Studying abroad is a dream come true for most international students. However, along with myriads of other issues, finances are another big consideration to be made. In order to tackle this issue, there has been set a trend where many international students work while they undertake their education at an international university. Working part-time abroad comes with certain nuances to be considered as you are not only a foreigner there you’re also a student and time is of essence for you. Certain things need to be considered when you’re planning to earn money while studying abroad.
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International Students Can Earn Money
Every country has strict laws and rules set in place in order to ascertain working part time jobs for international students. Legislature for these laws change constantly and as a student looking to work part-time abroad you must make sure you have the last information on all these nuances. Some of the top study abroad destinations for examples have the rule that work week is supposed to be restricted to a maximum of 20 hours to maintain a balance between your student work life abroad and studies. This might be different during the holidays.
This needs to be taken up with the particular university representative or travel agent in order to avoid any issues with the local law enforcement. You might need a work visa in order to work part-time abroad while studying there. Extra documentation might be required in order to procure this. Sometimes, certain types of student visas also allow this to be undertaken and the student must find out about this from their sponsors. This is a long and gruesome process and must be gone through thoroughly in order to avoid any snafus that might be held against you later jeopardizing your education abroad.
Another big issue that arises with earning money during your studies abroad is regarding time management. Universities usually have tough hours and along with the burden of the course material it might become hectic for students looking for student part-time jobs abroad. Proper and effective time management is necessary to avoid any burn outs later on and this should be on the top of your list of things to consider if you’re planning to earn while studying abroad.
Looking for a job at the university campus itself as an academic or teaching assistant for example might also help. One of the big compromises you as an international student hoping to work part-time while studying abroad might think you have to make is miss out on all the exploration and travelling. You do not want to live with the regret of having missed out on this great opportunity.
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We suggest taking weekend trips or working freelance etcetera to tackle this particular issue. Deciding whether the payment is enough and having a schedule this hectic is worth it is also one of the many issues to factor in if you plan on working part-time while studying abroad.
Student work life abroad might just afford you the kind of experiences and exposure and mingling amongst the local culture and way of life that you wouldn’t have had otherwise if you had stayed cooped up in the library and only travelled to the prime tourist destinations. Some of the examples of part-time jobs for international students are waiting staff/catering assistances or delivery personnel/ baristas/ technical support staff etc.
Moving on from the technicalities and nuances of working part-time while studying abroad, we have below compile a list of countries where you can find part time jobs for international students studying abroad.
1.UNITED STATES
The government of United States provides two kinds of visa to international students studying abroad. These are classified as F and M visas. Certain rules have to be followed for each of these student visas. F1 visa holders, for example are allowed to take up a part-time job while studying abroad but only on campus.
The M1 visa holders on the other hand can uptake a part-time occupation only after the completion of their degree. In some places both of these visa holders are only allowed to take up a job that pertains to their field of study at the university. Off-campus jobs are allowed for visa holders of the subtype F1 but only after they have finished the first 12 months of their academic session and have to be under the type of either Optional Practical Training which is employment pertinent to your course material or an internship which falls under Curricular Practical Training.
The hours of work you are allowed to undertake also differ based on the kind of visa you have as mentioned before. 20 hour of on-campus employment is allowed for F1 visa holders. International students looking to earn part-time while studying abroad should contact their sponsor or student body representative in order to make sure their knowledge regarding all these technicalities is up to date and whether they are eligible for certain things or not.
2. UNITED KINGDOM
Similar to the United States, a particular type of student visa is required for students working part-time abroad. Given only to those students that plan to study for 6 months or longer in the United Kingdom, this is a Tier 4 student visa and once a student has received this stamp they can go on to work many jobs with some particular exceptions.
Procuring this work permit also might depend on the kind of course you are taking up the institution of your choice as well the fact that this particular institution must either be funded by the government or has the permits to relay higher education courses.
The kinds of jobs allowed here is Vacation Employment or Part Time Employment related jobs. The time allotted for part-time jobs is restricted to 20 hours during the academic session while they can choose to work full time while on vacation. However, if you are a student studying a course that is a tier below a bachelor’s degree then you are only allowed to work for 10 hours during your academic session.
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One helpful thing about work hours for students working part-time while studying abroad in the UK is that sometimes the maximum work hours you are allowed to work part time there is printed on the visa you’re allotted or it might be printed on your Biometric Residents Permit. There’s another thing that many universities in the United Kingdom offer. These are called “Sandwich Courses”.
Here the students are REQUIRED to have an employment as a part of their academic curricula. This work placement however cannot continue after course completion. Certain restrictions as mentioned earlier are placed on these students, for example, you cannot take up a vocation as a pro-athlete or an entertainment personality nor can you be self-employed or occupy a full time job placement.
3.IRELAND
If you’re looking for part time jobs for international students and you’re coming from anywhere in the European Economic area then you is free to find job placements as an international student. However if you’re not hailing from the EEA then certain limitations will be imposed upon you. These being, you can only seek job placement if your academic course spans over 12 months, this placement needs to be only for 20 hours per week during the academic session while you’re allowed to work full time while on vacation.
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One quirk that needs to be mentioned for students looking to earn while studying abroad in Ireland is you will have to declare your financial stability and the ability to afford the course you’re undertaking. Your job placement cannot continue after the completion of your course and you have applied for a whole different documentation to work there post-grad.
4.GERMANY
Similar to Ireland, EEA students are free to take up any kind of job placements for part-time work while studying abroad and most rules and regulations apply to the non-EEA students. These restrictions being, work allowed for 90 whole days or 180 whole days over the course of a year. This will not require any documentation from the employment officials. However, if you plan to work more than this time period during your studies abroad then you have to put in a special request in the Federal Employment Agency.
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More than the allotted time of work hours can also be undertaken by those who have found job placements within the institute they are studying at. This requires appropriate documentation as well. Students undertaking language course in Germany can only work full time during their vacations.
5.AUSTRALIA
Again, a student visa is required for part time jobs for international students studying abroad in Australia. This visa ascertains the number of work hours which is usually 40 hours per 2 weeks during the academic session while full time work is allowed to be undertaken during vacations. This however does not include any kind of voluntary, community service without payments and wages.
This also does not hold for post graduate research students or students undertaking doctorate courses. These students are allowed to work full time given the nuances of their chosen academic career. After job placements, the employer is usually required to give students working part-time a formal declaration of the minimum wage they might be receiving which is usually maintained by the Australian government.
6.FRANCE
If you’re an international student holding a residency care and are undergoing formal education at a university that makes the Social Security System accessible for you then you will be allowed to work both on as well as off campus in France. No temporary work permits is required for these job placements except for the students hailing from Algeria.
Student part-time jobs abroad here are allowed to work up to a whopping 964 hours over the course of a year. Similar to most of its counterparts, Australia allows international students to earn while studying during their academic course while full time work is allowed during the vacations which might even lead to an excess of the usual allowed working hours.
The only downside is that a 20% of tax needs to be paid on the salary that these students make. Students can also earn money while studying abroad by taking up job placements at other institutes as various support staff for example computer assistants or critical support for socially disabled folks. These kinds of job placements, however, require certain contracts to be drawn and span over the course of a year while work hours are specially allotted as well.
Some other counties where students can be working part-time abroad include Norway, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, Spain and Canada.
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