Overview
Work migration is employer led almost everywhere: a genuine job offer comes first, and salary thresholds plus shortage lists decide which route is realistic for you. This page compares the headline work routes in 11 countries, with the key figures from each country's page, so you can see where a sponsored offer is actually attainable.
Eligibility
You need a real offer from a qualifying employer, and you must meet the route's salary and qualification tests. Thresholds and shortage lists differ per country; the cards below give the headline figure for each.
Requirements
Find a genuine vacancy, secure the offer in writing, and apply through the official channel with the employer's sponsorship documents. Country specifics are in the detail sections below.
Required documents
- Passport
- written job offer or employment contract
- qualification evidence
- proof the salary meets the threshold
- the employer's sponsorship paperwork. The exact list per country is on the country pages
Costs & fees
Budget the official fees plus relocation and the funds tests some routes set. Thresholds are salaries, not fees: the salary figure on each card is the minimum the job must pay.
Language requirements
Some routes test language, most test salary and qualifications instead. Shortage lists and points systems reward in-demand skills; check the country page for the rule that applies to your route.
Work rights
A work title authorises the sponsored job, usually with one employer. Changing employer or role normally needs a new approval. Visitor status never includes the right to work.
Family information
Most work titles allow a spouse and children to join once you hold the permit, subject to maintenance and housing tests. The country pages give the exact dependant rules.
Application process
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The pattern is the same everywhere: real offer first, employer files or sponsors, you apply with the full evidence pack, then enter and take up the exact sponsored role. Start from the country cards below.
Work routes are employer led almost everywhere. A genuine job offer comes first; then salary thresholds and shortage lists decide whether that offer can turn into a permit. This page compares the headline work routes in 11 countries, with the key facts from each country’s page, so you can judge where a sponsored offer is realistic for you.
Choose your country
Eleven countries, eleven sets of rules. Compare the headline route and the key facts, then open a country page for the full detail.
Austria
Red-White-Red Card
- Points based: 24 months, tied to your employer
- Shortage list: 64 occupations in 2026
- Salary floor: EUR 3,465 gross/month for Other Key Workers in 2026
Canada
Express Entry and employer routes
- Express Entry: permanent residence from the start through CRS points
- Employer route: an employer specific work permit needs an LMIA
- Provincial nomination: adds 600 CRS points
Czechia
Employee Card
- Tied to one job: the vacancy must be reported by the employer
- Duration: normally for the employment relationship, up to 2 years
- Minimum wage: CZK 22,400/month in 2026
France
Talent cards and EU Blue Card
- EU Blue Card: EUR 59,373 gross/year
- Talent track: EUR 39,582 gross/year for the qualified employee card
- Minimum wage: EUR 12.31/hour, EUR 1,867.02/month from 1 June 2026
Germany
EU Blue Card and Opportunity Card
- Blue Card: EUR 50,700/year, EUR 45,934.20 for shortage occupations and recent graduates
- Also: Skilled Worker permit and Chancenkarte, up to 1 year of job search
- Minimum wage: EUR 13.90/hour from 1 January 2026
Ireland
Critical Skills Employment Permit
- Salary: at least EUR 40,904/year from 1 March 2026
- Needs: a relevant degree and a role on the Critical Skills Occupations List
- General permit: minimum EUR 36,605/year
Italy
Decreto Flussi quotas and EU Blue Card
- Quotas: the employer files by name under Decreto Flussi
- EU Blue Card: sits outside the quotas at EUR 33,500 gross/year
- Next round: employer pre-filling from 23 October to 7 December 2026
Slovakia
Single permit and EU Blue Card
- Standard route: the Single permit, with employer Labour Office confirmation first
- Blue Card: at least EUR 1,944/month
- Minimum wage: EUR 915/month in 2026
Spain
Highly qualified route and cuenta ajena
- Fast track: Entrepreneurs Law (Ley 14/2013) highly qualified route, EU Blue Card through UGE
- Standard route: cuenta ajena, employer files with a national employment test
- Minimum wage: EUR 1,221/month in 14 payments in 2026
United Kingdom
Skilled Worker visa
- Sponsor: needs an approved sponsor and a Certificate of Sponsorship
- Salary: at least GBP 41,700/year or the going rate
- Minimum wage: GBP 12.71/hour from 1 April 2026 for age 21+
USA
H-1B
- Employer petitions only: specialty occupations, at least a bachelor’s degree
- Selection: weighted by wage level since 27 February 2026
- Green cards: EB-2 and EB-3 via employer PERM
How sponsored work routes work
The order never changes: a genuine job offer comes first, the employer sponsors you, you apply with the full evidence pack, and then you enter and take up the exact sponsored role. The permit is tied to that job; changing employer or role normally needs a new approval.
