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COMPARED: Germany’s Chancenkarte vs. Austria’s Red-White-Red card for skilled non-EU workers

In their race to recruit expert workers, Germany and Austria have recently announced overhauls to the visas skilled non-EU citizens can get. Germany’s Chancenkarte or 'opportunity card' and Austria’s 'Red-White-Red' card both aim to make it easier for skilled non-EU workers to take up jobs in the two countries. But how do they compare?

Published: 17 March 2023 10:09 CET
Updated: 20 March 2023 10:49 CET

Is it possible to get a working holiday visa in Switzerland? Photo by ConvertKit on Unsplash

One reader recommends mapping out which visa to apply for and when, before you ever arrive. Photo by ConvertKit on Unsplash

The skills shortages in Germany and Austria have become recent and urgent priorities for both governments. At least 124,000 jobs need filling in Austria and the government estimates the actual need could be double that number. Germany’s Labour Ministry estimates it currently needs to recruit around 400,000 foreign workers a year – just to keep up.

As two German-speaking countries, Germany and Austria are competing for a lot of the same skilled talent. So aside from the other aspects of living in either country – which one is offering a better visa regime?

Here, it depends a lot on your situation and priorities. As an example, each country’s EU Blue Card scheme works a little bit differently. Germany’s generally requires a higher minimum salary than Austria’s. But Germany’s also makes getting permanent residence later a little bit easier – so potential applicants have to consider some trade-offs.

The new German Chancenkarte, or ‘opportunity card’ – how it’s set to make looking for work in Germany easier

For those who aren’t necessarily eligible for an EU Blue Card in Germany or Austria, other types of work or jobseeker visas exist.

Foreign specialists looking for a job in Germany typically need a job offer related to their professional qualification, and the German employment agency must approve the job offer. Applicants older than 45 must also have an annual salary of at least €46,530 (2023 values) – if they are coming to Germany for the first time. Even this minimum salary is lower than the threshold needed for an EU Blue Card in Germany.

But what if you don’t have a formal job offer?

The current traffic light government of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and liberal Free Democrats (FDP) wants skilled people to also be able to come to Germany to look for work. The Chancenkarte – set to pass the Bundestag in the next few months – is designed to help non-EU nationals do this on a points basis.

German Bundestag

The German Bundestag is set to pass the new “opportunity card” or Chancenkarte – in the next few months, allowing some skilled workers to come to Germany to look for work even without a job offer. Photo: Felix Mittermeier/Pixabay

To be eligible for it, applicants have to broadly fulfill three out of these four conditions – meaning that applicants could still be considered for the Chancenkarte if they don’t have a formal job offer and are still missing one of these:

A university degree or professional qualification
Professional experience of at least three years
German language skills or previous residence in Germany (higher language skills give more points)
Under 35 years-old

The Chancenkarte thus differs from the current jobseeker visa, which lets people come to Germany to look for work if they have:

a qualification recognised in Germany and a practice permit for a regulated profession
proof a German language skills (typically to B1 level)
proof of ability to pay living costs

Designed to be more flexible, in the right circumstances, a future Chancenkarte holder could end up including a young person who has no university degree but both language skills and work experience. The German employer may be able to then hire this person, if they can work out a plan that allows the employee to upgrade their qualifications accordingly for the German job market.

Other future Chancenkarte holders might also include someone who doesn’t yet speak German but who is young with both a university degree and job experience, or a recent graduate with no experience but has appropriate language skills.

The government is looking to give Chancenkarte holders the ability to look for a job in Germany for one year. That’s longer than the current jobseeker visa’s six-month term. Holders are also allowed to engage in part-time or trial employment, allowing the employer to get to know the potential employee before hiring them on full-time.

Austria’s “Red-White-Red” card – the advantages for certain professions

Because Germany’s Chancenkarte is still in the draft law phase – even if expected to be approved soon – we know a lot more about the specifics of Austria’s Red-White-Red card.

