Confirm the Card plus from the card and decision
A person who already holds a Red White Red Card plus is not tied to a particular employer. The exact label, validity and any pending renewal should still be checked before the move.
Changing employer with a Red White Red Card: legal check before the move
Changing employer on a Red White Red Card: employer restriction, new admission process, Card plus and documents before starting work.
12 August 2026
Application
Mag. Mirela Saric, Attorney at Law
The Red White Red Card is issued for employment assessed with a particular employer. Section 20d(2) AuslBG states the restriction clearly: admission applies to employment with the employer named in the application throughout Austria. A new offer does not automatically transfer the existing admission.
Before a Red White Red Card plus is granted, a change of employer triggers corresponding application of the admission process in section 20d(1). The new employer, role, remuneration and qualification are assessed together. A person who already holds Card plus generally has unrestricted labour market access and starts from a different legal position.
The first question is therefore the current permit. Card label, grant decision, validity, old RWR category and employment periods determine the route. Special EU Blue Card rules must not be transferred to the ordinary RWR Card.
This article distinguishes the change from general employer documents and the route to Red White Red Card plus.
Employer change check
Can the new job start under the current permit?
The check orders the permit, employment stage, possible Card plus route and the new employer package. Every result can be submitted with its own context.
Already know you want to get in touch? Go straight to the enquiry form.
Which permit is printed on the current card?
All paths at a glance
Overview of all answers.
Do not transfer RWR rules to another permit
EU Blue Cards, settlement permits, Family Member permits and temporary residence permits have their own rules. The Blue Card change provisions must not be confused with the ordinary RWR Card.
Coordinate the end of the old job with the next permit route
Record the termination date, social insurance deregistration, remaining leave and proposed new start. The ordinary RWR Card remains employer-specific and does not automatically authorise work for the new business.
Match the actual start with the admission status immediately
Section 20d(2) AuslBG ties admission to the employer named in the application. If work has started for a new employer, establish which residence and labour-market basis existed at that time.
Assess Card plus through the statutory periods
For covered RWR categories, section 41a(1) NAG requires two years of holding the card and an AMS confirmation. Section 20e(1)(2) checks 21 months of qualifying employment in the last 24. Creditable periods under subsection 2 belong in the calculation.
Prepare a new employer-specific admission process
Before Card plus, section 20d(1) applies correspondingly to a change. The new employer, employment conditions and correct RWR category are assessed again.
Identify the category before completing forms
A new role may fall within the same or another RWR category. Shortage occupations, other key workers, graduates and very highly qualified workers have different criteria. The old admission does not decide the new role.
Complete the employer package before filing
Employer declaration, contract and job profile must describe the same employment. Company, location, hours, duration, duties and gross remuneration should be consistent.
Why RWR admission is employer-specific
Section 20d(1) AuslBG connects the application with a written employer declaration. The NAG authority forwards the case to the AMS regional office competent for the business location. Residence and labour-market admission are assessed in one process.
Subsection 2 states that admission applies to the employer named in the application throughout Austria. Work may take place nationwide but the identity of the employer remains part of admission.
The Red White Red Card topic page explains the overall route. Employer change is distinct because more than the contract and insurance registration changes.
Which card is actually held
In everyday speech, both cards are often called RWR Card. Legally the distinction is central. The ordinary card is employer-specific. Card plus provides unrestricted labour market access.
Both sides of the card, the decision and the latest renewal file should agree. A pending Card plus application is not an already granted permit. Until the decision, determine which employment is currently covered.
A family-based Card plus also provides unrestricted access without 21 months of work under a personal RWR Card. The basis of issue therefore matters even where the card label is identical.
Fresh assessment before Card plus
Section 20d(2) requires the admission procedure to be applied correspondingly when the employer changes before Card plus. This is more than notifying a new contract.
The new step is filed with the NAG authority and includes the employer declaration. The authority forwards it to the competent AMS office unless an immigration-law rejection comes first. Competence follows the new employer business location.
Plan the change before starting. The RWR checklist helps organise employee and employer evidence.
Employer declaration, contract and job profile
The current employer declaration records company, business location, workplace, position, duties, weekly hours, duration and gross remuneration. Those details must match the contract and job profile.
Duties should show what work will be performed and why the stated qualification fits. A general title without tasks is particularly weak in qualification-based categories.
Pay needs assessment against the category, working hours and collective agreement. Allowances should not hide an unsuitable basic salary. Gross pay without allowances is particularly important in the declaration.
Reassign category and qualification
The old category may still fit but this is not assumed. A shortage occupation worker moving into different duties may no longer satisfy that category. Other key workers can face a labour-market test.
Degree, vocational training, experience and language evidence are mapped to the new duties. A qualification that supported the old job does not automatically explain work in the new business.
The RWR Card glossary entry explains the function. Points and shortage occupation details stay in their dedicated guides.
Card plus after 21 of 24 months
For RWR categories covered by section 41a(1), the classic route requires two years of holding the card. Section 20e(1)(2) AuslBG additionally requires 21 months of qualifying employment within the last 24.
Section 20e(2) credits specific periods including annual leave, maternity benefit, statutory parental leave, certain other leave and sickness with continued pay. Insurance and payroll records should show those months.
Not every RWR category is covered. Self-employed key workers are outside section 41a(1). The original decision must identify the exact basis before a Card plus strategy is used.
When the old job ends or the new one has started
Record termination, final workday and social insurance deregistration. These dates show which months may count for a later Card plus assessment.
If the new work has already started, compare first workday, registration, duties and pay with the existing permit. Later filing does not automatically make earlier employment compliant.
Residence status, foreign employment law and the new admission timeline interact. A clear chronology is more useful than inconsistent employer confirmations.
A practical employer-change plan
First identify the current permit from card and decision. Second fix the end of old work and proposed start of new work. Third assess whether Card plus is already achievable.
Fourth prepare the category and employer package. Fifth file the appropriate application before the new start and keep receipt. The residence permit check gives orientation but cannot replace the labour-market assessment.
For an enquiry, provide card, decision, old and new contract, employer declaration, job profile, insurance history, qualification records and a short timeline.
Frequently asked questions on changing employer with an RWR Card
Can I start immediately with the same RWR Card?
Admission under section 20d(2) AuslBG applies to the employer named in the application. Before Card plus, a new employer-specific assessment is generally required.
Is sending the new contract to AMS enough?
No. The process runs through the NAG authority and includes the employer declaration, employment conditions and the correct RWR category.
When can Card plus help?
The classic route under section 41a(1) NAG requires two years with a covered RWR Card and an AMS confirmation of 21 qualifying months in the last 24.
Do parental leave or sickness count?
Section 20e(2) AuslBG credits certain periods including annual leave, maternity benefit, statutory parental leave and sickness with continued pay. Evidence is required.
What if I already have a family-based Card plus?
An existing family-based Red White Red Card plus generally provides unrestricted labour market access. Confirm the exact card and validity before moving.