Visas

Skilled-worker visas — where qualified professionals move

Employer-sponsored residence permits for specialists and university-educated workers. Often the fastest route to permanent residency.

01 AU Australia · Skills in Demand — Specialist Skills (Subclass 482) High-skill specialists earning AUD 135,000+. · 3–8w processing · path to PR AUD 135,000 02 AU Australia · Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) Points-tested skilled workers without employer sponsorship. · 26–78w processing · path to PR No floor 03 AU Australia · Skilled Work Regional (Provisional, Subclass 491) Skilled workers willing to live and work in designated regional areas of Australia. · 12–52w processing · path to PR No floor 04 BR Brazil · VITEM II — Skilled Worker Authorisation Non-Brazilian professionals hired by Brazilian employers. · 8–16w processing · path to PR No floor 05 CA Canada · Federal Skilled Worker (Express Entry) Skilled workers ranked via Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). · 24–52w processing · path to PR No floor 06 CA Canada · Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés (Québec PRTQ) Skilled workers intending to settle in Québec. · 26–78w processing · path to PR No floor 07 CN China (Mainland) · Z Visa (Standard Work) Standard route for foreign nationals taking up paid employment in Mainland China. · 2–6w processing · path to PR No floor 08 CN China (Mainland) · Foreign Worker's Work Permit (Class A/B/C) All foreign workers — categorised by points system administered by SAFEA. · 2–6w processing · path to PR No floor 09 CN China (Mainland) · Z Visa — Work Visa Foreign professionals with a Chinese employment offer. · 4–10w processing No floor 10 EG Egypt · Work Permit (Ta'asheera al-'Amal) Non-Egyptian workers sponsored by Egyptian employers. · 6–16w processing · path to PR No floor 11 EG Egypt · Work Permit (Tasreeh Amal) Foreign professionals with an Egyptian employment contract. · 4–12w processing No floor 12 FR France · Talent – EU Blue Card Non-EU graduates with a qualifying job offer and EU intra-mobility needs. · 3–6w processing · path to PR EUR 59,373 13 DE Germany · Skilled Worker Visa (§18a / §18b) Qualified professionals with vocational training or a degree · 4–16w processing · path to PR No floor 14 IE Ireland · Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) Non-EEA professionals in occupations on the Critical Skills list. · 4–12w processing · path to PR EUR 38,000 15 IT Italy · EU Blue Card (Carta Blu UE) Non-EU workers with recognised higher-education qualifications and a qualifying job offer. · 6–12w processing · path to PR EUR 38,000 16 IT Italy · Highly Skilled Worker (Lavoratore Altamente Qualificato) Non-EU professionals for senior or specialist roles at Italian employers. · 4–12w processing · path to PR No floor 17 JP Japan · Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Standard route for office, technical, and language-related professional work. · 4–12w processing · path to PR No floor 18 JP Japan · Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Highly-qualified workers fast-tracked to long-term residence. · 2–6w processing · path to PR No floor 19 JP Japan · Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) — Type 1 / Type 2 Mid-skilled workers in 14 designated labour-shortage sectors. · 4–10w processing · path to PR No floor 20 MX Mexico · Temporary Resident — Employment (Oferta de Trabajo) Non-Mexican workers sponsored by a Mexican employer. · 4–12w processing · path to PR No floor 21 MX Mexico · Visitor Visa without Work Permission Short-stay visitors (up to 180 days) not working in Mexico. No floor 22 MX Mexico · Working Holiday (Youth Mobility) Young adults (18–30) from reciprocal partner countries. · 2–6w processing No floor 23 MA Morocco · Employer-Sponsored Work Permit Non-Moroccan workers hired by Moroccan employers. · 6–16w processing · path to PR No floor 24 MA Morocco · Work Permit (Autorisation de Travail) Foreign employees of Moroccan-registered companies. · 6–14w processing No floor 25 NL Netherlands · Highly Skilled Migrant (Kennismigrant) Non-EU qualified professionals with a Dutch recognised employer. · 2–4w processing · path to PR EUR 5,688 26 NL Netherlands · EU Blue Card Non-EU workers with a higher-education qualification and a qualifying job offer. · 4–12w processing · path to PR EUR 5,688 27 NZ New Zealand · Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa Skilled workers seeking permanent residence through points-based selection. · 20–52w processing · path to PR No floor 28 NZ New Zealand · Entrepreneur Work Visa Founders of businesses in New Zealand. · 16–52w processing · path to PR No floor 29 NZ New Zealand · Post Study Work Visa International graduates of New Zealand qualifying programmes. · 3–8w processing No floor 30 ZA South Africa · Critical Skills Work Visa (CSWV) Workers in occupations on the Critical Skills List. · 8–24w processing · path to PR No floor 31 ZA South Africa · General Work Visa Workers sponsored by SA employers for roles not on the Critical Skills List. · 12–52w processing · path to PR No floor 32 ZA South Africa · Critical Skills Work Visa Professionals whose skills fall on the government's critical-skills list. · 6–12w processing · path to PR No floor 33 ZA South Africa · General Work Visa Non-critical-skills employees with South African employers. · 24–52w processing No floor 34 KR South Korea · E-7 Foreign Skilled Worker Managers, technical specialists, and qualified professionals. · 3–8w processing · path to PR No floor 35 ES Spain · Work Visa (Cuenta Ajena) Non-EEA workers hired for standard employment in Spain. · 12–24w processing · path to PR No floor 36 AE United Arab Emirates · Standard Work Visa (Employer-Sponsored) Employees sponsored by UAE-based employers (mainland or free zone). · 2–6w processing No floor 37 GB United Kingdom · Skilled Worker visa Qualified workers with a UK sponsor licence-holder employer. · 3–8w processing · path to PR GBP 41,700 38 AE United Arab Emirates · Virtual Working Programme (Remote Work Visa) Remote workers earning US$5,000+/month from non-UAE employers. · 2–4w processing USD 5,000 39 ZA South Africa · Remote Work Visa (Digital Nomad) Non-South-African remote workers earning ZAR 650,976+/year from non-SA employers. · 4–12w processing ZAR 650,976 40 DE Germany · EU Blue Card Non-EU graduates taking a qualified role in Germany · 4–12w processing · path to PR EUR 48,300 41 KR South Korea · F-1-D Workation (Digital Nomad) Visa Non-Korean remote workers earning ≥ ₩88M/year from non-Korean employers. · 2–4w processing KRW 88,100,000

Frequently asked

What's the typical salary floor for skilled-worker visas?
The EU Blue Card floor is currently ~€45,000–€56,000/year depending on member state (approximately 1.0–1.5× national average salary). UK Skilled Worker needs £38,700; Australia 482 TSS £73,150 AUD; Canada varies by NOC level.
Do I need a job offer first?
Almost always — yes. The visa is a sponsorship vehicle, and you must have a named employer willing to sponsor before applying. Some countries (Germany Chancenkarte, Austria RWR-Card points-based) let you enter first to job-search.
How long until I can apply for permanent residency?
Typical window: 3–5 years of continuous residence on the visa, with salary and tax-compliance requirements. Portugal (5yrs), Germany (33 months on a Blue Card — 21 with B1 German), Ireland (5yrs), UK (5yrs).