Red-White-Red Card for Graduates

The Red-White-Red Card for graduates is a residence and work permit for third-country nationals who successfully completed eligible studies in Austria and then receive a qualifying job offer from an Austrian employer. For this graduate route, there is no points system.

You may qualify if you are a third-country national and you successfully completed studies at an Austrian university, university of applied sciences, or accredited private university. The official page also says you must prove successful completion of a diploma programme from at least the second stage of studies, or a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programme.

No. The graduate route does not use the points system. That is one of the main differences between this pathway and some other Red-White-Red Card categories. As a graduate, you get to skip past the points system, and head right into your job hunt. 

Yes. After successfully completing your studies or compulsory post-study training, you may renew your residence permit “Students” for 12 months in order to search for employment or start a business, as long as you meet the general requirements such as sufficient means of subsistence and health insurance.

Graduates can renew their student residence permit for up to 12 months to look for a job or start a business. If they receive a suitable job offer during that period, they may apply for the Red-White-Red Card for graduates.

Yes. You need an employment offer from a specific Austrian employer. The work contract must match your level of qualification, and the job must meet the required salary and employment conditions.

Yes. The official guidance says the employment offer must match your level of qualification. This is one of the key requirements for the graduate route.

The graduate must receive the locally customary gross minimum salary that comparable Austrian graduates in junior positions would receive. In practice, this means the salary must be appropriate for the role, qualification level, and applicable collective agreement.

The official page says eligible qualifications include certain diploma programmes, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees completed in Austria. The institution must be an Austrian university, university of applied sciences, or accredited private university.