail to the authorities asking them to grant him a residence title as a “family member” due to his registered partnership with an Austrian citizen.

Unfortunately, this application comes too late, because an application for a change of purpose is only permissible until the decision on an application for renewal is issued. Tim’s application for a residence title is therefore to be regarded as an initial application.

Disadvantages of the initial application

Once the decision rejecting the application for renewal becomes final, Tim is in Austria illegally and the residence title he applied for as a “family member” cannot be granted to him, even if all the necessary requirements are met. On the one hand, he has to leave for USA and wait there for the residence title to be granted, and on the other hand, his current stay in Austria is thereby interrupted and the 5-year period for obtaining a permanent right of residence in Austria starts all over again.

Employment of foreigners: Facilitation for Red-White-Red Card and for Displaced Persons from Ukraine

Written by service on . Posted in Blog.

Empolyment of foreigners: Today, a couple of amendments to the Act on the Employment of Foreign Nationals came into force in Austria, which make life easier for displaced persons from Ukraine as well as for third-country nationals applying for a Red-White-Red Card.

No employment permit for displaced persons from Ukraine

Persons who were displaced from Ukraine after 24 February 2022 due to the armed conflict in Ukraine are allowed to work in Austria. Until now, however, it was necessary for the employer to apply for an employment permit at the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS) before taking up the employment, which meant an increased workload and delays for the employer. This requirement has now been dropped.

From now on, persons holding an ID card for displaced persons can start employment in Austria without the employer having to obtain an employment permit in advance. However, the general labour and social law requirements that apply to all workers in Austria, such as a ban on underpayment or the obligation to register with the social security system, naturally also remain in place for displaced persons from Ukraine.

Employment of foreigners: Changes to the admission criteria for the Red-White-Red Card

Further changes in the Act on the Employment of Foreign Nationals concern the point schemes that are used to assess the conditions for issuing Red-White-Red Cards. From now on, language skills in French, Spanish, Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian (BKS) will also be counted as 5 points when assessing the requirements for issuing a Red-White-Red Card as a particularly highly qualified worker, skilled worker in a shortage occupation, other key worker or as a start-up founder, provided that these can be proven to be at least at B1 level of the European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Employment of foreigners: Changes for seasonal workers

In addition, the issuing of a Red-White-Red card for regular employees (seasonal workers) will be made easier. From now on, they only have to prove German language skills at A1 level of the European Framework of Reference for Languages and no longer, as before, at A2 level in order to be admitted to employment as a regular employee and thus be able to obtain a Red-White-Red card.

Bauch von Schwangerer

Red-White-Red Card and pregnancy

Written by service on . Posted in Blog, Unkategorisiert.

What effects do pregnancy and maternity leave have on a Red-White-Red Card and is an extension of the right of residence possible?

Mariana is originally from Colombia. She studied pharmacy in Bogota and worked as a scientist at the National University of Colombia after her studies. Due to an advertisement in a professional magazine, Mariana learns about a vacancy at a pharmaceutical company in Austria that would fit her profile perfectly. Since Mariana has no ties in Colombia and she has always wanted to live in Europe for a while, she applies for the job, which she actually gets.

Since Mariana is very well educated and speaks English fluently, she receives a Red-White-Red card in Austria as a particularly highly qualified worker and can start in her new job just a few weeks after applying.

At her new workplace, Mariana meets Peter, with whom she falls in love at first sight, and begins a love affair with him. A few weeks later, Mariana is pregnant. When she tells Peter, he doesn’t want to know about it and breaks off contact with Mariana. Mariana decides to raise her child alone, but is determined to stay in Austria and also keep her new job, which she enjoys very much.

Loss of residence permit due to pregnancy?

A Red-White-Red Card is restricted to employment with a specific employer for the first two years after it is issued. So, if Mariana loses her job, she would also lose the requirements for the issuance of the Red-White-Red – Card (see this article).

However, as soon as Mariana informs her employer of her pregnancy, her employment cannot be terminated until 4 months after giving birth or if taking maternity leave until 4 weeks after the end of maternity leave. So, for the time being, Mariana does not have to fear that she will lose her residence permit as her employer cannot terminate her employment.

What is the situation during maternity leave or parental leave?

Expectant mothers are generally not allowed to be employed during the last 8 weeks before the birth and 8 weeks after the delivery. These periods are considered to be full periods of employment and do not terminate the employment relationship.

