Many students who choose to study abroad are leaving their nests for the first time. It is imperative that the country they choose holds a promising future for them. Not only in terms of education but also employment. Students who study abroad in their undergrad or postgrad years have an inclination of working abroad. The international market has more options and flexibility when it comes down to work experience and independence. Many also opt for a continued stay abroad for work in order to earn and repay loans. It always improves job prospects if and when one decides to come back to one’s country. While there are many perks of working abroad, it is not an easy task to find jobs. Additionally, not all countries are job friendly for international students. Here we look at the job prospects of a few major countries:

 

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The US Job Market can be best termed as “hostile” right now towards foreign students. Even though there is no language barrier and the competition is fairly even between nationals and internationals alike, but still, employment prospects for internationals are not as good as they used to be even 4-5 years back. Political Upheaval in the wake of President Trump has started a culture of “America First” for all employers, thereby making the competition a bit biased.

While American education is a coveted dream for many, job prospects are limited due to heavy restrictions on the work permit. Subject choice also matters. Attending law or medical school might sound wonderful but it greatly limits your areas of practice. Students who are living in the US with an F-1 visa have 60 days to either enroll in another college or university for graduate studies or enroll in the OPT program to gain employment, which allows you to extend your student visa for an additional year while you acquire training in your chosen area of education.

International students can stay and work in the US, for a total of 12 months (29 months for STEM graduates) after completing their degree. It is highly unlikely that changes in the immigration laws will impact the development, and the education policy surrounding it. Once your OPT expires, you ultimately will have to apply for H1B visa.

After obtaining employment, your visa type should change from an F-1 to an H1b, which will allow your employer to apply for a permanent residency card on your behalf. However, your employer is not obligated to do this, and often you will have to spend a few years gaining experience and refreshing your temporary work visa until you’ve gained enough trust for your employer to apply for a green card.

 

THE UNITED KINGDOM

The UK is the second most popular study abroad destination for international students after the US.  The post-study work opportunities are still there in the UK. It’s just that the rules are much more stringent now. Below is the snapshot of the post-study work opportunities for international students in the UK.

 

Students can work while studying as well. Yet Tier 2 visas are hard to come by. With strict laws regarding immigration and growing dissent against them, it is imperative that students try to get an internship from which they can try to transition into a job. The most common is a Tier 2 general visa which allows you to stay back for 5 years but it is conditioned on the applicant already having found a job. Your employer must also have a sponsorship license in case that’s the route you wish to take. Make sure you apply before your current permission to be in the UK expires. Otherwise, you will need to return to your home country and apply from there.

Your job must pay a minimum of £20,800, though can be adjusted depending on the job. It is recommended that you apply early, as you also have to apply for a work visa before your student visa expires.

Currently, non-EU students can work part time for 20 hours a week and full time in vacations. If they go to a private college, they’re not allowed to work at all.

If you do a Masters from Oxford, Cambridge, Bath or Imperial, you will get 6-months to look for jobs along with certain other relaxations under the Tier 4 Pilot. This pilot has recently been extended to an additional 23 universities.

 

AUSTRALIA

One of the best countries for its scenic beauty, Australia is also in high demand for students wishing to pursue their education internationally. Its Graduate work stream visa allows students to apply for Graduate work stream that can grant them a work permit of 18 months. It is for international students who graduate with skills and qualifications that relate to an occupation considered in demand in the Australian labour market. If they desire, apply for Post Study work stream that gives them 2, 3, or 4 years of work permit depending on highest educational qualification they have obtained.

The duration of the work Permit is dependent on the following:

• Students with a Bachelor Degree: 2 year
• Students with a Master’s Degree Coursework: 2 years
• Students with a Master’s by Research Degree: 3 years
• Students with a Doctoral Degree (PhD): 4 years
• Students have received a minimum of 6 in each band of IELTS exams

In Australia, international students can work for 20 hours per week when the college is in session. This permission is granted along with the student visa. Australia decides on the basis of points to see if someone deserves a visa to stay back for work.  The point evaluations will be assessed along with your application.

These are a few of the items that gain you points:

• English proficiency
• Occupation in demand
• Age- between 19 and 44
• Work experience
• Specific Australian qualifications like minimum duration of the study
• Sponsorship

There are multiple categories of visas that are allotted. The most common being 485 skilled graduate temporary visa, which allows students to stay for additional 18 months for training, conditional on them having studied in Australia for a minimum 2 years.

 

CANADA

With one of the most respectable education systems in the world, Canada offers many opportunities to its students. You can gain valuable work experience during and after your education in Canada. While studying, to work, especially off campus, you must have a work permit. Through the Off-Campus Work Permit Program, you can work part-time during regular academic sessions (20 hours per week) and full-time during scheduled breaks.

The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) allows students who have completed their education in Canada to work there. The work permits are valid for the length of your educational program up to a maximum of 3 years. Later on, the work experience gained through the PGWPP can help graduates to qualify for the permanent residency in Canada through Express Entry.

DURATION IN CANADA

• The PGWPP offered is never more than the length of your course duration. That is, if someone does a master’s degree for 9 months in Canada, he/she can be eligible for a work permit no more than 9 months in duration.
• Course Duration < 8 months: No work Permit
• Course Duration > 8months and < 24 months: Work Permit no longer than the course duration.
• Course Duration > 24 months: 3 Years of Working Permit may be issued.