Salary thresholds and shortage lists decide realism. Every country sets a floor the job must pay, from minimum wage levels up to Blue Card thresholds, and several countries publish shortage occupation lists that make sponsorship easier. An offer below the threshold, or in a role no route covers, rarely turns into a permit.
What employers check
- That the business is allowed to sponsor. Several countries require an approved sponsor licence, as in the UK Skilled Worker route.
- That the salary meets the going rate for the role and any permit threshold, such as the Blue Card figures on the cards above.
- That the vacancy is genuine and your qualifications match it. Some routes add a labour market test, as with Spain’s cuenta ajena employment test or Austria’s test for Other Key Workers.
- That the paperwork is complete before you apply: sponsorship documents, contracts and evidence, not promises.
Documents in general
The exact list differs per country and is on each country page. In general terms, expect: a valid passport; the written job offer or employment contract; evidence of your qualifications; proof the salary meets the threshold; the employer’s sponsorship paperwork; and police or medical evidence, plus funds proof, where the route requires them.
Who this is for
This page is for you if you have, or can realistically win, a genuine job offer in a qualifying role, and your salary and qualifications clear the route’s tests. It is also for you if you want an honest comparison of where sponsored work is actually attainable before you commit.
Who this is NOT for
- Anyone without a genuine job offer yet. A work permit is not a job search visa.
- Anyone whose salary sits below the route’s threshold or whose role is outside the shortage lists. The numbers decide.
- Anyone planning to travel on a visitor visa and start working. Visitor status never includes the right to work.
- Anyone who has been promised a guaranteed job or visa for a fee. No authority sells jobs, and no agent can guarantee a decision.
- Anyone targeting a route whose quota for their nationality is exhausted. The country pages state quota limits plainly where they apply.
FAQ
Q: Do I need a job offer before I apply?
A: Almost everywhere, yes. Work routes are employer led: the employer sponsors you, and the offer comes first. The only routes that let you enter without one are job seeker titles such as Germany’s Opportunity Card, covered on the Job Seeker page.
Q: What salary do I need?
A: Each country sets its own floor, from minimum wage levels to Blue Card thresholds. Compare the card figures above: the offer must meet the going rate for that role as well as any permit threshold.
Q: Can I travel on a visitor visa and start working?
A: No. Visitor status never includes the right to work, in any of these systems. Starting work without the right title can end the route and damage later applications.
Q: Will NVConsult guarantee me a job or a visa?
A: No one can. We give education and application guidance; embassies, authorities and employers make every decision.
Next step
If you hold a genuine offer in a qualifying role and the salary clears the threshold, a sponsored route can be the honest way in. If you have no offer yet, the stronger plan is usually to build your profile and apply from home. Book a free consultation and we will test your offer, salary and route against the real rules before you spend anything.
NVConsult provides education and application guidance, not legal advice. No visa, job or outcome is guaranteed. Decisions rest solely with embassies, authorities and employers.
Official sources
Every figure on this page comes from the NVConsult country page linked on each card, which cites the official authority for that country. Always confirm the current figure on the official portal before you sign or apply.