The overseas education industry is booming, and the number of international students who are shifting to other countries is increasing; of course, they are on the lookout for better education, quality of life, work-life balance, and so on. It is becoming a trend, especially for South Asian countries such as India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, or African nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. They contribute almost 75% of the total international student community and are willing to pursue their higher education in the hot study destinations. It is estimated that by 2030, global study abroad spending will reach around $433 billion, with around 80 lakh students.
Studying abroad is an unforgettable time; it gives you fantastic exposure, lets you meet new individuals, explore new places, receive a reputable degree, work while studying, and much more, but for some students, the main purpose is to fulfill the ultimate goal of a permanent residency through a study visa pathway. Luckily, some of the reputed countries allow international students to use the pathway of studying abroad and then convert the study visa to permanent residency. If you belong to that particular country and are exploring the options where you can convert your study visa to permanent residency, then here are the top 3 countries that allow you to get the settlement easily.
Top 3 Best Countries for PR through a study visa
1) Canada
The Maple Country is known for its welcoming locals, quality education, and easy permanent residency pathway. Canada has always been considered by international students as a haven for permanent residency. Although in recent times it has made so many updates for international students and residency-related matters, it is one of the most lenient countries around the globe. The common route to get a PR in Canada is through Express Entry, which is run by the Canadian authorities and uses a point-based system known as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), where the students get points for age, study, work experience, English or French proficiency, job offers, etc. If you are willing to crack the CRS score, you get the invitation to apply by the Canadian authorities to have your permanent residency. Here is the common practice that an international student should follow:
- Enroll in the designated learning institution and complete the program, which has having duration of more than 8 months.
- Apply for a post-graduate work permit (To increase your chances for PR, pursue a two-year program that makes you eligible for three years of PGWP)
- Gain a little bit of Canadian experience, at least 1 year of skilled professions (NOC TEER 0,1,2, or 3 work)
- Appear for language test: IELTS (CLB 7 for NOC 0 & 1: CLB 5 for NOC 2 & 3)
- A job offer is not compulsory but it increases CRS points and makes the profile strong.
Another popular program to get a permanent residency in Canada is through the Provincial Nomination Program or PNP, which the province runs in Canada. This program allows a province to nominate international students or immigrants for Canadian PR. Once the individual receives the nomination, they can apply for permanent residency. Some of the popular PNP programs are
- Ontario Immigration Nominee Program
- Saskatchewan Immigration Nominee Program
- Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program
- Atlantic Immigration Program
Recently Canadian government also launched two pilot programs to provide faster permanent residency to international students and immigrants who are fascinated by Canada, these programs are the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot. Fourteen and six cities are covering these programs, respectively. The Rural Community Immigration Pilot program was launched to ensure that rural areas would have access to a program that solves workforce problems and assists local businesses in locating the personnel they require.
Canada is very serious about immigration, and of course, to keep the economy’s wheels swinging in a proper manner, fulfill the workforce shortage, and deal with the aging problem, it is looking for immigrants. As per the Immigration Plan 2025-2027, Canada would be needing 395,000 immigrants by 2025, 380,000 by 2026, and 365,000 by 2027.
Did you know? Canada has approved 4,82,000 permanent residency applications in 2024, with the target of 4,85,000.
2) United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has also recently drawn so much attention from global media, first scrapping dependent visas by 1st Jan 2024, then increasing the immigration health surcharge, and after that increasing the living cost requirements for international students, yet it is a country with long-renowned institutions and an amazing permanent residency journey. As we are aware that the UK allows two years of postgraduate work visas for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, and the residency in the UK is known as ILR or Indefinite Leave to Remain. Unfortunately, the students, after completion of the program, cannot apply for ILR immediately. Typically, they must first convert to a work or long-term visa. The general route consists of:
- Student Route Visa: Land in the UK as an international student, pursue a bachelor’s or master’s program.
- Graduate Route: Apply for PGWP (optional)
Under the graduate route visa, there is no sponsorship required, so unfortunately, it does not lead to PR directly. Graduate route visas assist international students in finding a job that qualifies them for a skilled worker visa. After getting a secure job with a UK business that is a licensed sponsor, the student can apply for a skilled worker visa. - Skilled Worker Visa: After having a five-year sponsored job with a licensed UK business, a student can apply for ILR or Indefinite Leave to Remain. Depending on the job profile, a different salary range is required, but the minimum salary requirement is £38,700 per year. However, there are some exceptions as well, such as
a) If your job belongs to health and care workers, the minimum requirement is £29,000 per year.
b) If your job belongs to the immigration salary list (formerly known as the shortage occupation list),
c) If you are a new hire to the labour market, a lower, discounted threshold of £30,960 is applicable.
Please note – To apply for ILR, an individual must be able to complete five years of work under the skilled worker visa.
There are certain conditions also that you need to maintain under the ILR, which is known as the requirements of ILR.
- Appear for the Life in the UK test.
- Demonstrate English language requirements (B1 or higher).
- Application fee of ILR £2,389
- Clean immigration record
In the UK, indefinite leave to remain is equivalent to permanent residency. Through the student visa route, it will take around 6–8 years.
This is the most common route in the UK to get the PR. Although there are certain other ways as well by which you can get faster PR, like a Health and Care Worker Visa or an Innovator Founder Visa.
Did you know? Oxford University is considered the oldest university in the UK and the English-speaking world.
3) Germany
Germany, the hub for engineering and technology, is an amazing study destination around the globe, known for its largest economy in Europe, reputed institutions, free education, and many more. Germany is now opening the door for immigrants to take permanent residency in just 21 months, which is less than two years. So if you are also one of the international students who are willing to use the student visa pathway leading to permanent residency, then here are the steps.
a) Land in Germany to study for a bachelor’s or master’s degree program.
b) Job Seeker Visa: Since Germany allows an 18-month post-study work visa after completion of the program, international students can opt for it and look for a job related to their field of study in Germany. A job seeker visa is optional.
c) While pursuing a study program or during the 18-month job-hunting period, you would be able to secure a high-paying job of around 45,300 and apply for an EU Blue card.
d) After having an EU Blue card, there are two options available to get permanent residency.
i) Appear for the B1 level German proficiency test and pass it so that you will be eligible to get permanent residency after 21 months.
ii) Appear for the A1 level German proficiency test and pass it so that you will be eligible to apply for permanent residency after 27 months.
Please note: There are six levels in the German language, where A1 is the basic/lowest and C2 is the highest level of proficiency.
Did you know? Germany introduced free education in 2014 and is gaining a lot of popularity amongst the international student community.
Looking to earn more? Check out the high-paying jobs in Germany for International Students
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