Work visa destinations
Compare work visa requirements across 34 countries. Choose a destination to see available pathways, salary thresholds, and processing times.
Australia
Canada
France
Germany
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Ireland
Kuwait
Netherlands
New Zealand
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Belgium
Denmark
Italy
Japan
Norway
Poland
Portugal
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United States
Austria
Bahrain
Czech Republic
Finland
Kenya
Malaysia
Oman
South Africa
Turkey
Choose your nationality
Frequently asked questions
Which country is easiest to get a work visa in?
Bahrain has the fastest processing at 3 to 10 business days through the LMRA system. Germany's Opportunity Card lets you enter without a job offer if you score 6 points. Poland's Employer Declaration takes just 7 days to register. For points-based systems, Canada's Express Entry and Australia's SkillSelect are transparent - you can calculate your score before applying.
Which country has the cheapest work visa?
Portugal, Poland, and the Czech Republic have some of the lowest salary thresholds and application fees in Europe. Portugal's work visa costs around EUR 90 plus EUR 83 for the residence permit. Poland's Type A work permit fee is just PLN 100. In the Gulf, Bahrain and Qatar have very low salary floors. For the lowest overall cost, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe offer the best value.
Which countries offer permanent residency through work visas?
Most European countries offer PR after 3 to 5 years. Norway is fastest at 3 years. Germany's EU Blue Card leads to PR in 21 months with B1 German. Canada and Australia offer PR through points-based systems, often within 6 to 12 months of invitation. Japan's HSP grants PR in 1 year with 80+ points. Gulf states generally don't offer PR, though Saudi Arabia and the UAE have premium residency and Golden Visa programs.