Austria’s Interior Ministry yesterday closed the four-week consultation on its mammoth “Asyl- und Migrationspakt-Anpassungsgesetz” (AMPAG), the 600-page bill that is meant to transpose the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum (GEAS) into national law.
While most of the text mirrors the EU package, the government used the transposition to add a controversial national quota for family reunification. According to the explanatory memorandum, only a fixed number of first-degree relatives of recognised refugees would be processed each year; once the cap is reached, further applications would be carried over to the following year. Amnesty International Österreich warns that, in practice, families could remain separated for up to three years because backlogs would quickly build up, especially for Syrians and Afghans, who already account for more than 60 % of the current caseload.(amnesty.at)
The draft also shifts competence from the humanitarian-oriented Asylgesetz to the more restrictive Settlement and Residence Act (NAG). Dependants would receive only a one-year, renewable Red-White-Red Card Plus instead of an open-ended protection status. Their residence would become dependent on the sponsor’s permit and on proof of sufficient income at every renewal, which lawyers say creates unequal power relations within families and contradicts EU jurisprudence on the right to family life.(amnesty.at)
![Austria’s draft GEAS law would cap family-reunification visas and delay reunions by up to three years]()
Beyond human-rights concerns, employers’ associations fear knock-on effects for labour mobility. Many recognised refugees already work in Austria’s hospitality and manufacturing sectors; delayed family reunification raises the risk that employees seek relocation to more “family-friendly” member states once they obtain long-term EU residence rights, increasing staff turnover costs. Several chambers of commerce have urged the government to drop the quota and instead speed up digitalisation of visa posts, arguing that stable family structures boost retention and integration.
For organisations and individuals trying to stay ahead of these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can offer practical help. The company’s Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) tracks legislative updates in real time and provides step-by-step support for visa, residence and family-reunification filings. By streamlining document preparation and liaising with consular offices, VisaHQ helps minimise delays and uncertainty while the AMPAG rules are still in flux.
The Interior Ministry has not commented on possible amendments, but coalition lawmakers indicated that the bill could be fast-tracked and passed before Easter so that Austria can meet the EU implementation deadline of 12 June 2026. If adopted unchanged, NGOs are expected to file complaints with the Constitutional Court and, eventually, the Court of Justice of the EU. Mobility managers should therefore plan for at least 18 months of legal uncertainty when advising refugee employees wishing to bring in dependants.
While most of the text mirrors the EU package, the government used the transposition to add a controversial national quota for family reunification. According to the explanatory memorandum, only a fixed number of first-degree relatives of recognised refugees would be processed each year; once the cap is reached, further applications would be carried over to the following year. Amnesty International Österreich warns that, in practice, families could remain separated for up to three years because backlogs would quickly build up, especially for Syrians and Afghans, who already account for more than 60 % of the current caseload.(amnesty.at)
The draft also shifts competence from the humanitarian-oriented Asylgesetz to the more restrictive Settlement and Residence Act (NAG). Dependants would receive only a one-year, renewable Red-White-Red Card Plus instead of an open-ended protection status. Their residence would become dependent on the sponsor’s permit and on proof of sufficient income at every renewal, which lawyers say creates unequal power relations within families and contradicts EU jurisprudence on the right to family life.(amnesty.at)
Beyond human-rights concerns, employers’ associations fear knock-on effects for labour mobility. Many recognised refugees already work in Austria’s hospitality and manufacturing sectors; delayed family reunification raises the risk that employees seek relocation to more “family-friendly” member states once they obtain long-term EU residence rights, increasing staff turnover costs. Several chambers of commerce have urged the government to drop the quota and instead speed up digitalisation of visa posts, arguing that stable family structures boost retention and integration.
For organisations and individuals trying to stay ahead of these shifting requirements, VisaHQ can offer practical help. The company’s Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) tracks legislative updates in real time and provides step-by-step support for visa, residence and family-reunification filings. By streamlining document preparation and liaising with consular offices, VisaHQ helps minimise delays and uncertainty while the AMPAG rules are still in flux.
The Interior Ministry has not commented on possible amendments, but coalition lawmakers indicated that the bill could be fast-tracked and passed before Easter so that Austria can meet the EU implementation deadline of 12 June 2026. If adopted unchanged, NGOs are expected to file complaints with the Constitutional Court and, eventually, the Court of Justice of the EU. Mobility managers should therefore plan for at least 18 months of legal uncertainty when advising refugee employees wishing to bring in dependants.
