Stay Back Period and Post Study Work Permit - All You Need to Know!

As an international student, you shall have immigration rights to your chosen study abroad destination as a student and you shall not be eligible for the Stay Back after the completion of your chosen program and neither shall you be able to apply for employment. Even though almost all of the destinations allow part-time jobs and employment, full-time employment is not considered valid for a Student Visa holder. In order to avail of employment opportunities as a foreign national in another country, you need to satisfy any one of the following:

• Work Permit or Visa

• Citizenship

In such a case as an international student, if you are presented with employment opportunities abroad after completion of your program, you can apply for a Post Study Work Permit for that country and extend your stay back period in that country.

Thousands of students have been assisted by our study abroad experts with post-study work visas in order to extend their student visas. We are delighted to know that a large number of these students have been offered admission to their desired universities.

What is Meant by Stay Back Period and Post Study Work Visa?

The international students who have opted to study abroad are offered an extension to their Student Visa by the option of Post Study Work Permit or Post Study Work Visa.

As per the conditions of a Student Visa, the student who is permitted to stay in a country and complete their study program needs to leave immediately after they have completed their program and achieved their authorised proof or award for the same. However, with the help of the Post Study Work Visa, the student can stay back in the country for an extended period (limited), while continuing with the employment.

General Rules and Conditions Attached to PSW Permit

Post Study Work Permit is an extension allowed on the Student Visa so that they can avail full-time employment opportunities in foreign nations like the USA, UK, Canada, etc after the completion of their studies. There are, therefore, some conditions and rules in order to gain and maintain the PSW Permit.

• In order to gain a PSW Permit, a candidate needs to be a registered and on-campus student at the university in the particular country.

• The PSW Visa or Permit is generally of around a two-year extended period. However, this period is subject to variations. These period variations are based on the type of study program in which the applicant is or was enrolled.

• Most countries require the applying international student to have completed a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree in order to be considered eligible for PSW Permit. In case of certificate or diploma courses, a student may be granted a PSW permit, but the extended period shall be minimal (six to eight months) in comparison to the degree holder’s extended period.

• The PSW Permit or Visa holder cannot engage in employment or work which is considered illegal or immoral by the granting nation’s laws.

• The behavioural conduct or PSW Permit or Visa holder must be moral and ethical throughout their stay.

• Any criminal or civil misbehaviour or suit on a PSW Permit or Visa holder may result in the cancellation of the immigration rights of the person and they shall be immediately deported to their home country. The final decision of non-cancellation, deporting or even punishment is based on the severity of the act.

• The PSW Permit or Visa is only granted in case of the existence of full-time employment opportunities. The absence of which is not entertained and a permit or Visa is not granted to the applicant.

• Once the PSW Permit or Visa is expired the holder is expected to depart from the country for their home nation.

Rejection of Post Study Work Permit or Visa

As it is obvious, the application for a Post Study Work Permit or Visa is again dependent on the approval of the immigration authorities of the country. In this case, there are also cases where the applications are rejected. Why the PSW Permit or Visa applications are and what to do in order to solve them can be found below.

Reasons of Rejection

The most common reasons behind the rejection of PSW Permit or Visa application are;

• The applicant has no offer of any full employment opportunities and there are minimal chances of them getting one.

•  The applicant has showcased poor behavioural conduct during their education timeline.

• The applicant does not have proper financial income or offer to sustain their lifestyle in the country.

• The applicant’s intention is to prolong their stay after the PSW Permit or Visa expiration and they are not likely to depart the nation on the date of expiry.

• The representation and information furnished by the applicant are false.

• The documents required are not properly filed or they present false information.

Remedies of Rejection

In order to remedy the rejection of a PSW Permit or Visa applicant can follow the alternatives suggested below;

• The applicant must identify the reason for which the application has been rejected.

• If the reasons are easily fixable then they must do so and only then file the application.

• They must ensure a solid backup or reference.

•  In cases where Student Visa has expired then they must return to their home country and file for Work Visa or Permit from there.

• In cases where they do not have an employment offer, they must prove their capability in ensuring the incoming of employment offers.

• Provide proper financial background and support if required in addition to employment remuneration and benefits.

Benefits of Post Study Work Permit

The biggest question that arises in the case of PSW Permit or Visa is the fact that if during the examination of a Student Visa application, the immigration authorities are focused on sending the candidate back after its expiry then why do they provision or authorize its extension through PSW Permit or Visa. The reason is the benefit that this extension provides to both the student or candidate applying for it and the country itself.

International students benefit from the provision of Student Visa in the following cases:

• If a student receives an offer for full-time employment while completing their course program then the extension to Study Visa is quite welcoming.

• The educational institutions conduct campus placement programs for certain streams and in case the international students get placements in the country the PSW Permit or Visa is a good option.

• There are certain fields which present better opportunities in terms of job satisfaction and remuneration in Study Abroad destinations as compared to home country, in this case, the international students shall prefer staying back for employment purposes.

• When the employment rate of the destination country is better than the home country.

• When there is a huge difference between work and lifestyle cultures of Study Abroad destination and home country and student prefers destination country.

• When the destination country’s currency is stronger than the home country and therefore translates into more money on an exchange.

Study Abroad/ Destination Country

Even though immigration authorities take up strict measures in assessing the application for PSW Permit or Visa, it is only so that unwanted and misfortune circumstances can be avoided. These measures in no way deny the fact that even the International Study Abroad destinations benefit from the extension facility in the following manners;

• Even though the international students pay fees for their education, the resources which go into their course completion belong to the destination country. By providing employment opportunities to these students the country can convert the contribution of these resources into investment.

• The students who have been admitted on the basis of their brilliance and are studying on scholarships have a lot of potential and skills which can help the country to grow and achieve recognition through their efforts.

• Cultural diversity is a prestigious attribute to have for any country in times of globalization. Retaining international students as stay back employees and ultimately citizens can help the country to gain a better footing and image on an international level.

• The retaining of international students as workers is one of the highest contributing factors to more students from their home country applying for the education in their destination country.

• The presence of diverse origins and nationalities ensures the flow of foreign exchanges and commodity exchange on a global level.

• The economies are known to benefit comparatively better and more when their workforce is culturally and ethnically diverse.

The extension application of a Study Visa and its grant in form of a PSW Permit or Visa can ensure not only better career opportunities and path for you but can also save some heavy travelling expenses. Therefore, it is advisable that the experts and professionals are a part of your advisory voices.

Our Study Abroad Experts have assisted thousands of students with extending their student visas to apply for a post-study work permit. A large number of these students have been offered admission to prestigious universities.