Austria’s immigration authorities granted 9,741 work and residency permits, known as Red-White-Red Cards, in 2024, marking a 21% increase from the previous year, according to the Labour Ministry.

The increase is part of the government’s efforts to address the shortage of skilled workers, with the number of Red-White-Red Cards issued rising sharply since the system was reformed in October 2022.

“The high demand for skilled workers remains one of the biggest challenges for domestic employers, and it will increase further with the next economic upswing,” said Labour Minister Martin Kocher.

To streamline the recognition process for foreign qualifications, the government introduced the “Pre-Check” register for the Philippines in autumn 2024. The system is designed to accelerate the immigration of skilled workers in shortage occupations.

Currently, 102 Filipino qualifications are registered, with more expected to follow. In addition to the Philippines, Albania, Brazil, Indonesia, and Kosovo have been identified as key countries for targeted skilled worker recruitment.

Nursing Training Up by 16%

Alongside its immigration strategy, the government is also working to tap into the domestic pool of skilled workers.

In 2024, around 269,000 people were further qualified through Public Employment Service (AMS) programmes, and the number of nursing training placements grew by 16%. “Without these measures, the shortage of workers in sectors like healthcare and tourism would be even more pronounced,” Kocher said.

To support the labour market integration of asylum seekers and those with subsidiary protection status, an additional €75 million has been allocated for this year. Workers from EU and EEA countries remain vital to Austria’s labour market, with the number of employees from these regions nearly doubling over the past decade to 605,977.