How many points do I need for the Red-White-Red Card in a shortage occupation, and how are they scored?

The shortage-occupation route uses a points test. You must reach a minimum of 55 points. Points come from four areas: your vocational qualification in the shortage occupation (up to 30), relevant work experience (up to 20, with Austrian experience counting double per half-year), language skills (up to 25 for German, English or certain other languages), and age (up to 15 for being under 30, 10 under 40, 5 under 50).

There is also a bonus of 5 points if English is the main working language at the company. Because the threshold is only 55 of 90, many applicants can qualify by combining a solid qualification with some work experience and basic language ability. Use the points table on the official source to estimate your score before applying.