Pre-Check Qualification Register
Pre-Check Qualification Register for Qualified Professionals
Enhancing the effectiveness and timeliness of recognizing foreign qualifications in shortage occupations lies at the heart of the Pre-Check Qualification Register by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy. The procedure aims to facilitate the pathway to Austria for foreign professionals from selected focus countries, such as the Philippines, specifically to address the skilled labour shortage. The Pre-Check assesses and evaluates qualifications related to a completed vocational training in the country of origin, allowing pre-assessed training programs to be recognized more securely and processed significantly faster within the framework of the Red-White-Red Card. Additionally, the Pre-Check provides useful guidance to employers who are evaluating the likelihood of recognition of skills and qualifications acquired abroad by their potential employees. For trainings not covered by the Pre-Check, the respective AMS (Public Employment Service Austria) will continue to assess them on a case-by-case basis. The legal basis for this initiative is § 6 (4) Recognition and Evaluation Act (Anerkennungs- und Bewertungsgesetz), which states that the Federal Minister of Labour and Economy needs to evaluate those foreign examination certificates within the scope of the Vocational Training Act (Berufsausbildungsgesetz), whose equivalence cannot be demonstrated according to § 27a (1)-(3) of the Vocational Training Act.
Pre-Check Qualification Register - Philippines
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy, in collaboration with the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers under the Austrian-Philippine MOU "On the Recruitment of Qualified Professionals", has developed the below Pre-Check Qualification Register, which includes recognized professional training programs from the Philippines. These training programs meet the requirements for occupations listed in the shortage occupations list, according to the Skilled Workers Regulation (Fachkräfte-Verordnung 2024), and allow for a faster and more secure processing of Red-White-Red Card applications, as one can omit individual qualification assessments. To achieve this, the involved staff aligned training content and their classification in the Philippine qualification framework with the Austrian system. They will continue to update and expand the register regularly, assisting regional AMS offices and employers in evaluating Philippine professional training programs more securely and significantly faster.