Firstly, Germany’s Chancenkarte is designed for flexibility and is intended to allow potential skilled workers to come to the country even if they don’t have a job offer. By contrast, most applicants for an Austrian Red-White-Red card must have a job offer. Austria’s Red-White-Red card is also more specifically targeted, maintaining different points schemes for different types of skilled workers.

Furthermore, Austria’s point system for the Red-White-Red card gives additional advantages to graduates in STEM subjects like math, engineering, natural sciences or technology – if they are applying under the “Very Highly Qualified Workers” scheme of the Red-White-Red card.

At the same time, a Red-White-Red applicant in a “shortage occupation,” may find it slightly easier than other applicants to get enough points to qualify for a Red-White-Red card. Shortage occupations include many types of experts who will have had a high level of academic advanced education – like engineers or physicians. But many shortage occupations in Austria also include skilled workers with vocational training, such as roofers, masseuses, bakers, and carpenters. Some shortage occupations are Austria-wide, while others are region-specific. You can find the full list at the available links.

Most non-EU applicants for Austria’s points-based Red-White-Red card will need to secure a job offer before getting the card, unlike with Germany’s planned Chancenkarte. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

Certain “Other Key Workers” may also be able to apply for a Red-White-Red card, provided they have enough points, no equally qualified registered jobseeker at the Public Employment Service can be placed, and they are paid a minimum monthly salary of €2,925. Certain seasonal workers can also apply if they’ve worked for at least seven months of the last two years in that occupation and have at least A2 level German. These people also need job offers.

The only potential Red-White-Red applicants who don’t need job offers are self-employed key workers and start-up founders. Both of these applicants though, need to prove a minimum level of capital, amongst other requirements.

Successful applicants for a Red-White-Red card may then work in Austria for up to two years, at which point they may apply to extend their work permission through a Red-White-Red Plus card, which gives the holder unlimited access to the Austrian labour market that isn’t bound to any specific employer.

German – and English – language skills: How the Chancenkarte and Red-White-Red value languages

The other big difference between the German Chancenkarte and the Austrian Red-White-Red revolves around the points awarded for German or English skills.

In general, Austria’s Red-White-Red tends to require a lower level of German language skills in order to achieve points in an applicant’s favour. For example, applicants in shortage occupations will get five points for the most basic level of German – A1. That increases to 10 points for A2 and 15 points for B1 – to a maximum possible 15 points from German language skills.

By contrast, the current draft plans for the German Chancenkarte would require an applicant to have C1 German – the second-highest possible level – to get maximum points under language skills. Even B2 German – an upper intermediate level where speakers can begin to make advanced arguments – only yields a Chancenkarte hopeful partial points.

A German for Dummies language book sits atop a desk next to a pen and a cup of coffee. Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash

Getting points for language skills is generally easier under Austria’s Red-White-Red card system than Germany’s proposed Chancenkarte. Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash

Furthermore, Austria places English language skills on a mostly equal footing with German language skills – with basic A1 English being enough to get some workers partial points under the Austrian Red-White-Red scheme. A skilled worker looking to apply under Red-White-Red who can speak both English and German at a B1 level would already achieve the maximum number of points an applicant can get from languages under the Austrian Red-White-Red system.

By comparison, the German government has not announced plans to give out points under the Chancenkarte system specifically for English language skills, even if some applicants will be able to get enough points to get one even without speaking German at a high level. We should stress though, that the German Chancenkarte legislation is still in the draft phase and could change in some ways before it’s passed.

Flexibility and language trade-offs

The German Chancenkarte may ultimately end up being a more flexible option for skilled workers who want to come to Germany first before they commit to any one particular employer. It may also end up being more favourable for people who don’t come from the shortage professions that Austria is specifically targeting, for example. By contrast, getting a Red-White-Red card in Austria almost always requires a specific job offer.

Yet some applicants who snag a job offer may find it easier to qualify for Austria’s Red-White-Red card if they have a lower level of German language skills – particularly if they can speak English – which Austria’s points system values in a way that Germany isn’t considering.

