After five years of legal settlement in Austria, third-country nationals can acquire an unlimited right of residence. At the end of 2021, more than 300,000 persons held this status. While the right of residence is unlimited, the residence card must be renewed every five years. After numerous problems in recent years, a leading decision now brings legal certainty, explains DORDA partner Elmar Drabek, Head of the Immigration & Citizenship Practice Group.

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