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Opportunities to stay and work vary from country to country. The process of getting a work visa is rarely stress-free—even for MBA and master’s graduates—but there are a few countries that make it easier.
Here are six of the easiest countries to get a work visa. Take a look and you might just consider a new destination for your business school degree.
New Zealand
New Zealand has always been a popular choice for those looking to study among stunning landscapes—particularly advantageous that it happens to be one of the easiest countries to get a work visa for.
There are several work visas to choose from. For international students, the Post-Study Work Visa is most relevant, applicable for those who have completed a degree in New Zealand. This grants you the right to work for up to three years, the perfect opportunity for that first post-MBA or master’s job.
In an attempt to attract more international students, New Zealand has recently opened up eligibility for a six-month short-duration work visa, giving students who don’t qualify for post-study work visa a chance to seek employment through an Accredited Employer Work Visa (where you’re essentially sponsored by certain employers).
At the end of your post-study work visa, there are plenty of options to stay in New Zealand if you have the right skills and experience. For example, the Skilled Migrant Visa grants permanent residence on the basis of skills shortages in the country. The visa currently operates on a points system with a requirement for applicants to have a full-time skilled job with an accredited employer.
For budding founders, the Entrepreneur Work Visa offers you the chance to build your business in the country for a period of up to three years (12 months to set up your business, a further 24 months once established). You must have a detailed business plan, NZ$100k to invest (US$60k), and be able to meet a minimum of 120 points on the visa scale. The requirement for investment may be waived if your business is in the science or ICT sectors, or shows a high level of innovation or export potential.
Canada
Canada has a strong reputation for its flexible immigration system, making it one of one of the easiest countries to get a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Canada issues around 130,000 new PGWPs every year.
For MBA and master’s graduates, Canada’s PGWP allows students to remain in the country for three years, as long as your program is at least eight months long (or 900 hours for Quebec programs) and you meet other eligibility requirements (more on that below). You must ensure that your passport is valid for the full length of time for which you’re eligible—your PGWP will only be issued for the period in which your passport is valid.
Canada has recently changed its eligibility requirements for the PGWP. To qualify you must:
- Graduate from a program of study at PGWP-eligible designated learning institution
- Maintain full-time status as a student in Canada during each semester of your study program (although you may study part-time in your final semester)
- Apply for your PGWP within 180 days of completing your studies (this is crucial, as you may miss your application window while waiting for your results)
If you’re keen to stay longer, you might apply for permanent residence (and thus the right to live and work in Canada). The Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs both grant permits if you have one-year of full-time work experience (defined as 30 hours per week for 12 months) in managerial, professional, or technical jobs. Applicants for the Canadian Experience Class program must have completed their work experience in Canada.
Singapore
Singapore is already a popular choice for MBAs, thanks to top-ranked schools like NUS Business School and Singapore Management University, and links to businesses across Asia. Its routes to graduate visas make it an even more enticing choice.
If you’ve graduated from a higher education program in Singapore, you’re eligible to apply for a Short-Term Visit Pass and a Short-Term Visit Pass Extension which allows you to stay in Singapore for an extra 30-89 days. After gaining this breathing room, an application for a Long-Term Visit Pass grants a stay of up to two years in Singapore to students from eligible institutions.
Once you’ve found your dream job in Singapore, there are a couple of work visas available to you. The Employment Pass is designed for highly skilled professionals (managers, executives, etc.), with a minimum salary of S$5,000 per month (US$3,900)—or S$5,500 (US$4,300) for those in financial services. This increases progressively depending on the applicant’s age. You also need to earn at least 40 points on the Complementary Assessment Framework in order to be eligible. Singapore issues roughly 200,000 Employment Passes every year.
If you classify as a ‘mid-skilled’ worker, you will qualify for the S Pass which offers a stay of up to two years for graduates earning at least S$3,150 (US$2,460) a month.
