The Federal Legal Information System (RIS) released an updated consolidated version of the Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz (NAG) dated 15 July 2026. While no new paragraphs were created, the mid-year text incorporates amendments that entered force between April and July, giving practitioners a single reference point that reflects the latest case-law tweaks and the government’s January digitalisation package. Key for global-mobility teams is a streamlined paragraph 41a, which now explicitly states that holders of the Red-White-Red Card Plus enjoy unrestricted labour-market access without sectoral or regional quotas once they have completed the initial two-year integration phase. The update also clarifies family-reunification thresholds in § 46, aligning income requirements with the 2026 minimum-wage hike. Several technical cross-references to the new Entry/Exit System were added, signalling that biometric exit records will become a pre-condition for card renewal from April 2027 onward. Although the changes are largely codification, having an authoritative “single source of truth” matters. HR teams processing assignments can now quote the July consolidation when embassy staff or notaries work off older printouts. Lawyers note that some provincial immigration offices had been interpreting the previous wording narrowly, insisting on employer consent for job changes; the revised commentary should end that practice. Companies planning intra-EU moves should also note the expanded § 50a, which makes it easier for Blue-Card holders from another member state to switch to Austria, provided they maintain comparable social-insurance coverage. The labour ministry is expected to issue updated implementation guidelines in August. Practical tip: download the 15 July 2026 PDF version from RIS and attach it to all ongoing work-permit files so that clerks cannot reject applications based on outdated citations.
