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.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Principality of Monaco routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Maldives routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Mozambique routes.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Saint Vincent and the Grenadines routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Suriname routes.
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Republic of Iraq routes.
Lao People's Democratic Republic
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Lao People's Democratic Republic routes.
Bermuda (British Overseas Territory)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Bermuda (British Overseas Territory) routes.
Virgin Islands (British Overseas Territory)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Virgin Islands (British Overseas Territory) routes.
Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory) routes.
Jersey (British Crown Dependency)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Jersey (British Crown Dependency) routes.
Bailiwick of Guernsey (British Crown Dependency)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Bailiwick of Guernsey (British Crown Dependency) routes.
Faroe Islands (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)
Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)
Cook Islands (self-governing country in free association with New Zealand)
American Samoa (United States territory)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all American Samoa (United States territory) routes.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (United States territory)
Svalbard (Norwegian archipelago)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Svalbard (Norwegian archipelago) routes.
Saint Helena (British Overseas Territory)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Saint Helena (British Overseas Territory) routes.
Anguilla (British Overseas Territory)
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Anguilla (British Overseas Territory) routes.
Independent State of Papua New Guinea
No closely-matching routes indexed yet — see all Independent State of Papua New Guinea 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 178 full-coverage destinations we cover, and 120 currently have at least one route that fits students directly. Open any country below for its specific routes and official sources.