How to Change a Student Visa into a European Work Visa

Here is how to turn your student visa into a European work visa. Your finals are coming to an end, your friends are all making their exit strategies back to their home countries, and then there is you who doesn’t want to leave. We’ve all been head over heels in love with places we have traveled and thought “can’t we just move here forever?” Well, if you have studied in that country, then there is a chance for you to live and work in the country you love.

What is a European Work Visa?

As much as it would be great, Europe doesn’t have just a “one size fits all” work visa. You have to apply for different work visas for different countries. This means if you have a work visa for Sweden, you cannot go work in Spain. Luckily if you already have a student visa in a European country, you can hopefully land a job that will allow you to live and work in Europe!

If you are a non-EU citizen and have a student visa (usually this is actually a residence permit) for studies at a university or college, usually you may work during this permit’s period of validity. However, you need a work permit if you want to work after completing your studies.

Sweden

If you have a job offer and are already in Sweden you should:

• have a residence permit for studies at a university or university college, or residence permit to seek employment in Sweden
• apply for a work permit before your residence permit expires
• have completed at least 30 credits or one semester of postgraduate studies in Sweden.

To be able to receive a work permit while you are still in Sweden all of the requirements above must be met. Otherwise, you must apply from your country of origin or from the country where you have permission to live.

To obtain a work permit you must

• have a valid passport
• have been offered terms of employment that are on par with those set by Swedish collective agreements or which are customary within the occupation or industry
• have been offered a salary that is on par with that set by Swedish collective agreements or which is customary within the occupation or industry
• have been offered a minimum salary of SEK 13,000 per month before taxes
• have an employer who intends to provide insurance covering health, life, employment, and pension when you begins to work.

More information here.

Spain

A non-EU citizen that has an active student status needs to meet the following requirements:

• Resided in Spain legally for 3 years and have proof of successful completion of studies, research, training or work experience and have the required professional qualifications.
• Clean criminal record.
• Have been subsidized by a public or private organization within the framework of Spanish cooperation or development programs – or those of the country of origin.
• You must have all the requirements that the current administration requires you to have to develop your activity or business. And you must also be able to demonstrate that the planned investment is sufficient and, if appropriate, that it will have an impact on job creation.
• Proof of sufficient economic means for food and accommodation.

If you meet all this, you’ll need to visit the Immigration office along with the following documents that must be submitted together with the application form:

• Copy of the documentation that proves your qualification and, if applicable, the professional qualification legally required for your profession.
• Your business plan.
• Your criminal record from your country of origin.
• Proof of sufficient economic investment or commitment of support from financial or other institutions.
• Copy of your personal Identification documents/travel documents.

Germany

Length of time a student can remain in the country, following graduation, without a job offer: Graduates can remain in Germany for up to 18 months after graduation without a job offer for the purpose of finding employment.

You can go to your local Ausländerbehörde with your contract and apply from within Germany before your student visa expires.

Italy

After graduation, it is not required to have a contract to apply for the work visa. From student permit to employee permit:

• Fill in the online form Modello VA (undergraduates) or Modello V2
  (graduated students) through the website of Ministero dell’Interno.
• When you receive an appointment at the Prefettura – Sportello Unico per
  l’Immigrazione, you will have to bring:
  • Modello Q (available on the website of Ministero dell’Interno) filled
    in by your employer.
  • Photocopy of your passport.
  • Photocopy of your current stay permit.
  • Photocopy of employer’s ID.
  • Photocopy of employer’s stay permit (only for foreign employers).
  • Enrollment or graduation certificate.

Upon presentation and verification of your documents, you will receive
the so-called nullaosta (authorization) with which you should apply for a
stay permit at the Post Office. Students who are offered a job by an employer can register for an employee permit.

If your student visa expires while waiting…
• the receipt of your online application for the conversion legalizes your stay in Italy.
• Students who have graduated and applied for a worker stay permit may start working from the moment they receive the nullaosta.
• PHD students and 2° level Master students may apply for a temporary stay permit (called permesso di attesa occupazione)

Source: Italy Study Visa

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