The best countries to get a post study work visa

A round of applause for you, you forward thinker. Planning for the future, making a move abroad to study, embracing independence. I can tell you’re going to ace your degree. And once you’ve finished all those years of endless reading, hours spent on essay writing and weeks of exams, you’re in for a treat.

MORE WORK 🥳

Only teasing. Graduating and stepping into the working world around the world is all kinds of fun. But while the world is your oyster, bureaucracy is a thing, so it’s time to get tactical and narrow your search down to countries with high post study acceptance rates.

Make your money work first

So what is a post study visa?

A post study visa - aka post study work visa - aka a graduate visa - allows you to work in the country you’ve studied in once you’ve walked across a stage in front of hundreds of people in a silly gown to collect your diploma and give your professor a sweaty handshake.

As a forward thinker, I assume you’ve read my article “The easiest student visa to get in the world,” which means you love an easy visa application, so I’m going to walk you through a bit more of that.

If you haven’t read my other article, I guess you’re not as studious as I thought.

We’ll cover:

• How Wise can do the hard work for you
• Applying for a post study work visa in the UK
• Applying for a post study work visa in Australia
• Applying for a post study work visa in New Zealand
• Applying for a post study work visa in Canada

PS. We have offices in Australia, the UK and heaps of other locations if you’re looking for a job. Everybody’s lovely and the snacks are the bomb.

Now it’s time to make that big brain of yours even bigger 🧠

How Wise can do the hard work for you 😘

Every hero needs a sidekick, and we can help your finances go international so you can focus on the bigger stuff. Here’s the breakdown:

Big numbers, small fees

We’re available in over 160 countries, with access to over 40 currencies and we’re more affordable than bigger banks and other payment providers (most of the time), if you don’t believe me, check out our competitor comparison button next time you use our transfer calculator.

Get lean and green

Order a Wise debit card in minutes and start using it digitally before it even arrives if you're UK based. Add it to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay. If you live in certain regions you can withdraw money from ATMs for free, up to a generous limit. And you can set up to 3 digital cards with different details to your main card for things like subscriptions, bills, whatever floats your boat. Digital cards offer an added layer of security as it only exists on your phone and in your online account, so it can be frozen or deleted at the click of a button. See if they're availbe in your region on our website.

PS. check out our Terms of Use to see what the sitch is with your country of residence or visit Wise Fess & Pricing for all the lovely up to date info you're looking for.

Get down to business

If you’re setting up a business after you graduate we offer a business account and card too. Set up employee expense cards, make bookkeeping easy, earn cashback and reduce costs on international transactions.

Multi-currency balances

Set up balances in AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, NZD, SGD, USD, RON, HUF so you can spend like a local with your Wise card without worrying about conversion fees, or keep your balance in your original home currency and pay a small fee when you spend. No hidden markups, minimum costs, maximum yipeees from you. More on our feeeshere.

Water that money tree

You’ll save yourself from hidden fees and markups with us but you’ll also be able to set up Wise Jars in your account to pocket your pennies in different categories.

Send and receive money

Send your money around the world so you can put that deposit down on your new flat or even help out your family back home. You can also receive money from your friends and family too because it’s got to be a two way street.

Safety first

You’re a grown up now, with responsibilities. So you’ll have to start thinking about things like home insurance, eating vegetables and keeping your money safe. We offer two-factor authentication, top notch data privacy, all the controls in your hands via your app or desktop, and our Customer Services team is always there to support you. Even other banks and payment providers like Monzo and N26 use us to give their products a bit of razzle dazzle.

Enough of that. It’s time to visit the application station 🚂

Applying for a post study work visa in the UK 🇬🇧

98% of applications for a graduate visa get accepted in the UK. Isn’t that great news? Here’s what you need to add to that percentage.

The boxes you have to tick

• You hold a student visa
• You’ve finished your degree, and the Home Office have been contacted by your institution letting them know you’ve passed
• You weren’t naughty and didn’t break any laws
• You applied for it while still in the UK

The documents you’ll need

The UK government have a lovely list of documents for your application here.

• A valid passport or other proof of identity
• Your BRP - biometric residence permit that’s sent over once a student visa is accepted
• Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number which your place of study will supply

The details

The visa allows you to stay and work in the UK for at least 2 years.