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EXPLAINED: What I was asked about in my German citizenship test

If you’re anything like me, sitting any kind of exam always feels daunting, even if it’s one you’ve heard isn’t too difficult to pass.

The silent rooms, the ticking clocks, the invigilator at the front of the room – the whole experience takes me back to my school years, conjuring up memories of being the person who struggled to finish in time and who inevitably failed to notice those ten extra questions on the back of the exam.

Luckily, though, the German citizenship test isn’t too much like exams I’ve taken in the past. Though the stakes are admittedly high, the pressure somehow felt much, much lower.

For starters, you don’t have to worry about getting an impressive grade in your German citizenship test – though of course it’s nice to do well. Your results are either a “pass” or a “fail”, and the bar to hit in order to pass is a 50 percent success rate.

That means that, out of 33 questions in total, you only have to get 17 right in order to pass the test. And to make things even simpler, the questions are multiple choice – so if you’re really stuck, you still have a chance of striking lucky if you tick any of the four potential answers.

So when I arrived to sit my citizenship test in Berlin’s Treptow-Köpenick district on Thursday, the nerves weren’t too overwhelming. In fact, my biggest worry was that I had forgotten some minor administrative hurdle and would be sent home with a stern expression and told to rebook in six months’ time.

Thankfully, after showing my passport and putting my initials on a little attendance form, I was allowed into the exam room at the Volkshochschule – and then it was simply a case of listening to some simple instructions, shutting away my phone in my backpack and waiting to take the test.

Before the exam started, the invigilator let us know that we’d all be given a different selection of questions, so there was no point in trying to see what anyone else was doing.

That said, there are common themes – and questions – that tend to come up time and time again. Here’s how my exam went down.

What you need to know for the German citizenship test

From taking a few practice exams before sitting the citizenship test, I’d say my experience was pretty typical in terms of difficulty and the make-up of the questions and topics that crop up.

The test consists of 33 questions that are picked from a catalogue of 310. Of these, 30 questions will be about Germany in general – anything from politics to day-to-day life – and these will be picked from 300 possible questions on an array of different themes.

New German citizens gather for a naturalisation ceremony in Frankfurt am Main. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Frank Molter

The final three questions will be related to the federal state you live in – in my case, Berlin. These are picked from a possible 10, so this part is pretty easy to prep for.

Of course, it can be nerve-wracking not knowing what’s going to come up, but if you do enough practice questions you’ll realise that there are only really a limited number of topics that are covered. These are the main ones.

General Knowledge

Whether it’s the national anthem or Germany’s crest, having a basic knowledge of Germany’s national symbols and constitution is important for passing the citizenship test.

For instance, you might get asked to name the colours of the flag (in order), say who wrote the lyrics to the national anthem, or identify a picture of the Reichstag or the Bundesadler. You might also have some questions about the former eastern and western states.

Alternatively, you could also be asked about certain national holidays in Germany and a few of the cultural traditions behind them.

In my case, the questions weren’t too tricky for someone who’s lived in Germany for a little while. Here are five of the key ones I was asked:

What animal is on the German crest? (Eagle)
Which religion has shaped European and German culture? (Christianity)
What is ‘Pfingsten’? (A Christian public holiday)
For which celebration do people in Germany wear colourful costumes and masks? (Rosenmontag)
Which of the following states was previously in the DDR? (Thuringia)

History

Possibly the most daunting topic on the test, you can probably expect to get at least five or so questions relating to German history. But there’s no need to panic, since you’re not going to be asked to name the birthplace and birth year of some lesser-know monarch like König Otto.

