On September 17, 2026, Hannes Amesbauer, the Styrian State Councillor for Integration, visited the ÖIF Integration Centre in Styria to learn about the integration work of the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) and its digital cooperation with the State of Styria. The focus of the visit was on advising refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, digital language proficiency assessment, and the practical application of the federal government's integration interface.
Hannes Amesbauer, Regional Councillor for Social Affairs and Asylum: “Those receiving social assistance must also adhere to the associated rules and integration obligations. With our reform of the Styrian Social Assistance Act, we have therefore not only created stricter requirements and sanctions, but also further tightened enforcement through a decree in June. The integration interface of the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) is an important instrument in this regard, because the responsible authorities are quickly informed of relevant breaches of obligations and can implement the intended consequences. For me, it is clear: stricter rules must not only exist on paper; they must also be consistently applied in practice.”
Sabina Džalto, Head of the ÖIF Integration Centre Styria: “The Austrian Integration Fund provides all data on tax-financed integration measures completely, uniformly and up-to-date on a daily basis in the federal integration interface. This creates transparency regarding the use of tax revenue and a reliable basis for the swift and legally sound implementation of the Integration Act in the federal states.”
Up-to-the-minute data exchange creates greater commitment in integration.
Thanks to the close cooperation between the State of Styria and the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF), relevant information on integration progress is immediately available to the responsible authorities. Violations such as course dropouts or unexcused absences can thus be identified more quickly, and appropriate proceedings can be initiated. This is made possible by the federally operated integration interface. It enables the digital exchange of data between institutions that promote integration measures and the responsible authorities in the federal states. This reduces administrative effort, accelerates procedures, and creates greater transparency in the use of public funds.
ÖIF sets standards for transparent integration support
As the only institution in Austria, the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) provides comprehensive, up-to-date data on subsidized German language courses, integration exams, and values and orientation courses via its integration interface. This includes course start and end dates, exam results, absences, and course dropouts. The ÖIF updates up to 7,500 data records daily. In addition, approximately 276,000 documents, including course attendance certificates and exam results, are made available annually via the integration interface. The ÖIF thus creates a crucial data foundation for verifying integration obligations and for the evidence-based evaluation and further development of integration measures.
Styria relies on comprehensive digital collaboration
The state of Styria is fully connected to the current version of the integration interface. Information on course attendance, absences, and exam status is therefore available to the responsible authorities on a daily basis. The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) also supports the benefit-disbursing authorities with training on how to use the interface.