5 Useful Work Visa Schemes for International Masters Students

As countries around the world begin to open up their borders to international students again, we thought it would be worthwhile to look at what’s on offer in terms of post-study work visa opportunities.

You may have already heard about the UK’s own Graduate Route scheme, but the UK is far from the only country with a generous post-study work visa available. In fact, many nations around the world already have similar schemes in place. This blog will take a closer look at the opportunities available to Masters graduates in a selection of popular study abroad destinations.

Please note that if you’re an EU or EEA national, you’re free to live and work in the European countries in this list without any restrictions.

Once you’ve graduated from a Masters programme in Germany, you can apply for a residence permit that grants you 18 months to search for a suitable job. All you need to apply for the application are the following documents:

• Your passport
• Your university (or a certified document from your university confirming that you’ve graduated)
• A health insurance certificate
• Proof that you can support yourself financially (or a declaration of commitment from a guarantor)

This permit will allow you to undertake any kind of paid employment while you find a job that suits your qualifications.

When you’ve received an employment offer that matches your career plans, you can apply to extend your residence permit. If you’ve been offered a salary of €58,400 or more (or €45,552 in STEM sectors), you can apply for an EU Blue Card that allows you to work and live across the EU.

Whichever route you take, you can usually apply for a permanent residence permit after two years.

In the Netherlands you can apply for an ‘orientation year’ (also known as zoekjaar in Dutch) that allows you to search for work for one year after graduating from your Masters at a Dutch university. Applying for the orientation year costs €210.

There aren’t any restrictions on the type of employment you can take up during this orientation year, but after a year you’ll need to apply for a residence permit with status of a highly-skilled migrant.

In order to qualify for this status, you need to be earning a gross salary of €2,631 per month (the amount changes from year to year). You’ll also need to pay an application fee of €350.

Find out more about the Dutch orientation year or read our guide to Masters study in the Netherlands.

If you studied your Masters at a Swedish university, you can apply for a residence permit after graduating that allows you to seek employment in the country for up to 12 months. You’ll need a comprehensive healthcare insurance policy, a valid passport and proof that you have at least SEK 9,450 per month (€845) to support yourself.

At the end of the initial six-month period, you can apply for a work permit if you’ve received a permanent job offer that fulfils the following conditions:

• A gross monthly salary of SEK 13,000 (€1,163)
• Terms of employment which are customary in the industry you’ll be working in
• Health and life insurance
• Employment and pension benefits

Find out more about applying for a work permit in Sweden after your studies have finished or read our guide to Masters study in Sweden.

International students in Canada can apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) after their studies have finished. The length of this permit depends on how long the Masters was:

• If it was between eight months and two years long, the PGWP will be valid for the length of your programme
• If your course was two or more years long, the PGWP will be valid for three years

You’ll need to have studied on a full-time basis at a designated learning institution.

There is a fee of CAD $255 (USD $190) associated with the PGWP.

The PGWP allows you to undertake any form of employment. The experience you gain can help you qualify for the Canadian Experience Class, one of the routes to permanent residence in Canada.

Find out more about the post-graduation work permit (PWGP) or read our guide to Masters study in Canada.

The Post-Study Work stream of Australia’s Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) allows international graduates to stay in the country for up to 18 months after finishing a Masters at an Australian university. British and Hong Kong nationals can stay for up to five years.

The visa costs AUD $1,730 (USD $1,190) and allows you to live, work and study in Australia. In order to be eligible, you’ll need to:

• Be under the age of 50
• Satisfy English proficiency requirements (unless you have a passport from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada or New Zealand)
• Hold health insurance
• Meet Australian health requirements
• Sign the Australian values statement

When your visa has finished, you’ll need to apply for another work visa to extend your stay in Australia.

Find out more about Australia’s Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) or read our guide to Masters study in Australia.

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