In fact, from my experience, you can pretty much assume that most history questions will be related either to Nazi-era Germany, the Second World War or the DDR years. Here are a few of the questions that came up up for me:

What year did Adolf Hitler come to power in Germany? (1933)
What year was the Berlin Wall built? (1961)
What did the word “Monday demonstration” mean in Germany in 1989? (Demonstrations every Monday against the DDR regime.)
What did the term “Iron Curtain” refer to? (The Warsaw Pact against the West)
Who was the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany? (Konrad Adenauer)

If any of these seem tricky, it’s worth remembering that they are multiple choice questions, so you may see an answer that rings a bell. And, in the worst-case scenario, you may not do as well on this part of the test and simply need to find your 17 correct answers elsewhere.

Society and the Constitution

This part of the test generally involves various ways of asking whether Germany is a democracy and what kind of rights are enshrined in the Basic Law, such as the right to free speech and thought (Meinungsfreiheit) or the right to choose your own faith and religion.

You might also be asked questions that are designed to check whether you’re on board with some basic assumptions about, for example, the right to protest or the equal rights of different ethnicities or genders.

A woman takes her German citizenship. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Lino Mirgeler

Here are a few of the questions that came up in my test:

Which of these rights is NOT enshrined in the Basic Law? (The right for everyone to have the same amount of money)
What is compatible with the German Basic Law? (Financial penalties / fines)
Two friends want to go to a public swimming pool in Germany. Both have dark skin and are therefore not allowed in. Which right is violated in this situation? (The right to be treated equally)

Daily Life

Anyone who’s lived in Germany for long enough to be applying for citizenship probably understands that life here involves doing things a certain way, and knowing that way can save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

That’s probably enough reason to freshen up your knowledge of admin and the more bureaucratic aspects of daily life before taking the citizenship test.

That said, you don’t have to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of every possible Amt there is to know about – and let’s face it, the majority of Germans don’t either. But it’s good to have a basic idea of the social security system, for example, or where to go if you need to register an address or claim a certain type of benefits.

Here are a few of the questions I was asked on this topic:

Where do you have to go first in Germany if you want to get married? (Standesamt)
What does the Career Information Center BIZ at the Federal Employment Agency in Germany help with? (Finding a job)
What do eligible citizens in Germany get before an election? (A voting slip from the municipality)

I was also shown four pictures of voting slips with various numbers of ticks in the first and second candidate boxes and asked to pick which of them would be accepted in a federal election. As you can imagine, the slip with one candidate ticked on each side of the ballot was correct.

Politics

Out of all the topics on the citizenship test, this is one that tends to crop up the most in various shapes and sizes – and you should be aware that you may not just be asked about national politics, but also about the federal states and even the EU as well.

If you read The Local regularly, you’re probably pretty clued up on this already – and you’re bound to know, for instance, that the current German chancellor is called Olaf Scholz.

The German flag flies in front of the dome of the Reichstag in Berlin. Photo: picture alliance / Soeren Stache/dpa | Soeren Stache

Otherwise, it’s a good idea to brush up a little on how the politic system works – i.e. how the chancellor and president are elected, the difference between the Bundesrat and Bundestag, and what state elections are called – if this is a weak area for you.

Here’s a selection of the slightly nerdy political questions that cropped up for me:

Who is responsible for electing the chancellor of Germany? (Bundestag)
What does the abbreviation CSU mean in Germany? (Christian Social Union)
What do you call members of parliament elected by the citizens? (Abgeordnete / Deputies)
In Germany, a change of government in a federal state can have an impact on the
federal policy. How? (Governing becomes harder if the government lose a majority in the Bundesrat)
Germany is a founding member of what? (The European Union)

Berlin

As mentioned, every citizenship test involves three questions related to the state you live in, which will mostly be basic questions about the state symbols, flags and political system.

The three questions I was asked about Berlin were as follows:

What colours are on the Berlin flag? (red and white)
What do you call the head of the government in Berlin? (Governing mayor)
The state parliament in Berlin is elected for how many years? (5)

I certainly didn’t know the answer to every single question on my test, but having a full hour gave me a good amount of time to check everything over – and I still l was left with more than half the time to spare.

So, take your time, brush up a few of your weak areas and don’t fret if there’s something you don’t know. There’s always a chance to find those 17 right answers elsewhere in the test.

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