The employment relationship is not interrupted by maternity leave but the employee’s duty to work and the employer’s duty to pay are suspended. This means that the conditions for obtaining a Red-White-Red Card do not cease to apply during maternity leave (as long as there is no minimum payment required for the obtaining of a Red-White-Red Card).

Application for Red-White-Red Card Plus

If Mariana has had a Red-White-Red Card for two years, she can apply for a Red-White-Red Card Plus. To do so, she must prove that she was employed under the conditions for the Red-White-Red Card for at least 21 months within the last 24 months before applying. Periods of employment prohibition during maternity and maternity leave are explicitly included.

It should be noted, however, that the general requirements for the issuance of residence titles must also be fulfilled when applying for the Red-White-Red Card Plus. One of these requirements is proof of a sufficiently secure livelihood. Even though entitlements to family allowance and childcare allowance are in principle to be considered as regular income, Mariana must reach the threshold values of the equalisation supplement reference rate. If the regular income is not sufficient for this, Mariana would also have to prove her sufficiently secure livelihood through existing savings.

Default appeal – What to do if the authority fails to act?

Written by service on . Posted in Unkategorisiert.

Application for the granting of Austrian citizenship

Valeriya is (still) a Ukrainian citizen. A few weeks ago she applied for Austrian citizenship. She submitted all the necessary documents together with her application. If the authorities now leave her application pending, she can lodge a default appeal.

However, she hopes to have her Austrian passport in her hands in a few weeks. In fact, shortly after her application, Valeriya receives an invitation to take the citizenship exam. She passes without any problems.

Valeriya now waits anxiously every day for a positive decision from the authorities, but nothing happens for months.

Despite repeated requests to the authorities, more than half a year has passed since Valeriya submitted her application. Hence, seh has not received any new information about her citizenship application.

Can Valeriy speed up the authorities’ decision?

When can a default appeal be filed?

As a matter of principle, an administrative authority must issue a decision without undue delay, but at the latest after 6 months. This also applies to an application for the granting of Austrian citizenship. This period begins on the day on which the application is received by the authority.

If the authority does not make a decision within this period, the applicant has the possibility to lodge a default appeal.

The written default appeal must comply with strict formal content requirements stipulated by law and must therefore be drafted very carefully.

After filing the appeal, however, the authority can still issue the requested decision within a period of up to 3 months. Whether it does so is at its discretion. If the authority does not issue the requested decision, it has to submit the default appeal together with all documents to the competent administrative court.

The court may limit its decision to the most important legal issues. The administrative court may order the authority to make up for the missed decision within a maximum of 8 weeks. In addition, the administrative court also has the possibility to decide on the matter itself.

Public liability claim in case of default

Last but not least, a serious violation of the authority’s duty to decide can also give rise to a claim for public liability, i.e. a claim for damages against the public legal entity of the authority (the respective federal state), which, however, must be asserted in separate court proceedings.

Valeriya is therefore not completely defenseless. In any case, she has the possibility to file a complaint against the authority’s inactivity.

Residence title for family members – What happens in the event of a divorce?

Written by service on . Posted in Blog.

As a third-country spouse of an Austrian citizen, you usually receive a residence title as a family member without any problems, but what are the consequences of a divorce?

During a study visit to the USA, Julia, an Austrian, meets the American football player Aaron and falls in love with him. After only a few weeks, the two decide to marry and live together in Austria in the future.

As a US citizen, Aaron is a third-country national, but as the spouse of an Austrian woman who finds a well-paid job after returning from the USA and has also inherited a family home from her parents, he receives a residence title as a “family member” without any problems. This residence title is initially issued for one year, can be extended on application and entitles the holder to take up any gainful employment in Austria.

Problems of life in Austria

Just a few weeks after the wedding, things start to crumble between Julia and Aaron. Aaron is disappointed that he cannot continue his career as a football player in Austria and cannot find any other employment. Julia, on the other hand, is absorbed in her new job and often works late into the night. Just three months after the wedding, Aaron tells Julia that he is no longer interested in a life with her and wants a divorce. After an initial shock, Julia realises that this marriage was a big mistake and agrees to the divorce.

In the meantime, however, Aaron has already started taking a German course and has fallen in love with his German teacher Sarah, with whom he begins a relationship. For this reason, he wants to continue living in Austria after his divorce, although he has learned from his experience with Julia and wants to take his time with a possible second marriage. How and under what circumstances can Aaron maintain his right of residence in Austria even after his divorce from Julia?

