Post Study Work Visa Duration for Your Study Abroad Destinations USA | Canada | UK | Australia | Germany
If you are reading this article, then chances are that you are either trying to pick a destination to study abroad or you are trying to find a destination that offers the maximum growth potential for your chosen field of study. There are multiple factors that you have to consider while picking up a suitable destination to study abroad. One of the most important things that you need to factor in while making this decision is to check the duration of post-study work visa for your selected university course.
Major study abroad destinations that attract international students offer them a post study work permit so that they can work and gain experience in their chosen field of study. The time duration of post study work visa differs for different countries. The duration for post study work permit also depends on your level of study. This means, if you are going abroad for your under graduation then the duration of your post study work permit may differ from someone who is going abroad for their post-graduation or a PHD.
If you want to find out the time duration of post study work permit for your chosen destination and selected university course, then all you have to do is to read this article till the end.
We will discuss the time duration of post study work permit for the USA, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, and Germany.
USA – Post Study Work Permit Duration
Masters Degree
USA offers Optional Practical Training ( OPT ) which is a work authorization for a period of 12 and in some cases up to 36 months.
Students who hold a ‘STEM degree’ are eligible for a 3 year (36 months) Optional Practical Training.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. So students who hold a masters degree in one of these fields are eligible for a 3 year Optional Practical Training (OTP).
Undergraduate Degree
The rule for undergraduate students is the same as masters students. Students with an undergraduate degree in STEM are eligible for a 3 year OPT, whereas, all the other undergrad students are eligible for a 1 year Optional Practical Training (OPT).
PHD
Same as other two levels of study, Students who complete their PHD in a non-stem subject are eligible for a 1 year Optional Training Programme (OPT) and students who complete their PHD in a STEM designated field can apply for another extension of 2 years which adds up to a total duration of 3 years.
Canada Post Study Work Permit Duration
Masters degree
Canada offers Post Graduate Work Permits ( PGWP) to all the international students who have studied a course of a minimum duration of 8 months from an eligible institute.
The duration for the work permit ranges from 8 months to 3 years. The duration of your work permit exactly matches the duration of your degree or course.
If you have completed a masters degree of 2 years then you will be eligible for a work permit of 3 years.
Undergrad degree
Students who complete their undergraduate degree from a recognised institute in Canada are also eligible for A Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) of up to 3 years.
UK – Post Study Work Permit Duration
Masters Degree
UK offers graduate visas to all the international students who have completed their undergraduate degree or a Master’s degree from a recognised institute in the UK.
The duration for a graduate visa for a Masters degree is 2 years. This graduate visa is also known as the graduate route.
During this time you can live, find work, or work in the UK. You also do not need to be sponsored by your employer during this time. This means that your employer has a higher incentive of hiring you because they do not have to deal with the compliance issues of offering you a visa sponsorship.
Undergraduate degree
The time duration for a graduate visa after you complete your undergraduate degree in the UK is the same as when you complete your Master’s, which is 2 years.
Australia – Post Study Work Permit Duration
Master’s degree
Australia offers temporary Graduate visas to the international students who complete their degree in Australia. The duration of this temporary graduate visa is 3 years for people who completed a masters degree
Undergraduate degree
The duration of temporary Graduate visa for graduation degree holders is 2 years after they complete their degree.
Germany – Post Study Work Permit Duration
Masters degree
Germany offers ‘residence permits’ to non-eu international students to be able to stay back in the country and look for a suitable job in their profession. The duration of these residence permits is 18 months after your Master’s degree.
Undergraduate degree
The duration of ‘residence permit” issued to non-eu students after their undergraduate degree is also 18 months.
If you have come this far then you know all about post study work permits and their different durations. The best way to choose between these options is to research the job market in your chosen field and in your chosen country. After this, you can assess whether or not the given period for the relevant post study work visa is enough for you to find a suitable job in your field.
