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Moving abroad for work · Reviewed 11 Sept 2026

Post-study work visas compared: where international students can stay and work

For international students choosing where to study, in their final year, or already on a post-study permit. You will leave with a sourced comparison of 13 countries and a timeline for turning your degree into a job and a work visa.

Post-study permits range from 6 months in Switzerland to 3 years in Canada, New Zealand and Denmark. Germany gives 18 months, Finland up to 2 years, the UK 2 years (18 months from 2027) and the US 12 months of OPT plus 24 for STEM. The permit buys time; the job must follow.

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Pick your country

Each country guide has that country’s rules, official sources and steps.

Key figures

Denmark: establishment card
Up to 3 years after graduating; up to 90 hours of work a month September–May and full time June–August, unless you get a separate work permit
Source: Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (nyidanmark.dk) · checked 11 Sept 2026
Germany: job-search permit after graduation
Up to 18 months to look for a job if your livelihood is secured; you may work during this period
Source: Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (bamf.de) · checked 11 Sept 2026
Netherlands: orientation year
1 year, applied for within 3 years of graduating; you may work freely without a work permit. Fee €254
Source: Immigration and Naturalisation Service (ind.nl) · checked 11 Sept 2026
Sweden: permit to look for work after studies
Up to 1 year after bachelor’s or master’s studies (1 year to 18 months after a doctorate); apply before your study permit expires
Source: Swedish Migration Agency (migrationsverket.se) · checked 11 Sept 2026
Norway: job-seeker permit after graduation
Up to a year after graduation, if you hold a study permit
Source: Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (studyinnorway.no) · checked 11 Sept 2026
Finland: permit to look for work
Up to 2 years, applied for within 5 years of your study permit expiring; you may work without restrictions in any field
Source: Finnish Immigration Service (migri.fi) · checked 11 Sept 2026
Switzerland: graduates from outside the EU/EFTA
6 months from the end of your studies to find a job that matches your qualifications
Source: State Secretariat for Migration (sem.admin.ch) · checked 11 Sept 2026
Ireland: Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G)
12 months with a Level 8 award; 12 months plus a further 12 with Level 9 or above. Apply within 6 months of being notified of your award
Source: Immigration Service Delivery (irishimmigration.ie) · checked 11 Sept 2026
UK: Graduate visa
2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027; 3 years after a PhD. Apply from inside the UK before your Student visa expires
Source: GOV.UK: Graduate visa · checked 11 Sept 2026
Canada: post-graduation work permit (PGWP)
Up to 3 years depending on programme length (3 years after a master’s of at least 8 months); most applicants must show language test results
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (canada.ca) · checked 11 Sept 2026
Australia: Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
2 years after a bachelor’s or coursework master’s, 3 years after a research master’s or doctorate; you must be 35 or under when you apply (exceptions apply)
Source: Department of Home Affairs (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au) · checked 11 Sept 2026
New Zealand: Post Study Work Visa
Up to 3 years depending on what you studied; apply no later than 3 months after your student visa expires. From NZD 1,670
Source: Immigration New Zealand (immigration.govt.nz) · checked 11 Sept 2026
US: Optional Practical Training (OPT)
12 months per degree level, plus a 24-month extension for eligible STEM degrees; the job must relate to your major
Source: US Citizenship and Immigration Services (uscis.gov) · checked 11 Sept 2026

Step by step

  1. Check the conditions before you enrol

    Before you accept an offer

    Post-study permits have fine print: Ireland ties the length to your degree level, Sweden requires at least two completed semesters, Canada needs an eligible programme of at least 8 months, Australia has an age limit. Choose a programme that qualifies.

  2. Get local work experience while you study

    Throughout your studies

    A student job, internship or thesis with a company gives you local references and a network. Stay inside the weekly hour limit your study permit sets.

  3. Start the graduate job search a year before you finish

    12 months before graduation

    Build a target list of employers in your field, book the careers service, and apply to graduate programmes when they open — many close months before you graduate.

  4. Write a CV for the local market

    1–2 days

    Put your degree, thesis, internships and languages first, and state your right to work clearly so a recruiter does not assume you need sponsorship today.

