How long you can stay and work after graduating
A degree is worth more where you are allowed to use it. Here is what each of the fifteen gives you after you finish, longest first.
Canada
3 yrsPost-Graduation Work Permit of up to 3 years, tied to programme length.
Universities in CanadaNew Zealand
3 yrsA post-study work visa of up to 3 years.
Universities in New ZealandAustralia
3 yrsTemporary Graduate visa of 2–3 years.
Universities in AustraliaSouth Korea
3 yrsThe D-10 job-seeker visa, now up to 3 years after the 2025 reform. Converting straight from a D-2 skips the points test.
Universities in South KoreaUSA
3 yrsOPT for 12 months — extended to 36 months for a STEM degree.
Universities in USAIreland
2 yrsThe Third Level Graduate Programme: up to 2 years after a masters.
Universities in IrelandUK
18 moThe Graduate Route: 18 months of unrestricted work if you apply from 1 January 2027 (2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026), 3 years after a PhD.
Universities in UKGermany
18 moAn 18-month residence permit to look for work.
Universities in GermanyFrance
1 yrA 12-month post-study residence permit for masters graduates.
Universities in FranceItaly
1 yrA 12-month permit to look for work.
Universities in ItalySweden
1 yrA 12-month permit to look for work.
Universities in SwedenNetherlands
1 yrA one-year orientation visa to find work.
Universities in NetherlandsSingapore
1 yrA one-year, non-renewable Long-Term Visit Pass to look for work — you cannot work on it until it becomes an S Pass or Employment Pass.
Universities in SingaporeSwitzerland
6 moA six-month permit to seek work.
Universities in SwitzerlandJapan
6 moA Designated Activities visa for job hunting.
Universities in JapanPost-study rights change with the government of the day. Checked 7 October 2026 — confirm with the immigration service before you choose a country on this alone.
Questions about working abroad
Which country lets international students stay longest after graduating?
Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea all allow up to three years, and the USA matches that for a STEM degree through OPT. The UK and Ireland give two.
Length is not everything — a one-year permit in a country where you already have a job offer beats three years somewhere with no work for you.
Can I stay in the country permanently after studying?
Post-study work is a separate thing from permanent residence, and no country grants PR automatically for having studied there. What a work permit does is let you build the work history and income that most PR routes ask for.
Canada and Australia both run points systems where a local degree and local work experience count.
Does the post-study visa depend on my course?
Often. Canada ties the permit length to how long your programme was. The USA extends OPT from 12 to 36 months only for a STEM degree. Ireland gives two years after a masters but one after a bachelors.
Check the rule before you pick the course, not after.
Do these rules change?
Constantly, and usually with little warning. Every figure on this page was checked on 8 September 2026 against the relevant immigration service, but a government can change a post-study route in a single budget.
Confirm before you commit money to a country on the strength of its work rights.