The EntrePass is a great option for international entrepreneurs looking to launch a business in Singapore. To be eligible you must have launched or plan to launch a private limited company that is registered with the authorities in Singapore. Your company must be venture backed or possess innovative technologies to get accepted.
Ireland
Ireland is renowned for its hospitable, welcoming culture—and this certainly extends to its work visa policy. As part of the EU, Ireland welcomes any EU citizens, plus those from the UK and Switzerland, to come and work there. For those outside of this remit, there are plenty of options too.
If you’ve graduated from an Irish university—such as Trinity Business School and UCD Smurfit—with a master’s degree, the Third Level Graduate Program allows you to stay for one year after graduation for a period of twelve months, offering you plenty of time to apply for work and longer-term visas. As well as providing proof of graduation, you’ll need to pay a €300 admin fee.
To stay longer, you’ll need to apply for an Employment Permit. There are nine different types of Employment Permit for different uses, including the Critical Skills Employment Permit (for specific, high-skilled applicants) and the General Employment Permit (for wider use). In 2024, Ireland issued a record number of employment permits, just over 38,000, to non-EEA citizens.
Germany
While EU citizens from anywhere can stay to work, Germany offers a range of lucrative visa options for anyone with strong skills and a good educational background.
You can apply for an 18-month extended residency permit immediately after finishing your last exam, allowing you to stay and work in the country. To be eligible you must have proof from your university that you have completed a degree.
Successful applicants are permitted to stay in Germany while applying for a residence permit, such as the EU Blue Card Scheme. This offers a residence and work permit to non-EU citizens who have professional experience and an employment contract in the country (with a minimum salary of €48,300, or US$56k, per year), granting working rights equal to nationals and free movement with your card in the Schengen Area.
It is granted for up to four years at a cost of around €100 (US$116) per year, and you’re even allowed to stay in a non-EU country for up to 12 months without the residence permit expiring. If you have been employed for 27 months or longer after receiving your blue card you can apply for a settlement permit.
If you’ve returned to your home country after your degree but want to seek employment in Germany, another option is the Job Seeker Visa—a residence permit that allows you to return to Germany for up to six months to look for a job.
Visas in Germany will only cost you between €75 and €100, meaning securing your work permit won’t break the bank.
The Netherlands
Famed for its high quality of life and strong work-life balance culture, the Netherlands also offers one of the smoothest pathways to a work visa.
The ‘Orientation visa’ is a residence permit for non-EU citizens with next to no restrictions, allowing you to stay in the Netherlands and work for one year after the end of your graduate degree. The Orientation Visa doesn’t require any proof of funds and covers working in temporary positions such as internships (paid or unpaid), freelancing, and even starting your own company.
After the orientation year, you must apply for a longer-term visa.
As the Netherlands is also a member of the European Union, business graduates have the same opportunity to apply for an EU Blue Card, provided you meet the required professional and educational experience, as well as salary requirements—€4,551 per month ($5,308).
There's also the possibility of applying for the Highly Skilled Migrant Visa, which is available for non-EU nationals with certain skills or professions. Your employer must be on a list of recognised sponsor employers, while you must be earning a competitive salary—€4,171 per month ($4,866) for under 30s, and €5,688 per month ($6,635) for those 30 and older.
Documents you’ll need before applying for a student visa
Each country has certain requirements before you start applying for your student visa. In general, you’re likely to need the following:
A passport. This should be valid for the duration of your stay (if not longer). In addition, you’ll often need to submit passport-style photographs.
Proof of acceptance. You’ll need to provide evidence that you’ve been accepted on your program of study, usually in the form of an acceptance letter or pre-enrollment form.
Proof of financial means. You may be asked to provide that you have sufficient funds to cover your studies and living costs for a certain period, often covering the duration of your stay.
Health insurance. Many countries will require proof that you have sufficient cover for healthcare, applicable for the country in which you’ll be studying.
Proof of accommodation. This is less standard, but in certain countries you may be asked to show proof of arranged accommodation, whether that’s in a homestay, private apartment, university dorm, or otherwise.
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