    Build your CV →

  5. Apply for the post-study permit on time

    Final months of study

    Deadlines differ: the UK requires you to apply from inside the country before your Student visa expires; Ireland within six months of being notified of your award; New Zealand no later than three months after your student visa expires.

  6. Switch to a work permit before the clock runs out

    During the post-study permit

    Assume your post-study permit cannot be extended. Aim to have a job offer that meets the work-visa conditions with several months to spare, because employer paperwork and processing take time.

For: Choosing where to study

Which countries give graduates the most time?

On paper, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Denmark offer the longest stays — up to three years — followed by Finland and the UK at two, Germany at 18 months, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway at one year, and Switzerland at six months. Ireland gives one year after a Level 8 degree and two after a master’s. The US gives 12 months of OPT, or 36 in total with the STEM extension. The facts box has the exact rule and source for each.

Length is only half the comparison. Denmark’s three-year establishment card limits you to 90 hours of work a month outside the summer unless you get a separate work permit, while the Netherlands and Finland let you work freely. New Zealand graduates with a non-degree qualification at level 7 or below must work in a job related to what they studied. Australia’s visa is closed to most applicants over 35. And the UK’s two years drop to 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027 — if you graduate around then, the date you apply matters.

The other half is language. Germany, the Nordic countries, the Netherlands and Switzerland all have English-speaking jobs, but far fewer than jobs in the local language. If you want the widest choice after graduating, start the language in your first semester. Our English-speaking jobs guide shows where English alone is realistic.

For: On a post-study permit

What can you actually do on a post-study permit?

Most permits exist for one purpose: to give you time to find qualified work. Germany lets you take any job while you search. The Netherlands’ orientation year and Finland’s permit let you work without restrictions. Sweden grants the permit to look for work or explore starting a business. The US is narrower: OPT work must relate to your major, and you can be unemployed for a total of 90 days on post-completion OPT.

Plan as if your permit cannot be renewed. The UK’s Graduate visa, for example, cannot be extended; you switch to another route, such as the Skilled Worker visa. So treat the permit as a runway with a fixed length, not a place to settle. A bridging job that keeps you in your field is worth more than a better-paid job that is not.

For: In my final year

When should you start the job search?

A year before you graduate. Large employers and graduate programmes recruit well ahead of the start date, and the permit clock starts when you finish, not when you are ready. Start after your final exams and you spend the first months of your permit on applications you could have sent in autumn.

In your final year, run it like a course: a target list of 30–50 employers in your field, one application or networking conversation every weekday, and a monthly review with the careers service. Keep your thesis in mind — a thesis written with a company is the closest thing to a job interview that lasts six months.

How do student jobs and internships turn into offers?

Local experience answers the question every employer asks about international graduates: will this person work well here? A part-time job, an internship or a research assistant role gives you a local manager who can vouch for you, local vocabulary for your CV and often a direct route into the company.

Stay inside the rules while you do it. Hour limits during studies are enforced and differ by country: Sweden’s new rules from 11 June 2026 set a starting point of 15 hours a week during semesters, with no limit in June, July and August; Switzerland allows 15 hours a week outside the holidays, starting six months after your course begins. Breaking the limit can cost you the permit you are relying on.

For: On a post-study permit, Need visa sponsorship

How do you switch to a work visa?

The usual path is a job offer that meets the ordinary work-visa rules of the country, applied for while your post-study permit is still valid. Several countries make this cheaper for recent graduates, which is worth mentioning to employers. In the Netherlands, a highly skilled migrant who applies during the orientation year or within three years of graduating qualifies for a reduced salary criterion of €3,122 gross a month in 2026, against €4,357 for other applicants under 30. Finland’s permit to look for work also covers you if you have a job but do not yet earn enough for a work-based permit.

Check the details in the work-visa guide for your country — for example the UK, Canada or Germany — before you negotiate, so you know which salary and job level the visa needs.

For: Need visa sponsorship

How hard is it to get sponsored, honestly?

