The Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD) and Advantage Austria hosted a live webinar on 29 April 2026 aimed at Brazilian students, researchers and tech professionals considering a move to Austria. Speakers from the Federal Ministry of Labour and the Immigration Office for Vienna walked participants through this year’s streamlined residence-permit process, emphasising the new online appointment portal and shorter biometric-card production times, which have fallen from eight to four weeks.
![Austria-Brazil mobility webinar showcases smoother student-visa and Red-White-Red Card routes]()
For Brazilians and other non-EU nationals who want extra help navigating these formalities, VisaHQ provides end-to-end assistance with Austrian visas and residence permits, including the Red-White-Red Card. Through its portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/), applicants can check eligibility, upload documents securely and lock in embassy appointments, making the path to Austria markedly smoother.
Particular attention was given to the Red-White-Red Card (RWR Card), Austria’s points-based work-and-residence permit that now carries lower minimum-salary thresholds for STEM graduates of Austrian universities. Officials confirmed that graduates can switch directly from a student residence permit to an RWR Card without first returning home—a long-standing pain-point for non-EU nationals. The webinar also highlighted recent amendments that allow up to 16 hours of employment per week during studies, easing financial pressure and fostering earlier ties with Austrian employers. Brazilian attendees heard success stories from tech start-up SpeedPlex and automotive supplier Magna Steyr, both of which recruited Brazilian engineers under the RWR Card track. HR managers advised future applicants to start skills-recognition procedures with ENIC-NARIC Austria before visa filing and recommended budgeting at least €170 for fees and translations. For universities, the message was equally clear: diversify recruitment beyond traditional European markets. Representatives from TU Graz and the University of Vienna announced scholarship schemes that cover 50 % of tuition for high-scoring applicants from Latin America. In turn, the Austrian embassy in Brasília previewed a dedicated consular “study-lane” during peak filing months (July–September) to reduce appointment backlogs. With Brazil sending more than 2 000 degree-seeking students to Austria last year—a 27 % jump—the new measures are expected to accelerate growth. Companies seeking Portuguese-speaking talent, especially in software development and green tech, stand to benefit as graduates can now remain for up to one year on a job-seeker visa before transitioning to the RWR Card.
For Brazilians and other non-EU nationals who want extra help navigating these formalities, VisaHQ provides end-to-end assistance with Austrian visas and residence permits, including the Red-White-Red Card. Through its portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/), applicants can check eligibility, upload documents securely and lock in embassy appointments, making the path to Austria markedly smoother.
Particular attention was given to the Red-White-Red Card (RWR Card), Austria’s points-based work-and-residence permit that now carries lower minimum-salary thresholds for STEM graduates of Austrian universities. Officials confirmed that graduates can switch directly from a student residence permit to an RWR Card without first returning home—a long-standing pain-point for non-EU nationals. The webinar also highlighted recent amendments that allow up to 16 hours of employment per week during studies, easing financial pressure and fostering earlier ties with Austrian employers. Brazilian attendees heard success stories from tech start-up SpeedPlex and automotive supplier Magna Steyr, both of which recruited Brazilian engineers under the RWR Card track. HR managers advised future applicants to start skills-recognition procedures with ENIC-NARIC Austria before visa filing and recommended budgeting at least €170 for fees and translations. For universities, the message was equally clear: diversify recruitment beyond traditional European markets. Representatives from TU Graz and the University of Vienna announced scholarship schemes that cover 50 % of tuition for high-scoring applicants from Latin America. In turn, the Austrian embassy in Brasília previewed a dedicated consular “study-lane” during peak filing months (July–September) to reduce appointment backlogs. With Brazil sending more than 2 000 degree-seeking students to Austria last year—a 27 % jump—the new measures are expected to accelerate growth. Companies seeking Portuguese-speaking talent, especially in software development and green tech, stand to benefit as graduates can now remain for up to one year on a job-seeker visa before transitioning to the RWR Card.
