It can be quite hard to find detailed information about this card online, especially for non-German speakers as the Austrian authorities work in the German language. However, as Greentube is an international and diverse company, we see it as our responsibility to provide clarity to the mystery of how to get a work permit in Austria.

We are proud to count over different 40 nationalities at Greentube. This international and vibrant environment is responsible for a unique spirit, for a very tolerant workplace, for open-minded colleagues who create a positive area of collaboration. At Greentube, there is no room for any discrimination or racism. Employees are encouraged to share their views, their way of work and communication. Having this multifaceted environment also leads to more innovation and creative thinking in daily work.

Building up this international team is not without its challenges, as getting a work permit for our employees is time-consuming and requires a lot of planning. Planning ahead is difficult because it is often tough to know an employee’s starting date in advance.  An onboarding plan also has to be prepared, and the colleagues, especially the mentor of the new recruit, have to be ready to perform this plan anytime whenever we get the GO from the Austrian authorities. But let’s start from the beginning of such a process so as not to mix up things:

1. Certain requirements have to be fulfilled for one of 2 different groups: either for “Fachkräfte in Mangelberufen” which means professionals where we have a shortage of experts in Austria or “sonstige Schlüsselkräfte”, which means other key personnel in Austria. For either of them, you have to reach a certain set of points in order to get through an RWR card process. A third option would be to get a blue card which has the advantage to be valid in the whole of Europe. The blue card is for third-country nationals who are particularly highly qualified academics. It facilitates their access to the labour market, creates favourable conditions for family reunification and the acquisition of permanent residence rights and facilitates mobility within the EU. However, these cards require the employee to have a relatively high base salary, and they are rarely requested as a result. If a candidate applies for a RWR card it is also important to know that this work permit will only be valid for one specific employer in Austria. After a certain period of time, a candidate can apply for an RWR+ card which allows him/her to work for any employer in Austria. For further information, we recommend having a look at the following website: https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/
2. After this, we gather the most important details of the candidate such as CV, contact information, exact address and birth date, offered position, salary, information if they are coming alone or would like to bring their spouse or family.
3. An employment confirmation is created as well as a recommendation, Arbeitgebererklärung (employer declaration) and a job description of the candidate’s position
4. Before the official application can be handed in to the Austrian authorities, the candidate must get numerous documents translated and notarized. This process can take up to 2 months, depending on the authorities in the country of birth.
5. These are the documents that need to translated and notarized:
   • Birth certificate with diplomatic authentication
   • Marriage certificate with diplomatic authentication
   • Police clearance certificate from the country of origin with diplomatic authentication (not older than 3 months on the day of submission of the residence and work permit application)
   • Proof of previous work experience (certificates issued by your previous employers & current employer)
   • Rent agreement for Austria (or the Austrian address) which is in our case provided by Greentube
   • Any German or English language certificates already possessed by the candidate
6. Due to the COVID-19 situation, filings can be done only online from our end and applications are therefore filed once all the documents mentioned above can be provided.
7. In the next step, the application form is provided and needs to be signed by the candidate. There are no originals required for the filing, but one original EU-passport-style picture needs to be sent to us directly after the filing. The officers require original documents (authenticated birth certificate, marriage certificate and police clearance certificate). However, this will be done when the candidate travels to Austria and meets the authority to give them their fingerprints.
8. Once the application has been filed, it will be processed at the Austrian immigration authority and the labour market authority. As soon as the application is approved, the Austrian authorities notify Greentube and also the Austrian Embassy in the country of origin of the company that (Austrian Entry) Visa D can be filed.
9. Once the visa is issued (which takes approximately 2 weeks), the candidate travels to Austria to give their fingerprints.  The officers will then order the permit, and about 10-16 days later, the permit is ready and is sent to the candidate’s residence address in Austria. It takes about two to three weeks from the moment fingerprints are given until the candidate has the permit in his/her possession. So a considerable amount of time goes by where the candidate is not allowed to work in Austria. As a result, the first working day for the employee is only planned once the RWR card is received and in the hands of the owner.
10. After arrival, the candidate has to register with the local town hall. For this, a registration form needs to be signed by the candidate and his/her landlord.

If you think that this still sounds far too complicated and difficult, we totally understand!

For this reason, we make it our priority to support all of our employees through this process. In addition, we work with a respected agency that provides us with expert help to make the process as efficient and effective as possible.

We are really thankful for the valuable experience we gathered in the last couple of years and that we therefore bring our candidates through the process successfully.

As the Greentube community continues to grow, so does the work required by us to ensure that these candidates are able to fulfil their potential. This is work we do gladly because the expertise, knowledge, tolerance and experience within the company grows with every new member. A successful application is only the beginning of an exciting journey with us!

Stay informed about exciting Greentube developments, career opportunities and much more by following us on our social media channels, or check out previous articles for an in-depth look at life at Greentube! See you in our next article!