Right of settlement of family members

Family members who have been granted a residence title “family member” acquire an independent right of settlement. However, if the status of a family member ceases due to divorce, this residence title can no longer be issued. However, if the former family member fulfils the general requirements for the issuance of a residence title and there are no obstacles to the issuance of a residence title, a “Red-White-Red Card Plus” is to be issued. The cessation of the status as a family member has to be notified to the authorities within one month.

General requirements and obstacles to issuance of a residence title

Residence permits may only be granted to a foreigner if this is not contrary to public interests and if relations with other states are not substantially affected if a legal entitlement to accommodation customary in the locality is given, if health insurance coverage covering all risks exists and if sufficient means of subsistence can be proven.

Obstacles to issuance are, for example, valid entry bans, overstaying the visa-free stay in Austria or legally binding punishments for unlawful entry into Austria.

Exceptions

Aaron has lived in his wife’s house until now, was covered by health insurance through her professional activity and does not receive any income himself. It is therefore currently not possible for him to fulfil the general requirements for the granting of a residence title in Austria. Under certain circumstances, however, a residence title can be granted to family members even if they do not fulfil the general requirements.

This is the case if the spouse dies, the spouse is to blame for the divorce or for reasons that are particularly worthy of special consideration. Such reasons worthy of special consideration exist in the case of victims of a forced marriage or if family members were victims of violence or if the residence title was withdrawn because the merging spouse was legally convicted of a committed criminal offence.

What can Aaron do now?

If Aaron were to apply for a Red-White-Red Card Plus immediately after his divorce, his application would have to be rejected because the general requirements for a residence title were not met and Aaron would lose his right of residence in Austria. One of the exemption provisions would not apply to him either.

He should therefore try to delay the divorce until he can stand on his own two feet, i.e. until he has found his own accommodation, taken out health insurance and got a job that guarantees him at least a certain basic income. Once he has achieved this, he can also be granted a “Red-White-Red Card Plus” after the divorce. 

Checklist Red-White-Red Card

Written by service on . Posted in Blog.

The Red-White-Red Card celebrated its 10th  birthday in July 2021. It is, therefore, time to review whether the goal pursued with it, namely to bring qualified workers to Austria on the basis of objective criteria, has actually been achieved or whether it has merely created an administrative hurdle race for immigrants willing to integrate.

Why Red-White-Red Card?

With the introduction of the Red-White-Red Card in 2011, the Austrian legislator wanted to create a new and more flexible way to bring skilled workers to Austria than it had been possible with the rigid system of key workers until then. A major innovation at that time was that highly qualified workers were also allowed to enter Austria with a job-seeker visa in order to look for a job here.

The issuance of residence permits was to be based on objective criteria such as the impact of the Austrian labour market, the economic performance of the national economy, and the expected integration ability of the immigrants.

Red-White-Red Card for whom?

The aim of the new regulations was to provide access to the Austrian labour market for highly qualified key workers, skilled workers in shortage occupations, and graduates of Austrian universities who originate from third countries, in order to cover areas in which a labour shortage cannot be met by the labour potential available domestically.

How many red-white-red Cards?

Since 2020 was an exceptional year in every respect, the establishment and residence statistics of the Ministry of the Interior for 2019 must be used to answer this question in the most objective way possible.

In 2019, there were almost half a million valid residence titles in Austria, over 60% of which were “EU permanent residence titles”, i.e. the residence title that forms the final stage on the path to integration (after that, there is only the possibility to apply for Austrian citizenship). Another 20% of the residence titles were the Red-White-Red Card Plus and only slightly more than 1% of all residence titles in 2019 were a “simple” Red-White-Red Card.

Of these Red-White-Red Cards, the largest share, more than half, was issued to other key workers, while the smallest share, not even 2%, was issued to self-employed key workers and start-up founders.

Is the Red-White-Red Card a success?

If you look at the bare figures, the answer to this question must clearly be no. Even though the Red-White-Red card aims at the immigration of as many highly skilled workers as possible to Austria, almost 10 years after its introduction it remains only an option for the elite of immigrants and thus for a few who are able to meet the high requirements that applying for a Red-White-Red Card imposes on them. Most of the initial applications for a residence title in 2019 were for a “family member” residence title, i.e., a residence title in which the applicant’s right of residence is granted based on the right of residence of a close relative and not on the applicant’s individual professional qualifications.

Nonetheless, the Red-White-Red card offers a sensibly coordinated model that provides those willing to immigrate and integrate with the opportunity to secure a right of residence in Austria through professional qualifications.

An overview of the possibilities to obtain a Red-White-Red Card can be found here:

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