How to Move from the USA to Austria and Get Work Permit and Citizenship

After you have decided to move to Austria and gotten your residence permit all taken care of with the Austrian consulate in the US, the next thing you will need to do is to get yourself a work permit. There is more than one type of work permit, which makes the process a bit complex if you are going about this on your own. Remember that there are immigration lawyers and organizations that handle just immigration paperwork, should you need some help with yours. If you do not have the extra money to spend on help with the paperwork, or simply do not want to spend any extra money on it if you can help it, there are many different expat message boards full of people that have already gone through this exact process and are truly a wealth of information.

Before you go about getting yourself a work permit on your own, you should try to get a company to sponsor you. This is by far the easiest way to get yourself a work permit not only in Austria, but in any foreign country that you are going to, whether they are are part of the European Union or not. Typically, this is done by getting a job with a company in the US that has another office in your country of choice, such as Austria in this case. Once you have a job with a company that has an office in Austria, you wait for an opening at that office and then apply for a transfer. If you can get the transfer, you do not have to worry so much about the paperwork and fees for the work permit as your employer will take on that responsibility.

If you are not fortunate enough to have a job that can transfer you to their Austria location, then you will have to go the process alone. There are actually three types of Austrian work permits: the restricted work permit, the work permit and the unrestricted work permit.

The restricted work permit, called a Beschäftigungsbewilligung, is only valid for one year, after which it can be renewed or upgraded to a work permit. This permit is issued for a specific job at a specific location with a specific employer. If any of those 3 things change, you must apply for a new Beschäftigungsbewilligung. The work permit, called an Arbeitserlaubnis, is valid for two years. It is only good for one specific district, but it does allow you to change employers and positions within that district. After two years you can renew the work permit. The unrestricted work permit, known as a Befreiungsschein, is valid for a period of 5 years. It is available to anyone that has been working in the country legally for 5 years. Once you obtain the Befreiungsschein, you are able to work in any job in any district in all of Austria for the period of 5 years.

Next on your list of accomplishments after obtaining the Befreiungsschein is more than likely becoming an Austrian citizen. To be eligible for citizenship in Austria, you must either have lived in the country for at least 10 years or have been married to an Austrian citizen for 5 years. The requirements are similar to those of other European Union countries. You must possess an efficiency in the German language. You cannot have a criminal record in the US. You must be willing to renounce your American citizenship. You must be able to earn a living and support yourself without relying on the Austrian government’s social services. And you must have a general understanding of the ways of Austrian society. The process regularly takes over a year to complete, so do not be hindered by the lack of progress in regards to your application.