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Summary

These Are The Best Countries In The World For Canadian Students To Work & Study Abroad

Some countries don't let you work if you're studying abroad. 👀

​Students on campus at Dalhousie University. Right: People at Trinity College Dublin.

Students on campus at Dalhousie University. Right: People at Trinity College Dublin.

Senior Writer

There is a new ranking of the best countries in the world that's focused on what's best for students.

It revealed the top places for Canadian students to work and study abroad so they can know where to get an education and make money at the same time.

You might be thinking about doing a semester or even a full academic year abroad if you're in university and college right now.

But since not every international student is allowed to work in the country where they're studying, you could run into issues if need money while getting an education abroad.

So, Remitly, an online service for international money transfers, recently figured out which countries could be the best for Canadian students by analyzing student visa requirements in 57 nations around the world.

The countries with the most working hours offered to students include Finland, Japan and Hungary, according to Remitly.

Canadian students in Finland can work up to 30 hours each week while studying abroad. If the work is related to the degree, then the 30-hour work restriction doesn't apply.

In Hungary and Kenya, students can also work up to 30 hours a week during their studies.

Japan allows students to work for up to 28 hours per week while school is in session and then 40 hours per week during holiday breaks.

Australia only lets students who are studying abroad work 48 hours every two weeks.

But there are unlimited working hours for students during holidays!

Quite a few countries have similar rules for international students who are studying abroad.

Canadian students in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Norway, Poland, Ireland and South Africa can work up to 20 hours a week during their full-time studies, Remitly revealed.

Then, students studying abroad in those countries can work full time, which is 40 hours per week, during breaks from school and holidays.

Also, in the U.S., Canadian students can work up to 20 hours each week but that work can't be off campus in their first year of studies.

Students need a work permit and a Tier 4 student visa in the U.K. so that they can work up to 20 hours a week during school terms.

In Portugal and Spain, you can't work while in the country on a student visa if your studies are short — up to three months or less than 180 days, respectively.

Working while you're living there for your education isn't allowed in some countries so students need different ways to fund their studies abroad.

Argentina, Botswana, India, Nigeria, Peru, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, and Ukraine are just a few of the countries that don't let international students work, according to Remitly.

Another ranking of the best countries in the world — based on entrepreneurship, quality of life, power and heritage — was also released recently.

Switzerland got the top spot this year while Canada moved up from third place in 2022 to second place in 2023.

Then, the rest of the countries in the top 10 are Sweden, Australia, the U.S., Japan, Germany, New Zealand, the U.K. and the Netherlands.

If you're thinking about studying abroad, maybe these rankings will help you make a decision on which country you should work and study in!

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

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    • Senior Writer

      Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

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