New and important change from April1st: Application for prolongation BEFORE the Visa expires

We want to inform you that there is a new law for visum prolongation from april 1, 2009: other than before, one has to apply for prolongation BEFORE the visum expires. if not, the request for prolongation will be treated as "erstantrag" (first request), that means for a lot of peolpe application from abroad.
so please forward this information to whom it might concern!

The following change of law becomes effective as at 1 April 2009:
Applications for the extension of residence permits have to be submitted BEFORE your residence permit expires. If you submit your application for extension of a residence permit AFTER your current residence permit has expired, your application will be considered a FIRST-TIME APPLICATION, which you will have to submit at an Austrian diplomatic representation in your country of origin.

Please submit your application for extension of your residence
permit in good time BEFORE your current residence permit
expires. Otherwise you will lose your right to stay in Austria!