When asked if they intended to apply for a post-study visa, 72% of respondents globally said they will apply. Respondents from China were the most likely to apply (82%) followed by the Philippines (79%), Ghana (78%), then Nigeria and India (75% each).
When asked if they intended to apply for a post-study visa, 72% of respondents globally said they will apply. Respondents from China were the most likely to apply (82%) followed by the Philippines (79%), Ghana (78%), then Nigeria and India (75% each).
Across the four major study destinations, the perception of graduate employment opportunities has gone down since our first Emerging Futures survey took place in March 2022. Canada’s 8 out of 10 average ranking has dropped to 7.7, the US has dropped from 7.6 to 7.5, Australia from 7.4 to 7.3 and the UK, seeing the greatest fall in perception of graduate employment opportunities, dropped from 7.1 to 6.7.
Over the same period, the perceptions of post-study work visa policy increased slightly for Canada and Australia but reduced for the UK and the US. Canada’s out-of-ten average ranking went up from 8 in March 2022 to 8.1 in March 2023 and Australia went up from 7.3 to 7.4. The UK’s perception ranking dropped from 7 to 6.7 and the US dropped from 6.8 to 6.5. Interestingly, in July 2021, the rankings were even lower for Australia (6.8), the UK (6.8), and the US (5.9), but Canada’s ranking was 8.2, and this makes Canada the only major destination country to have suffered a loss of post-study work visa ranking between July 2021 and March 2023.
Under half of respondents (46%) were highly confident they would find a job once they had obtained their post-study work visa. Respondents from Nigeria were the most confident (54%), with those from Ghana and the Philippines just behind (51% each). Students from China were the least confident in finding post-study employment, with only 31% ranking their confidence as high.
Globally, 65% of all respondents said the opportunity to acquire work experience in their study destination was an attractive feature of the post-study work offer, and 54% said the post-study work visa in their chosen destination provides an easier entry route into the job market when compared to any other type of work visa. Of all respondents, 48% said the duration of the post-study work visa was an attractive feature and only 34% said that the range of jobs it allows access to was an attractive feature.
When it came to why students chose a destination as their first choice, only 37% of all respondents chose ‘ease of obtaining a work visa’ – 44% of students from Ghana chose this in their replies, 43% of students from Nigeria and 41% of those from the Philippines. When asked why their second-choice destination was not their first choice, 18% of students globally said it was ‘too difficult to get a post-study work visa’ and 14% said there were fewer employment opportunities after graduation.
