Top 8 Countries that Give Work Permits After Study

Students are increasingly choosing to study at universities overseas and to seek a post-study work visa. The number of applications to universities abroad has increased by about 22%, according to UNESCO data. Therefore, it is accurate to say that this is a crucial step towards professional development. Since 2016, major countries internationally have allowed students to stay behind and work; nevertheless, a tiny number of countries still apply rigorous laws and do not allow students to stay back to work in their country. One of the primary factors of international students, applying to colleges overseas, is the convenience of applying for after after-study work visa.

There are several countries where a student can continue their education while returning home to gain work experience. In comparison to other countries, study abroad applications from students from India are 80% higher for the US; nevertheless, Canada and Australia have also become popular destinations. This is so that they can provide immigration chances based on the degree level of the student. Depending on their qualifications, students can choose to work full-time or part-time while pursuing a postgraduate degree. Read on to learn more about countries offering post-study work permits after study.

Ranking of Countries Offering Work Permit after Study

Countries Offering Work Permit After Study	Country wise Ranking 2022
USA	1
Australia	2
United Kingdom	3
Canada	4
Germany	6
New Zealand	12

Countries that Give Work Permits After Study

Here is a list of a few highly popular and renowned countries that give work permits after study to international students:

1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. United Kingdom
4. United States of America
5. Canada
6. Germany

Australia

Australia is one of the most popular countries that give work permits after study and is extremely accepting of international students. Hence, it becomes a popular destination for students to pursue their higher education and further kickstart their professional careers. Australia’s work visa program allows students to include their family members as well. Under Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) one can apply for a post-study work permit in Australia. There are two streams for this: 

• Graduate Work: This visa is for international students who have graduated in fields that are in demand in Australia. This visa allows students to stay for 18 months. 
• Post-Study Work: This visa is for international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian university. Students can usually stay between 2 and 4 years with this visa based on their qualifications.

Permit Duration

• Students with a bachelor’s degree: 5 years
• Students with a master’s degree coursework: 4 years
• Students with a master’s by research degree: 3 years
• Students with a doctoral degree (PhD): 4 years

Requirements

• Health insurance
• A bachelor’s degree qualifies for an 18-month Graduate Work Visa.
• IELTS with a band score of 6.5 and no less than 6 or PTE with a band score of 6.5 and no less than 50
• Graduates of a Master’s or PhD degree may apply for the Post Study Work Visa.
• Depending on their degree of qualification, students can stay in Australia for 3-5 years.
• International students must have completed 2 years of academic study in Australia, which might be a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate degree. Those with a diploma are ineligible for a work visa.

However, the permit after study isn’t available for all the job categories or specializations. Thus, while choosing one’s course, students should be careful. In order to know more about applying for a student visa in Australia, check out our blog on an Australian student visa.

New Zealand 

Next up on our list of top countries that give work permits after study is none other than New Zealand. If you are in the field of Hospitality, Tourism, Food Science, Management, Agriculture, etc, then New Zealand is the ultimate work destination for you. In terms of ranking, New Zealand is ranked 12th among the best countries to give work permits after study in the world.  Post-study work visas for overseas students are subject to a variety of laws and regulations. Students must have studied in New Zealand and have completed at least Level 4 of the education qualification framework, if not higher.

Permit Duration

• 12-month Stay Back: A 12-month stay back is granted on the student visa after studying for work experience.
• Work permit for 2 years: This may vary depending on the qualifications, associated institution, or if you’re going for occupational registration in New Zealand.

Requirements

• Those with Level 4-6 educational qualifications are eligible for a post-study work visa. 
• Students must have completed 60 weeks of study. maybe even more.
• Alternatively, students should have completed two distinct types of courses that lasted at least 30 weeks.
• This list excludes students who are English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Having said that, there are provisions for overseas students to get a lengthier post-study work visa provided they meet the following criteria:

• Continue with another course and finish it.
• This course must last at least 30 weeks.
• It might be at the undergraduate or postgraduate level of study.
• The course must be at a higher level than the prior one.

To get to know details about work visas in New Zealand, check out our extensive blog on the same here!

United Kingdom

Previously, graduates were not permitted to stay for more than 4-6 months after finishing their studies. This, along with the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, explains why there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of students travelling to the UK. Nonetheless, the UK government has loosened regulations regarding post-study employment visas for overseas students. In 2019, the government announced a modification to their post-study work visa that would enable overseas students who have graduated from a higher education institution to stay in the UK for up to 2 years. After that, you can apply for an employer-sponsored programme with a Tier 2 work visa to extend your stay.

