Is working abroad the solution to your career advancement in tech?
You’re not alone; there were 167.7 million international migrant workers globally in 2022, according to the latest estimates by the Migration Data Portal.
If you’re considering applying for jobs in tech overseas, getting there isn’t as impossible as it seems, even in this saturated market.
Applying for jobs in tech? Here’s what you need to know
There’s a reason why tech jobs are often pegged as careers of the future: digitisation is taking over, no matter which industry you’re in.
Whether in healthcare, finance, or the arts, the use of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, is becoming increasingly ubiquitous.
The current global workforce, however, can hardly keep up with the pace of its development.
A sweeping country-by-country report from American consulting firm Korn Ferry found that more than 85 million jobs would go unfilled globally due to talent shortages in the labour market. Jobs in tech, media, and communications will have a deficit of over four million workers by 2030, resulting in a nearly US$5 billion revenue loss.
Suppose you have skills and knowledge in AI, your value skyrockets. Employment data cited by The Wall Street Journal found that almost one in four US tech jobs require someone with AI skills to build, design, and develop tools and platforms for their businesses.
In other cases, they want IT professionals who can manage, support, and even improve their existing systems.
Regardless of their specific needs, positions in tech continue to grow, and countries are developing strategies to address this workforce gap.
One of these plans involves introducing new visa routes and streamlining them for skilled international graduates, particularly for jobs in the tech sector.
If you’ve got the expertise, qualifications, and work experience, employers are willing to sponsor you if they can’t find a suitable skilled local to fill the position.
Interested to learn more? Here are a few countries eager to welcome and fast-track your arrival on their shores:
How to land jobs in tech overseas as a foreign graduate
Canada
The Great White North sits high on our list as a hiring hotspot for jobs in tech.
The Global Talent Stream visa was introduced as part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Programme to address short-term domestic labour shortages in the tech sector and is divided into Categories A and B.
Successful hires can earn over 80,000 Canadian dollars annually in the former category, while Category B is a route reserved for employment within the Global Talent Occupations List.
The bulk of the application process is undertaken by your potential employer, who must obtain approval from the government to proceed with an overseas hire after demonstrating an actual need for foreign workers to fill the vacancies.
Once it’s approved, you can use the confirmation letter copy to apply for a work permit through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and get your permit within two weeks.
Germany is home to a thriving tech industry, which in turn creates numerous job opportunities in the field. Source: Ingo Joseph, Pexel
Germany
One of Europe’s most prominent centres of innovation, Germany is now offering a work visa for IT experts who have at least three years of experience in the field over the last seven years.
As long as you’re from outside Europe, the EEA and Switzerland, you’ll have the opportunity to apply for jobs in tech with this visa.
Here’s what you need to qualify:
- You have an IT job offer in Germany.
- You can prove that you possess at least three years of experience in the sector over the last seven years, and it adequately qualifies you for your intended position.
- You can prove your relevant theoretical knowledge required for the job in question through training courses and exams.
- Your potential job in Germany comes with a gross annual salary of at least 50,760 euros (as of 2022).
- You must have obtained at least a level of B1 in the German language according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). In individual cases, you won’t need to prove your proficiency skills if the language spoken at work is not German.
For more information about entering the German labour market, click here.
Lisbon and Porto are major hubs for IT talent. Source: Nextvoyage, Pexel
Portugal
Portugal is quickly becoming a popular destination for startup companies to establish a presence in Europe.
As such, the government has made it easier to recruit foreign talent through the Tech Visa programme, which is open to non-European Union citizens aged 18 years and above who are qualified in their respective fields.
Applicants must also satisfy the following requirements:
- Not be a permanent resident of the Schengen area.
- Not having a criminal record.
- Have no pending tax obligations.
- Have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
- Possess at least five years of experience in specialised technical functions.
- Proficient in English, Portuguese, Spanish or French.
- You can find a list of Tech Visa-verified companies to apply for jobs in tech here.
Once the company issues you a term of responsibility, you can bring that along with other documents required to file for your residency permit.
The UK is the third biggest destination in the world for VC money, on a per capita basis. Source: Pixabay, Pexel
UK
The Global Talent Visa scheme allows you to work in the UK if you are deemed a leader or potential leader in academia, research, arts and culture, or digital technology.
The application process begins with getting an endorsement on GOV.UK as a tech expert with “exceptional promise” or “exceptional talent,” which will be assessed by Tech Nation, the official endorsing body for experts in digital technology designated by the Home Office.
Once that’s cleared, you can proceed with applying for the visa, and you don’t need a job offer for it to be granted.
You can work for up to five years with the visa and renew it as many times as you like, with the possibility of settling permanently in the UK afterwards.
New Zealand
New Zealand
A recent industry study showed that tech employers in New Zealand have a high demand for software developers, followed by data analysts and cybersecurity experts. Expertise in cloud-native environments such as Azure and AWS is sought after too.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), which replaced the Skilled Migrant Category visa, enables skilled workers to work for a specific New Zealand employer that Immigration New Zealand has accredited.
To apply, you must have an offer from an accredited employer with at least 30 hours of work per week.
Recent updates have reduced the work experience requirement for migrants from three years to two years, and enhanced protections have been implemented to ensure they receive salaries in line with the New Zealand market rate.
If you have an AEWV, you can stay in New Zealand for a total of 5 years for most jobs, or for 3 years if your job is ANZSCO skill level 4 or 5. Learn more here.
With favourable policies and a key location within the Southeast Asian markets, Singapore is a great place to secure tech jobs. Source: Timo Volz, Pexel
Singapore
Eighty of the world’s top 100 technology firms have a presence in Singapore, making it a prime location to find yourself a job in tech.
The Tech.Pass visa allows established tech entrepreneurs, leaders, or technical experts from around the world to come to Singapore to perform frontier and disruptive innovations.
To be eligible for the pass, applicants must satisfy any two of the following conditions:
- Have a last drawn fixed monthly salary (in the previous year) of at least $22,500 Singaporean dollars (approximately US$16,820 at the time of writing) or its equivalent in a foreign currency. A single employer should provide a fixed monthly salary. Candidates or business owners with other sources of income may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Have at least five cumulative years of experience in a leading role (such as making significant contributions to the design, development, and/or deployment of a tech product) in a tech company with a valuation/market cap of at least US$500 million or at least US$30 million in funding raised.
- Have at least five cumulative years of experience in a leading role in the development of a tech product that has at least 100,000 monthly active users or at least US$100 million annual revenue.
Fun fact, New Zealand is home to global tech brands, such as Xero, Rocket Lab, EROAD, and Soul Machines. Source: Donovan Kelly, Pexel
The Netherlands
The Netherlands is known as a leading tech centre in Europe and ranks among the world’s most innovative economies.
If you’re thinking of applying for jobs in tech in the Netherlands, the Highly Skilled Migrant (HSM) could be the best visa for you. The visa is for non-EU talents working in high-level positions.
However, this visa is only applicable if you have a resident permit and a job offer from an IND-recognised sponsor. The permit may take a few weeks to several months to be approved; however, it may be quicker if a recognised employer is sponsoring you.
As an applicant, you’ll also need to meet the specific salary thresholds, as well as adhere to the Dutch immigration rules for filling labour gaps in the economy. The salary threshold is between 2,989.00 euros (approximately US$3,509.83) and 4,171.00 euros (approximately US$4,897.80).
Disclaimer: This article was updated on December 31, 2025.
