People are always saying that they want to move to Europe. Usually when people say this they mention romantic locales such as France and Italy, but no one ever mentions Austria. However, Austria is also a rather romantic nation, and actually still holds formal balls in the country. If you are interested in moving to Austria, then you will need to decide what you are going there for and how long you plan on staying so that you can make sure that you fill out the appropriate paperwork and end up getting the correct visa for your stay.
If you want to escape America and live and work in Austria you will need to make sure you have the proper documentation in place before you arrive in Austria. There are two types of visas that you want to make sure you do not get if you want to stay and work in Austria, which are the Class C and Class D visas.
The Class C visa is a tourist visa valid for all the Schengen area European Union countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, Portugal and Spain) and is the most commonly issued visa. It allows you a stay of up to 3 months in the country and no work privileges. The Class D visa is a visa that is specifically for Austria. This visa is issued for a term up to 6 months and comes with no work privileges.
What you do want to make sure you get is a different sort of visa – the residence permit. The residence permit must be applied for before you leave the United States. There are two options for the American expat that wants to work in Austria, the stay permit or the residence permit.
The stay permit, or the Aufenthaltserlaubnis, is the best option for someone that wants to go to school or work in Austria but does not want to actually live in Austria. This is typically utilized by students, as opposed to someone commuting in from a neighboring country. The more common option is the residence permit, or the NiederlassungsnachweiI, which is given to people that actually want to settle down and live in Austria. The documentation requirements are basically the same as they are in all of the other European Union countries. Note that there are some cases in which US citizens and highly skilled workers are allowed to apply for the residence visa while already in the country on a tourist visa. This is done on a case by case basis, so it would be best to do all the paperwork from the US.
When you get your residence permit, your spouse and children are automatically eligible to live with you as well, as long as the immigration quota allows it. Austria has a somewhat strict immigration quota system, which leaves some families spending years awaiting the time when they can all be allowed to legally reside in Austria. Of course, the quota is left to the wayside for people that fall into the highly skilled worker category, or Schlüsselkraft, which means you need an advanced degree, you have investment capital and you bring value to the Austrian economy. Find an Austrian employer to support you in this process and you hit the jackpot, so to speak.
However, if you can get documentation from an employer showing that you will be making at least 4,200 Euros per month, then all the rules go out the window. If this applies to you, congratulations, you can move to Austria and live and work there without needing any permits whatsoever. You are even guaranteed to be able to bring your spouse and children with you.
When you arrive in Austria with your residence permit, remember to register with the local authorities within 3 days of being in the country.
