Employment policies for international students in 10 study abroad powerhouses

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If you study STEM in the US, international students can stay up to three years to work, and if you get a PhD in Australia, you have up to six years.

The most attractive study abroad destinations today all have their own policies on employment for international students before and after graduation. Some countries have even recently adjusted their regulations to make it more favorable for international students.

In general, graduates of some fields that require human resources such as STEM (Science - Technology - Engineering, Mathematics) have an advantage when looking for opportunities to stay and work. In addition, some other countries clearly give priority to those with master's and doctoral degrees.

Here are the employment policies for international students in 10 study abroad powerhouses that currently attract between 200,000 and over a million international students:

1. America

International students in the US are allowed to stay and work through the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. OPT is usually valid for 12 months, applicable both before and after graduation.

Full-time students (F-1 status) in 22 STEM majors are allowed to extend their OPT for an additional 24 months, bringing the total stay to a maximum of 36 months.

Students must complete at least one year of full-time study to be eligible for OPT.

During their first year in the United States, F-1 students are only allowed to work on campus. Starting in their second year, they may work up to 20 hours per week off campus through the Pre-Graduation OPT program, the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) program, or the STEM OPT program. The work students engage in must be related to their field of study.

Students in a classroom at the University of Chicago, September 2022. Photo: The University of Chicago Fanpage

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Overseas students who want to stay in the UK after graduating can apply for a Graduate visa. The period of stay is two years for bachelor's and master's degrees and three years for doctoral graduates.

To apply for this type of visa, international students must have completed a study program, at least at the bachelor's level. For courses of less than one year, students must attend the entire course.

International undergraduate students are allowed to work 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during vacations. However, students must be studying full-time courses to be eligible for this.

3. Canada

Canada allows international students to stay and work through a type of visa called PGWP - Post-graduation Work Permit. Students must study in Canada for at least 8 months to be eligible for this permit, the length of stay ranges from 8-36 months, depending on the length of the program. When applying for a PGWP, students need a degree or certificate of graduation eligibility.

International students who are not yet graduates and have an off-campus work permit under their Canadian student visa are allowed to work unlimited hours until the end of December this year. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the limit was 20 hours per week.

4. Australia

International students who graduate in Australia can stay and work by applying for a Temporary Graduate Work Visa, subclass 485. The period of time international students are allowed to stay ranges from two to four years, depending on their qualifications.

From this year, graduates from fields with labor shortages such as nursing or software engineering will be allowed to stay longer to work. Specifically, bachelor's graduates can stay for 4 years, master's graduates for 5 years, and doctoral graduates for 6 years.

International undergraduate students are allowed to work part-time for no more than 48 hours every two weeks, in any field.

5. France

Foreign students from outside the EU (European Union), Algeria and countries with bilateral agreements on occupational mobility with France can stay and work if they have a "Find a job/Start a business" residence card.

This card is valid for 12 months and cannot be extended. To be issued a card, students must have a student residence card and a bachelor's or master's degree.

International students are allowed to set up a company or find a job in their field of expertise. The minimum salary to qualify for stay is more than 2,620 Euros a month, one and a half times the average salary in France. Once they find a job, they can apply for a four-year work permit.

Additionally, international students studying in France can work on or off campus for 18.5 hours per week.

6. Japan

International students who wish to find work after completing their studies can apply to change their residence status to Designated Activities for Future creators - Job-hunting activities.

To qualify, students must have a bachelor's degree or higher within the last five years and proof of financial resources (at least 200,000 yen). If granted, international students can stay in Japan for up to two years after graduation.

Undergraduate students may work no more than 28 hours a week during term time and 8 hours a day during vacations.

7. China

Foreign students who graduate with a bachelor's degree in China can apply for a work permit if they have two years of work experience.

However, if they graduate from any member school of Shanghai University, they can apply for this license without two years of experience. The condition is that they work in commercial and technological development zones such as Zhang Jiang High-Tech Zone (ZJHT) or Free Trade Zone (FTZ).

Students with a master's degree from a Chinese university are also exempt from this two-year experience requirement.

International students can work on and off campus for no more than 8 hours per week and no more than 40 hours per month. Working hours are doubled during summer and winter breaks.

8. Finland

Finland allows international students to stay and work for two years after graduation, if they have a Residence Permit for those who want to find a job or start a business.

Students must also have a Residence Permit, proof of completion of their studies and proof of financial means (minimum 560 Euros per month) to stay and look for work.

During their studies, students are allowed to work up to 30 hours per week, in a field related to their major.

9. Germany

After graduation, international students can extend their Residence Permit in Germany for another 18 months to find a job. Once they have found a job, they need to apply for a Permanent Residence Permit or a European Blue Card.

Conditions for receiving a stay permit include proof of completion of a training program, health insurance and proof of financial resources.

Graduates with this license can work in any job while looking for full-time employment related to their field of expertise.

During their studies, non-EU students can work full-time for 120 days or part-time for 240 days per year.

10. South Korea

Under current law, international students at universities in Korea are on a D-2 visa, which is valid for two years. Those who want to work in Korea after their studies can change their visa status to a D-10, also known as a job-seeking visa. This visa allows international students to find work or do short-term internships for up to six months.

Undergraduate or graduate students are allowed to work up to 30 hours per week during term time.