 

SINGAPORE

As an international student who has completed his/her graduation from a select university in Singapore, you will be allowed to apply for a ‘Long-Term Visit Pass’ which will allow you to stay there for 12 months in order to look for work.

Students who are studying at private universities in Singapore, who want to stay back and work after completing their degrees usually receive a visa extension of 1–3 months (depending on each institution).

On the other hand, government institutions, polytechnics and some foreign leading campuses of overseas universities usually issue Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) which is valid for 1 year, to students who want to stay back and search for jobs, after completing their studies in Singapore.

Once you find a job, you will get an ‘S Pass’ or an Employment pass, as work permits depending on your salary. There is a quota of foreign employees in Singapore.

 

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand lets students work in any field for the duration that they are looking for a job. Its graduate pathway allows International students to apply for the post-study work permit

Post-study work visa (open) gives students up to 12 months to get a job in a field related to their studies.

Post-study work visa (employer-assisted): The employer-assisted post-study work visa is related to a specific job with a specific employer when the student is eligible for work permit up to three years.

 

IRELAND

Among the advantages that make Ireland so appealing to internationals are the fact that the country is part of the European Union and the language of instruction used in universities is English, and you can benefit from smaller tuition fees and living costs compared to the UK. Moreover, Ireland is known for its friendly people and very safe environment, and it was also listed on the top countries where students are very satisfied with their study abroad experience.

Ireland is also home to a large population of Indian professionals and overseas Indians. Indian professionals receive among the largest number of work permits issued by the Irish government. Indian students in Ireland can work up to 20 hours a week during their courses and 40 hours during vacation. Dublin is among the leading countries preferred for a world-class education and is among the best in the world for student satisfaction.

One of the major benefits of studying in Ireland is the post-study visa. Students looking for job opportunities can apply for the green card after they are successfully placed. Ireland’s post-study work scheme, Third Level Graduate Scheme allows non-EU graduate students to stay 12 months in the country to look for employment. In addition, the Irish government has extended the ‘stay back option’ to two years from one year for non-EU/EEA students who study at level 9 or above in the national framework.

 

GERMANY

When it comes to EU, hands down, the most stable and booming economy is that of Germany. The labour market is thrown open to both Germans and International alike. Excellent PR and Visa regulations make it every job seekers dreamland to be in. Relaxed Visa and straightforward PR regulation, complimented with heavily subsidized higher education and health-care plus a great work-life balance amidst a challenging and positive job market, makes it the top destination for most students. Munich is a favourite among students and employment seekers alike.

The living cost in the country is high, so to aid their staying expenses, students can work in Germany for a period of 90 days without any work permit. Students are allowed to work during their studies for up to 120 full or 240 half days annually.

Students can apply for an 18-month Residence permit from local foreign nationals’ registration office to look for a job that is relevant to their qualification. During this period students can take up temporary employment to support themselves. Under the same, if a student finds a job before their final exams, they can directly apply for residence permit. However, students need to have at least B1 level language skills in German.

DURATION IN GERMANY

• The study Visa for pursuing any higher education courses, such as Masters/PhD, is a 2-year permit given to the students, which can be even extended under special circumstances.
• The Study Visa can be further extended upon graduation to make it a work permit, for 18 months, during which time a student can either work in any employment to support him/her and at the same time, go for job hunting.
• The EU Blue Card, as the name suggests, is a pretty sophisticated card, which allows students, who are eligible for one, to get a PR (Permanent Residence) status after 33 months of being an EU Blue Card holder, or get the PR in 21 months, if he/she can show a German Language Proficiency equivalent to B1 level of CFER.
• The internship Visa is variable depending on the length of it but has an upper limit of 12 months.
• For Entrepreneurs, if their business idea turns to be a profitable one and can be proved to be up and running, one can apply for a residence permit extension of 3 years and after that, apply for a PR.
• The Job Seeker Visa duration is of 6 months.

 

NETHERLAND

Many international students actually choose Netherland for their strategic location. A thriving economy, a proper Visa and Work Permit regulation as well as an excellent quality of life, with a more or less fairly competitive job market makes Netherlands one of the most attractive EU countries to be in.

International students have to apply for what is called a “Provisional Residence Permit” aka MVV and a ”Residence Permit“ to ensure their stay for at least as long as their course duration is.

Apart from the student Visa, Netherlands offer what is called as the “Orientation Year Visa” aka “Zoekjaar” for international students who have come to pursue higher education, allowing them to extend their stay, post expiry of their student visa. The “Zoekjaar” is non-renewable, so students must be pro-active and try to land a job before their Visa expires and apply for converting their Zoekjaar to a Work Permit. During the Zoekjaar, if you find any work, the employer need not apply for a work permit, as a student is allowed to work full time during this Visa span.

Other categories of Visa that students often take help of in order to stay back in the Netherlands are the “Highly Skilled Migrant Visa” and the “Work Permit”.

DURATION FOR POST STUDY WORK VISA IN NETHERLANDS

• Zoekjaar: 12 months of extension offered to students who have graduated from a Dutch university to look for jobs, post expiry of their study Visa.
• The Duration of the Student Visa is generally equivalent to the duration of the course plus an additional three months for the university’s administration processes.
• The duration of the high skilled migrant Visa is for as long as you have a job in the Netherlands.
• In order to apply for the Dutch PR, a foreign national must have spent 5 continuous years in Netherlands minimum.