Red White Red Card: which documents employers should prepare

The employer part is part of the admission procedure

Section 20d(1) AuslBG requires a written declaration from the employer for employer-bound categories, confirming that the conditions of employment stated in the application will be observed. The residence authority forwards the package to the regional office of the AMS that is competent for the employer's place of business.

The employer may file the application for the skilled worker from within Austria. That is a procedural option, but it does not change the fact that personal and employment-related requirements must be fully documented. If applications are filed at the same time, the employer may also file the applications of family members under Section 20d(1) AuslBG; those still remain separate procedures with their own evidence.

The Red White Red Card topic page explains the various admission categories. This article focuses only on what an employer prepares for a specific position.

The category determines which entries carry the most weight

A skilled worker in a shortage occupation, another key worker, a graduate or a highly qualified applicant are not assessed in the same way. Depending on the category, education, work experience, points, a shortage occupation, the amount and market conformity of the pay or a labour market test count differently.

That is why the company should first record on which category the application is based. A job description for a skilled worker in a shortage occupation must show why the position corresponds to that specific shortage occupation. For another key worker, tasks, qualification, pay and the intended role in the company must together produce a coherent picture.

Self-employed key workers and start-up founders do not have a classic employer part. Their own economic criteria apply. An employer package consisting of contract and employer declaration only fits an actual employed position.

The employment contract and the employer declaration must tell the same story

The contract should clearly name the employer, place of work, start date, duration, weekly hours, role, tasks and pay. The employer declaration takes over the central conditions of employment for the AMS procedure. Different values do not create a flexible offer; they create a contradiction that requires clarification.

For pay, a clear presentation is more helpful than a total figure without explanation. Fixed salary, number of payments per year, special payments and variable components should be shown separately. In addition, the applicable collective agreement and its classification should be checked.

A fixed-term contract, a probationary period or a start date that depends on the residence permit must be worded in a way that still shows a binding offer of employment. The wording must not leave it open which position will actually be taken up once admission is granted.

The job profile links the position with the qualification

A job title such as project manager, technician or specialist says little about the actual activity. A good job profile describes the core tasks, the technical responsibility, the knowledge used and the role within the company. This allows the AMS to compare the offered position with the applicant's education and work experience.

For foreign qualifications, documents on the subject area, duration of studies and educational institution help. For vocational training, final certificates and, where applicable, the training content matter. Job references should state period and concrete tasks, not merely confirm hire and departure dates.

The Red White Red Card checklist separates personal documents from employer documents. That makes it easier to check whether every claimed qualification is backed by a document.

Company-related information must be current and verifiable

Company name, legal form, commercial register number, place of business and contact person should be consistent across all documents. Where there are several sites, it must be clear at which site the position is planned and where the work will actually be performed.

Depending on the category and the individual case, further company documents may be required. What matters is that the company and the offered job are real and concretely verifiable. General promotional material does not replace precise employment data.

If staffing agencies or group companies are involved, the actual employer must remain clearly identifiable. Contracting party, place of assignment and the line of technical instruction must not be mixed up with each other.

Keep personal and company evidence separate

The personal package regularly includes passport, photograph, health insurance and the education, language and professional evidence relevant to the category. Section 41 NAG does exempt the Red White Red Card from certain general requirements on accommodation and means of support, but the remaining personal requirements still have to be checked.

The employer should not evaluate civil status documents but can indicate early on which qualification and employment evidence is still missing for the joint filing. A simple document matrix listing evidence topic, responsible person and current status prevents duplicate work.

The Residence permit check helps identify the first permit group. It does not replace the choice of a specific Red White Red Card category, but it shows which baseline information is needed for the consultation.

The tie to the employer does not end when the application is filed

The admission under Section 20d AuslBG applies to employment with the employer named in the application. A change before a Red White Red Card plus is issued is therefore not merely an internal contract amendment; Section 20d(2) AuslBG provides for a further review in the same sense.

If company, role or conditions of employment change already during the procedure, the package should not silently continue with outdated entries. The new situation must be aligned with the chosen category and the stage of the procedure.

How unrestricted access to the labour market can be reached later is set out in the glossary entry on the Red White Red Card plus. The switch, however, has its own statutory requirements.

Common questions on employer documents for the Red White Red Card

Useful resources for employers and skilled workers