Being able to study abroad may feel like a pipe dream for many Canadians when they think about how they’re going to be able to fund their trip.
Working while studying is one of the easiest ways to fund your studies, but some countries have strict limits on the number of hours you can work per week.
Don’t give up hope just yet. Your dreams of studying in another country might just become a reality thanks to these countries’ visa requirements.
Remitly, a financial service provider based in the US analyzed student visa requirements across 57 countries around the world and found that the following countries had the most lenient working hours.
For context, Canada lets students who applied for their study permit before October 7, 2022, work unlimited hours during the term. However, this is only until December 31, 2023, and after that, it will return to the usual 20 hours per week while classes are on and over 20 hours per week during the holidays.
Now for the list!
Hungary
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No student wants to go hungry in Hungary. Luckily, this shouldn’t be a problem with the county’s visa requirements.
Students can work up to 30 hours per week while classes are on, or a maximum of 90 days or 66 working days a year outside of the semester.
Finland
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If you want to study abroad but are worried about getting thrown out of the country for exceeding working hours, Finland may be the best place to go to work to fund your studies.
Finland lets students work up to 30 hours per week over the semester. It gets even better if you work in something related to your degree, as that 30-hour working cap no longer applies.
Kenya
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Living in vibrant cities all year round while being surrounded by incredible wildlife? Yes, please.
Kenya’s visa requirements let students work up to 30 hours per week to help fund their studies.
Japan
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Imagine leaving a late-night study session and getting authentic sushi from the streets of Tokyo. It would be amazing.
Students in Japan can work up to 28 hours per week during the term time, and this can go up to 40 hours during the holidays.
Australia
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Australia is the place to be if you want to surf all day and study all night.
Students are allowed to work 48 hours every fortnight, or in other words, 24 hours per week. If you need the extra cash, you can work unlimited hours over the holidays.
While these countries top the list, there are plenty of other countries that let students work up to 20 hours per week during term time. Here’s the full list of countries that let you work up to 20 hours per week:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Colombia (25 hours per week during the holidays)
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic (40 hours per week during the holidays)
- Denmark (37 hours per week over the summer)
- Greece
- Ireland (40 hours per week during the holidays)
- Italy
- Mexico
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Norway (full-time during the holidays)
- Portugal (full-time during the holidays)
- Qatar
- South Africa (40 hours per week during the holidays)
- Thailand
- United Kingdom
- USA
If you’re thinking about studying abroad but are worried about the cost, it might be worth looking into one of the countries on this list. Happy travels!