The citizens of the United States are not the only ones who wish to live the American dream. Every year, millions of students, graduates and professionals desire to work in the U.S. But things have changed significantly since the establishment of Trump Government. The H1-B visa which permits foreigners to work in the U.S. has now become very difficult to obtain.
There are two factors that explain why it has become harder to get an H1-B visa. Firstly, president Trump is pushing the concept of “Buy American and Hire American”, which is a policy that tries to give priority to American labor and workforce as compared to foreign labor. The second factor is that a new policy has been recently implemented – foreign nationals who have obtained their degree from American colleges and universities have a higher chance of getting H1-B visa than those who have graduated from non-U.S. educational institutions.
Due to the above-mentioned reasons, it has become tough for people from other countries to get work in the U.S. and even more so for those who have completed their education from outside of the United States. But America is not the be-all-end-all for foreign employment. Here are five countries that provide adequate work opportunities and visa options for those seeking foreign employment.
1. Canada, One of most Preferred choice of all Immigrants- Rated as best Country to Live for Consecutive Years
The Government of Canada selects applications for talented individuals with expertise in certain skills using a system called Express Entry. The Express Entry system has launched a program called the Federal Skilled Workers Program that lists 347 occupations for which eligible candidates can send their application. The applicants are ranked on the basis of four main criteria – educational qualification, work experience, age of applicant and proficiency in any one of Canada’s official languages.
The submitted applications are termed as Expression of Interest, and the system used to rank these applications is called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Eligible candidates who get the highest rank are invited to apply for permanent residence within two months.
Another program called the Post-Graduate Work Permit allows students who have completed certain courses from specific institutions in Canada to apply for a work permit. The course duration must be more than 8 months long for students to be eligible for this program.
2. Australia- Immigration to Australia is easier due to Temporary Skill Shortage Visa Availability
Employers in Australia who fail to find local workers for any particular position can hire foreign workers to fill in the gap. Such foreign labors are granted the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa. This visa has two variations, the Short Term Stream which grants a stay of up to 2 years and a Medium Term Stream which permits a 4-year stay. There are specific lists of occupation that an applicant must be skilled in to be eligible for this visa.
Next, there is the Subclass 407 training visa that allows an applicant to attend professional training and skill development programs upon selection, for a maximum period of up to 2 years.
The Skill-Recognised Graduate Visa is for engineering graduates under the age of 31 years. Selected candidates can work or study in Australia for a maximum of 18 months.
Those interested in research and development can apply for the Temporary Activity visa. It allows eligible candidates to participate in research programs in Australia, for a maximum of up to 2 years.
Finally, we have the Temporary Graduate visa which is suitable for international graduates to live and work or study in Australia on a temporary basis. This visa allows students to bring their family along with them.
3. Norway- Country with High Demand for Skilled Professionals
There is a huge demand for skilled workforce in medical, technical and many other sectors in Norway. Citizens belonging to countries under the European Union do not need to get any permit to live and work in Norway. Nationals from other countries can apply for a Norwegian work visa provided that they have already been selected for a job by any Norwegian company. Also, the pay rate must be more than the average salary in Norway. Individuals who have a high level of skills and expertise related to their job can apply for a Norwegian work visa under the skilled workers’ scheme.
This is a good option for those with higher level relevant skills as the demand in Norway for talented workers is high.
4. Germany- If you have a EU Blue Card, Just fly to Germany
Germany has a severe shortage of skilled labor, as per a 2016 report by the World Economic Forum. To explore work opportunities in Germany, foreign workers will have to get an EU blue card. The EU blue card is a special permit given by the European Union, that allows selected individuals from non-EU countries to live and work in any of the EU countries freely. Eligibility is evaluated based on educational qualification and work experience. Apart from that, candidates should also have secured a job beforehand with a specified gross yearly salary.
Having the EU blue card can allow an individual to stay and work in Germany for a maximum of up to 4 years. The only downside is that the process of acquiring an EU blue card can take more than a few months.
5. New Zealand- Especially attractive Option to Immigrate for Chinese Nationals
Chinese nationals can avail attractive employment options in New Zealand under the China Skilled Workers Visa. As per this visa, a list of occupations has been listed as the China Skilled Worker Instructions. An applicant must be skilled and qualified in any one of the listed occupations in order to obtain this visa. The visa can offer a stay of up to 3 years, while the exact duration will depend on the employment offer. A total of 1000 Chinese workers are present at any given instant under this program.
So these are the five countries that provide ample employment opportunities to talented and qualified foreign nationals. The visa processes in each of these countries are simple, as long as the candidate is able to produce all required credentials and can fulfill all the eligibility criteria successfully.