knockGermany: up to 18 months
After graduating you can get a permit to look for a job that matches your degree, and you can work while you look. With a qualified job offer you can move to an EU Blue Card or another skilled-worker permit. The 2026 Blue Card salary minimum is €50,700 a year, or €45,934.20 for shortage jobs and recent graduates.
Germany has no sponsor licence, so “sponsorship” means less. Many forms ask about your work permit instead; answer with what’s on your residence permit. Many employers expect German at B2 or C1, so look for English in the job ad and be honest about your level.
The Netherlands: 1 year
The orientation year gives you a year to find work, with no separate permit needed while you look. To stay as a highly skilled migrant your employer must be an IND-recognised sponsor and pay at least the salary minimum.
During the orientation year you can usually say you have the right to work now. Be clear that you’ll need a highly skilled migrant permit later. English works well in tech and at international companies; many other roles want Dutch.
Ireland: 12 to 24 months
Stamp 1G lets you work full time while you look for a graduate job. To stay, most people move to an employment permit. The Critical Skills Employment Permit starts at €40,904 a year, or €36,848 if you qualified in the last 12 months, for jobs on the critical skills list.
If a form asks if you have full rights to work, say both parts clearly: you can work now, and you’ll need a permit to stay. A flat No often means automatic rejection.
What to do in month one, in any of the three
- Write down your end date and count back from it.
- Find out what pay level the next permit needs, and look at jobs that meet it.
- Put employers who already sponsor or hire from abroad first.
- Never pay anyone for a job, a permit or “guaranteed” visa help. Visa decisions are made by the authorities only.