Permit Duration

• 2 years for graduates (from 2021): One can also apply to stay for longer after this by getting an employer sponsorship scheme with a Tier 2 work visa.
• 3 years for PhD students

Requirements 

• Must have a Tier-4 visa
• Must be enrolled in a recognized UK university from September 2020 onwards in order to be eligible for a stay-back period after graduation.
• Once the PSW visa expires, those who are looking to stay longer in the UK need to apply for a skilled work visa or general work visa (Tier 2 visa).

Note: In order to get a Tier 2 visa, the general work visa, the candidate must be getting at least £30,000 (INR 26,15,940) per year. For some jobs, this can be higher or lower.

If you want to be an international student in the United Kingdom, then we can help you know everything that you want to know about studying in the UK here.

United States of America

Moving ahead with our blog, we have the USA on our list of top countries to give work permits after study. There is no doubt that the USA is well known for its quality education along with fantastic work opportunities after study, making it one of the most sought-after and popular study-abroad destinations for students across the world. Students with an F1 visa can pursue OPT-Optional Practical Training, which allows them to work in their field of study.  Aside from that, students have the option of changing their F1 visa to an H1B visa.

Permit Duration

• 1 year after completion of your course
• Up to 3 years for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) graduates with a 24-month special extension following the first year
• With an H1B visa, students can work in the USA for up to 3 years, which can further be extended to 6 years.

Requirements

• Students must have an F-1 visa to apply for OPT (optional practical training)
• Must be a full-time student of any institution which is certified by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) for OPT.
• For an H1B visa, the employer must guarantee that they will be paying at least 95% of the prevailing wages to the employee. 
• As the H1B visa is completely dependent on employment, if a person is removed from employment, effectively, the visa is also terminated.

To know more about universities in the USA one can pursue, connect with us and read our on the same here.

Canada

Next up on our list of top countries that give work permits after study is one of the dream study destinations for international students. Because of friendly immigration policies and a world-class education system accompanied by a robust economy, Canada is overtaking other countries and is becoming the topmost choice for international students. Canada has the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) which allows international students who graduated from a recognized Canadian university to seek employment in Canada. The work experience gained through the PGWPP can help graduates to qualify for permanent residency in Canada through Express Entry. Different work permits are issued if you are not eligible to the PGWPP  like Open Work Permits and Employer Specific Work Permits.

Permit Duration

The duration of a post-graduation work permit depends on the length of the course pursued. If the program duration was:

• Less than 8 months: not eligible for a work permit
• More than 8 months, but less than 2 years: a work permit equivalent to the duration of your course time is issued.
• The permit is valid for up to 3 years and more in other cases.

Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years old
• At least 8 months of education in Canada
• Graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI)
• Must hold valid temporary status in Canada 
• Students who received funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) or completed less than 50% of their credits in class are not eligible. 

Germany

Last but not least, we have Germany on our list of top countries that give work permits after study to international students. Germany having no tuition fees for international students is a lucrative opportunity for anyone seeking education abroad. Unlike other countries, there is no work visa in Germany, rather one can simply apply for a residence permit without visas. The 3 types of Residence Permits are:

1. Self-employed
2. General Employment
3. Specialist professional

One can also opt for an EU Blue Card. After having received the EU Blue card for a period of 2 years, one gets a residence permit without a time limit.

Permit Duration

• The country policy allows graduates to stay back for 18 months on a residence permit and search for a job in their field of specialization
• The employment licenses for foreign graduates are valid for a period of one year upon their arrival, with subsequent licenses being valid for up to a period of 5 years at a time.

Requirements

The student should apply for a residence permit within 3 months at the foreigner’s registration office. To obtain a residence permit in Germany, every student must have the following documents:

• Valid passport
• 2 recent biometric photos
• Enrollment certificate from a certified university
• Proof of financial resources in Germany
• German health insurance 
• Financial statements 

If you are among the ones who want to grab the chance to study in Germany, we have the right guidance for you, check out our other blog on study in Germany!

Being an international student has its own challenges. Finding courses that are blooming in particular countries and countries that allow easy work permits are very few of those hundreds of questions that one has to answer. If you are dealing with similar questions, connect with Leverage Edu experts now and have a resourceful academic career!