Page 30 - StudyTravel Magazine July 2014 Issue

SPeCial rePort PoST-STUDy WoRK

post-study work rights, with up to four in our broken immigration Comparison of post-study work rights
years available for Phd students, is clearly system, and why international Below is a selection of the streams available to international
one. “the actual number of post-study educators continue to call upon students after graduation. All facts should be checked with the
visas has not been large, because the Congress to pass common- relevant immigration authorities.
fi rst eligible cohort has only just started sense immigration reform.”
to come through,” says Phil Honeywood, nafsa is lobbying for more Country scheme Details
executive director of the international green Cards to be available to
education association of australia www. prevent pressure on H-1B; an Australia Temporary Graduate 485 Valid for: 2 years (Bachelor); 3 years (Master’s);
4 years (PhD)
ieaa.org.au (ieaa). “But it is all about immigration Bill passed by the • Post-study Work Stream For qualifi cations related to skilled Occupation
perception. the perception among agents Senate offering green Cards for • Graduate Work Stream List (sOL)
Valid for 18 months
is that students will have the ability to get international SteM graduates Temporary Work Visa 457 sponsored by employer
course-related work, both during study and has stalled in the House of Valid up to 4 years
thereafter.” indeed, australia emerged as representatives. Canada Post-graduation Work Valid up to 3 years, depending on course length
Apply within 90 days of completing course
Permit (PGWPP)
the most popular destination for students nafsa is also calling for the Canada Experience Class Permanent residence route
interested in post-study work in our agent extension of ‘dual intent’ to (CEC) 8,000 limit this year
survey. “i believe many international overseas students. “educated need to complete work experience in Canada
Job fi eld restrictions
students, because of global unemployment students are exactly the kinds Federal skilled Worker Permanent residence stream for international
challenges, see australia as a desirable of immigrants we should Program (PhD stream) PhD students
destination,” he adds. encourage to stay in the united 1,000 annual application limit
Honeywood says another carrot for States. We should not force Provincial nominee scheme Varies by province
international students is that employers can them, before they even start France Autorisation Provisoire de One-year, non-renewable temporary residence
séjour (APs)
Allows part-time work
sponsor an international student worker, their studies, to say that they switch to work visa with study-related job at
thus providing a pathway to permanent have no intention of staying, x1.5 minimum wage
migration, which is a powerful incentive, working and contributing to Germany Residence permit Valid for 18 months
Possibility of switching to German work resi-
he says. However, a risk for vocational the communities of the united dence permit or EU Blue Card after securing work
students in australia aiming for the general States after they graduate.” Japan Post-study job search permit Valid for one year
Skilled Migration category, as highlighted in europe, more generous switch to work visa, fi eld restrictions apply
recently (see StM, june 2014, page 25) is post-study work rights are Company start-up permit Valid for six months
the fact that the Skilled occupation list can being used as a tool to leverage nZ Post-study Work Visa (open) Job search visa valid for 12 months
change, with accounting currently under increased international student Post-study Work Visa study-related job offer required
(Employer assisted)
Valid for 2-3 years
threat, for example. recruitment: germany extended UK switch to Tier 2 (General) 4 months allowed for job search
in the uSa, the common post-study its post-study job search period Visa
option is optional Practical training (oPt), to 18 months and removed PhD post-study stay and work for an additional year
a 12-month scheme (29 months for the previous work restrictions; Graduate Entrepreneur sponsored by institution or UKTI to establish
SteM students) to provide study-related President Hollande of France UsA scheme business in the UK
Optional Practical Training
study-related work valid for 12 months (29 for
work experience. oPt has recently come recently promised a Canada- (OPT) sTEM graduates)
under scrutiny from the government style post-study visa equivalent H-1B visa Employer sponsored
accountability offi ce (see StM, May to the length of a student’s Valid for 3 years
Possibility to transition from OPT to H-1B
2014, page 6) with questions over whether programme; and denmark, 65,000 annual cap
institutions are recommending appropriate meanwhile, has launched
work, a lack of record keeping and security a comprehensive 24-point
risks. nonetheless, the gao revealed plan to facilitate the International Students in Five EU Countries
substantial growth in take up of oPt: in recruitment and retention was conducted by the Brussels-based
2013, 123,328 applications were approved, of international students, Migration Policy group www.migpolgroup.
compared with just 28,497 in 2008. which among other com (MPg) and interviewed 6,239
the other main option is the highly measures allows for a two- international postgraduate students across
competitive H-1B ‘high-skilled’ visa. the year work period with no europe, fi nding that two-thirds were
Fy2015 cap of 65,000 visas was fi lled minimum requirements on income level. interested in staying, ranging from 79.8
within a week, the uS Citizenship and per cent of Master’s students in germany,
immigration Services announced recently. Part of the package: student PSW to 48.8 per cent of Phd students in the
Marlene M. johnson, executive director intentions uK. “overall, the main tendency among
and Ceo of nafsa www.nafsa.org, said, What are students actually looking for in respondents is the desire to stay for a few
“reaching the arbitrary cap in only fi ve days a post-study work experience? in 2011, years to gain international work experience
is yet another example of the dysfunction Mobile Talent? The Staying Intentions of before eventually returning to their home
countries or moving elsewhere,” said the
Case study: the Michigan global talent retention initiative (gtri) MPg report.
only 10 per cent of the surveyed
the state of Michigan was the fi rst in the uSa to establish an international student retention policy, ex-
plains Steve tobocman, director of global detroit www.globaldetroit.com. He says the gtri www.migtri. students intended to stay more than fi ve
org connects the state’s 31 universities, 27,000 international students and a host of employers through years, a point several commentators
conferences, events, webinars and job links. “We know that Michigan’s international students are highly concurred with. Many agent contributors
concentrated in the SteM fi elds,” says tobocman. a gtri report estimates Michigan will require 274,000 referred to work experience as part of
SteM jobs to be fi lled by 2018, and showed 59.5 per cent of international students in oPt graduated from
SteM subjects, while 82.4 studied for advanced degrees. Furthermore, tobocman explains international the package, helping a student stand
students pursuing oPt are three time more likely to stay in Michigan than out-of-state uS students. out and justify their investment. nargiza
He highlights the importance of immigrant entrepreneurship. “a full 32.8 per cent of the high-tech Mendekeeva of active english llC agency
fi rms started in Michigan have historically been started by immigrants,” he says, despite only six per in Kyrgyzstan relates, “For students, it is
cent of the population being foreign-born. “Michigan views international student retention as the path-
way to becoming the Silicon valley of the Midwest,” enthuses tobocman. very important in practice to realise the
gained knowledge and skills, besides

28 | Study travel Magazine | july 2014