Harder than university marketing suggests, and hardest in the US. The H-1B work visa has an annual cap of 65,000, plus 20,000 for people with a US master’s degree or higher. From the 2027 fiscal year, USCIS replaced random selection with a weighted lottery: a registration at the highest wage level is entered four times, one at the entry level once. A new graduate on an entry-level salary therefore has the lowest odds. A separate $100,000 payment for certain H-1B petitions filed from 21 September 2025 was also introduced; a federal court vacated the guidance in June 2026 and DHS says it is complying while it considers next steps. Check USCIS before you plan around it.

US student rules are also changing: DHS published a final rule on 17 July 2026 setting a fixed period of admission for F students. Talk to your school’s designated school official before every decision.

Elsewhere the barrier is less a lottery than employer willingness. Many employers never sponsor anyone. Ask early — at the first interview, not the offer — and target companies that already employ international staff. In the UK, the government publishes the register of licensed sponsors, so you can check a company before you apply.

How do you use your university to network?

Your university is the only network you get for free in a new country. Use all of it:

  • Careers service: CV checks, mock interviews and employer events. Book appointments in your first year, not your last.
  • Alumni: search LinkedIn for graduates of your programme working at your target employers, especially other internationals who have done the visa switch you need.
  • Professors and supervisors: they know which companies fund research, take thesis students and hire graduates.
  • Career fairs and company presentations: go with three questions for each employer, including whether they have hired international graduates before.

Then prepare for the interviews those contacts lead to — our interview practice lets you rehearse answers out loud, including the visa question.

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Before and after

  • Student job → CV bullet

    Before: Part-time barista at campus café, 2024–2025.

    After: Barista, campus café (15 h/week alongside a full-time MSc, 2024–2025): trained 3 new starters and ran the Saturday shift of 250+ orders on my own.

    It shows responsibility and time management, and the hours show a recruiter you respected your permit’s limits.

  • Thesis → professional experience

    Before: Master’s thesis: machine learning for demand forecasting.

    After: MSc thesis with a food wholesaler, Eindhoven (2025): built a demand-forecasting model on 3 years of sales data that cut forecast error by 18% against the existing method; presented results to the supply-chain team.

    A thesis written with a company is real work experience; naming the partner, the data and the result makes it read like a first job.

  • Visa status → right-to-work line

    Before: Visa: will need sponsorship.

    After: Right to work: UK Graduate visa, valid until June 2028 — no sponsorship needed until then.

    Recruiters screen out “needs sponsorship” in seconds; stating what you have, and until when, keeps you in the pile long enough to show your value.

Official resources

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Questions people ask

Canada, New Zealand and Denmark offer up to three years, and Australia gives three years after a research master’s or doctorate. Length is not everything: Denmark’s establishment card limits work outside the summer to 90 hours a month unless you get a separate permit, Australia’s visa is for people aged 35 or under, and Canada’s length depends on your programme. The US offers up to 36 months for STEM graduates through OPT and its extension.

It depends on the country. The UK requires you to be in the UK and to apply before your Student visa expires. Finland lets you apply within five years of your study permit expiring, and the Netherlands within three years of graduating. Ireland requires you to apply within six months of being notified of your award. Check the deadline before you book a flight home.

Usually yes. Germany lets you take any job during the 18 months, and the Dutch orientation year and Finland’s permit allow unrestricted work. The main exceptions are Denmark, where the establishment card allows 90 hours a month from September to May unless you get a separate work permit, and the US, where OPT employment must relate to your major.

Yes, when it helps you. A line such as “Right to work: Graduate visa, valid until June 2028” answers the recruiter’s first question and shows you do not need sponsorship yet. Avoid writing “needs sponsorship” on the CV itself; raise sponsorship honestly in the first interview, when the employer has already seen what you offer.

About a year before graduating. Graduate programmes and large employers recruit well ahead of start dates, and your post-study permit starts counting down when you finish. Use your final year to build a target list, get your CV checked by the careers service and apply as programmes open. Start after your exams and you spend the first months of your permit catching up.

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About this guide

Written by the KaizenCV team in Denmark and last reviewed 11 Sept 2026. We research with AI assistance and check every figure against the official source linked beside it, on the date shown. Rules change: where this guide and an official source disagree, the official source is right.

Sources