The link

Apply here

Applying for a post study work visa in Australia 🇦🇺

There are two types of (subclass 485) visas you can apply for in Australia. We love a bit of choice.

The Temporary Graduate visa Post-Study Work steam (subclass 485)

A visa for international students who’ve graduated with a degree from an Australian university.

The Temporary Graduate visa Graduate Work stream (subclass 485)

A visa for international students who’ve graduated from an Australian university with skills and qualifications that lead to occupations Australia needs.

The boxes you need to tick

For the Post-Work stream

• You have to be under 50 years old
• You have to have had a student visa within at least 6 months of applying for your new visa and currently have an eligible visa
• You’ll have to have a recent degree in a CRICOS-registered course
  Have the right documents for your application

For the Graduate Work stream

• You have to be under 50 years old
• You have to have had a student visa within at least 6 months of applying for your new visa and currently have an eligible visa
• You’ll need to have a qualification that’s relevant to a profession on the skilled occupation list and have applied for an assessment in the occupation you’re going into.
• Have the right documents for your application

The documents you’ll need

For the Post-Work stream

• A copy of a valid passport
• Proof you completed your studies and your university’s CRICOS code
• Have proof you have health insurance, have applied for an AFP check (the popo 👮)
• Form 80 and Form 1221 completed for your character criteria assessment
• Have the required level of English
• Proof that you’ve been assessed on your skills for the occupation you’re going into

For the Graduate stream

• A valid passport or other proof of identity
• Proof you completed your studies and copies of your school transcripts
• Proof you hit the English language requirements
• Health insurance
• The AFP check and forms 80 and 1221
• Fabulous English and proof of your lingo abilities

The details

For the Post-Work stream

Hong Kong and British passport holders can stay for 5 years and processing time can range from 6 days to 3 months.

For the Graduate stream

The stay for this visa is 24 months and Hong Kong and British passport holders can stay for 5 years and processing time can range from less than a day to 77 days.

The links

Apply here

Applying for a post study work visa in New Zealand 🇳🇿

New Zealand is hot property at the moment, with an increasing number of student visa holders rising to 98% from August 2022 to March 2023 and 34,000 international students studying on their fabulous shores. Could you be one of them? Ummm.. yes.

The boxes you have to tick

• You need to have studied in NZ
• You have to have a qualification of Level 7 or higher BUT Level 4 to 6 can be accepted under certain circumstances
• You have to have proof of English lingo proficiency
• What you graduated with has to be on the list of eligible qualifications

The documents you’ll need

• A passport or other valid proof of identity
• A medical examination
  -A police clearance certificate 👀
• Proof you actually finished your qualification and met the study requirements (those levels we were speaking about)
• Proof you can pay your way with a minimum of 5,000 NZD in your account

The details

The NZ Post Study work visa is valid for up to three years and 90% of them are processed within 54 days. Something to bear in mind is you can only apply for this visa once, so make sure you get it right. No pressure.

PS there’s also an Entrepreneur Work Visa if you’re feeling bold and ready to start a business. And if you're looking for a buisness partner,I may know someone.

The link

Apply here

Applying for a post study work visa in Canada 🇨🇦

Canadians call it the PGWP, which I love because it’s so much easier to type, and their approval rate in 2022 was 97%. Trust the Canadians to be darn right lovely. You know what else would be lovely? Finding out how to apply.

The boxes you have to tick

• You need to have attended a Canadian university and finished your program
• You need to be ready to let them know the name of where you studied, the name of your program and the length of time you studied for
• Your place of study has to be on the Designated learning institution list

The documents you’ll need

• A valid passport or other accepted proof of identity
• A copy of your immigration document
• Proof you completed your qualification and a final transcript and letter from your institution
• Specific documents that depend on whether you’re applying inside or outside of Canada

The Government of Canada application process walks you through all the documents you’ll need on their site.

The details

You get 180 days after you graduate to apply for your PGWP and lasts from anywhere between 8 months to 6 years. This all depends on the length of your programme. Basically, your PGWP won’t be longer than the length of time you studied for. If that isn’t motivation to hit the books hard, I don’t know what is.

The link

Apply here

I’m done reading this 😴