Immigration routes for students
Student routes matter strategically because most destinations attach valuable post-study work rights: UK Graduate route (2 years), Canada PGWP (up to 3 years), Australia 485 (up to 4 years), US OPT plus STEM extension (up to 3 years), Germany 18-month job-search residence.
Also searched as: international student, graduate student, postgraduate, undergraduate.
What decides which route fits
Students are not usually a licensed profession, so the route that fits you turns mostly on whether you have a qualifying job offer (for sponsored routes) and whether you meet each country's salary or points threshold.
By destination
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all United Arab Emirates routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Finland routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Kingdom of Belgium routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Grand Duchy of Luxembourg routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Czech Republic routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Poland routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Estonia routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Hellenic Republic routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Malta routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Cyprus routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all United Mexican States routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Federative Republic of Brazil routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Argentine Republic routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Mauritius routes.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Taiwan (Republic of China) routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Malaysia routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Kingdom of Thailand routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all State of Qatar routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of the Philippines routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Colombia routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Costa Rica routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Panama routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Federal Republic of Nigeria routes.
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Antigua and Barbuda routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Commonwealth of Dominica routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Grenada routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Saint Lucia routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Barbados routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Commonwealth of The Bahamas routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Dominican Republic routes.
Cayman Islands (British Overseas Territory)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Cayman Islands (British Overseas Territory) routes.
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Ecuador routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Paraguay routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Botswana routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Peru routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of El Salvador routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Guatemala routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Vanuatu routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Principality of Liechtenstein routes.
Frequently asked questions
Do students need a job offer to work abroad?+
It depends on the route. Many countries offer skilled-migration or self-employment routes that do not require a job offer up front, while employer-sponsored work visas do. The country guides below flag which of each destination's routes need a sponsor.
Which countries have visa routes for students?+
We map student routes across all 109 destinations we cover, and 68 currently have at least one route that fits students directly. Open any country below for its specific routes and official sources.