United States

Canada

United Kingdom

You need to secure a graduate-level job offer (not just any job) after finishing your studies.

That job must pay at least £41,700 a year (or meet the official “going rate” for your occupation, whichever is higher).

Australia

If you’re an Indian student mapping a 2025 admit—or a young professional already juggling OPT in the US, the UK’s Graduate Route, Canada’s PGWP or Australia’s 485—the ground just shifted. Washington slapped a price tag on the H-1B and wants fixed-term student stays. Ottawa throttled study-permit numbers and narrowed spousal work rights. London hiked the money you must show to survive and is eyeing a shorter Graduate Route. Canberra rewrote which English tests count—and the scores that will actually get you through. None of this is theory. It hits your bank balance, your family plans, and the odds that a degree becomes a job offer. Here is an explainer of the Big 4 visa changes in 2025—and what they mean for you.Washington made the biggest move. On 19 September, a presidential order said new H-1B approvals would require a US$100,000 payment, with only narrow “national interest” waivers. It took effect on 21 September and applies to workers outside the US; USCIS has since issued how-to guidance. The message is clear: mass, low-cost H-1B hiring just got expensive, while smaller, high-salary hiring