Austria Gives Eligible Foreign Workers Six Months to Find a New Job

Austria has eased work permit rules for foreign workers, making it easier to switch employers and to stay legally in the country after losing a job. Eligible workers can now get a six-month grace period to find new employment.

In this article we set out the new timing, and the limit the announcement already includes. Here is everything you need to know.

Who the new work permit timing leaves out

The grace period is for eligible workers. Complete immigration applications will generally be processed within 90 days. The changes took effect on 7 August 2026. Some permit categories are excluded, and this account does not name them.

The six months is time to find another job after losing one. It is not described here as a new visa for people who are not already workers.

Why it matters

Losing a job has often meant losing the right to stay. A six-month grace period, for those who are eligible, separates those two events. The 90-day processing line applies to complete applications, and only generally.

• The country is Austria
• The subject is the work permit
• Switching employers is easier
• Staying legally after a job loss is easier
• The grace period is six months
• Complete files are generally processed within 90 days
• The start date is 7 August 2026

What workers still need to check

1. Whether their permit category is one of those excluded.
2. What "eligible" requires.
3. What happens if no job is found within six months.
4. Whether an incomplete file still gets a 90-day decision. The rule says complete applications.

What happens next

A list of the excluded categories would tell workers whether the grace period applies to them. We will update this article if that list is published.

Our verdict

Austria's work permit changes, in effect since 7 August 2026, let eligible workers switch employers and take six months to find a new job after losing one. Complete applications are generally processed within 90 days. Some permit categories are excluded.

Follow for more updates.