A work visa for Indians is decided on the employer's side first: 21 verified route pages, 21 employer tests. The salary floor runs from EUR 36,300 in Italy to AUD 79,423 in Australia, the visa fee from USD 25 in Vietnam to AUD 4,015 for Australia's Skills in Demand visa, and the published decision from 10 business days in Singapore to about 11 weeks in Canada. The applicant proves qualifications, experience and language; the company proves it is allowed to sponsor.
This guide is the long version of the work visa hub. Every figure comes from the verified route page for that country, where the full fee table, the employer's steps, the checklist and the refusal reasons sit.
Work visa for Indians: thresholds, fees and decision times in 21 countries
| Country | Route | Salary floor | Visa fee | Published decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Skilled Worker | GBP 41,700 or going rate | GBP 819 (up to 3 years) | About 3 weeks after biometrics |
| Canada | Work permit (LMIA or exempt) | Provincial median wage plus | CAD 155 | About 11 weeks (IRCC tool, late Oct 2026) |
| Australia | Skills in Demand 482 | AUD 79,423 (from 1 Jul 2026) | AUD 4,015 | See route page |
| United States | H-1B | Prevailing wage, lottery | USD 205 | Petition then interview |
| Germany | Skilled worker or EU Blue Card | EUR 50,700; EUR 45,934.20 shortage | EUR 75 | 2 to 10 weeks; fast-track about 3 |
| France | Talent card or salarie | EUR 59,373 (Blue Card) | EUR 99 | Talent 2 to 4 weeks |
| Netherlands | Highly skilled migrant | EUR 5,942 a month (30+) | EUR 423 | About 2 weeks |
| Ireland | Employment permit plus D visa | EUR 40,904 (CSEP) | EUR 1,000 permit + EUR 60 visa | Permit 4 to 8 weeks |
| Switzerland | Cantonal permit plus D visa | Local and sector rates | CHF 88 | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Italy | Nulla osta plus work visa | EUR 36,300 (2026) | EUR 116 | Nulla osta 30 to 90 days |
| Spain | Residence authorisation plus visa | Average for the occupational group | EUR 80 | UGE 20 working days (HQP, Blue Card) |
| New Zealand | Accredited Employer Work Visa | Market rate for the role | NZD 1,540 | Job check 2 to 4 weeks; visa 4 to 8 |
| Singapore | Employment Pass | SGD 5,600 a month (6,200 finance) | SGD 330 | Within 10 business days |
| Japan | Engineer/Humanities, HSP | Equal to Japanese nationals | INR 500 (COE free) | COE 1 to 3 months |
| UAE | Employment visa | No floor (employer-paid) | AED 210 entry permit | 2 to 4 weeks end to end |
| Saudi Arabia | Employment visa and iqama | No floor (employer-paid) | SAR 2,000 | 2 to 4 weeks pre-checks |
| Qatar | Work visa and QID | No floor (employer-paid) | QAR 200 | QVC 1 to 2 weeks; clearance 3 to 7 days |
| Oman | Employment visa | No floor (employer-paid) | OMR 20 | Clearance 1 to 3 weeks |
| Thailand | Non-B visa plus work permit | THB 50,000 a month | INR 7,000 + THB 3,100 | 10 working days + 7 to 15 |
| Malaysia | Employment Pass | MYR 20,000 a month (Cat I) | MYR 200 a year + MYR 125 | About 15 working days |
| Vietnam | Work permit plus visa | None published | USD 25 + VND 400,000 to 600,000 | Permit 10 working days |
What does the employer have to prove?
Every system runs the same four tests in a different order: is the occupation eligible, does the salary clear the floor, is the employer licensed or registered to sponsor, and what must be held after the start date. The UK front-loads the licence: no sponsor licence, no certificate of sponsorship, no visa. Canada front-loads the labour market: the employer obtains an LMIA from Service Canada or an exemption before the permit application exists. New Zealand accredits the employer and then checks the job; Ireland and Switzerland run a labour market test for most roles; Italy caps work entries through the decreto flussi and its click day; the Netherlands and Singapore let a recognised or registered employer file in days because the vetting was done at registration.
Because the employer carries the compliance load, work routes on Vistolane are filed by a licence-checked partner who runs both sides of the case. Employers that sponsor more than a handful of hires use the sponsorship compliance check before the offer letter goes out.
Which work visa is fastest for Indians?
Speed follows the employer's pre-approval. Where the company is already vetted (Netherlands recognised sponsor, Singapore registered employer, UK licensed sponsor) the visa itself takes 10 business days to 3 weeks. Where a government agency must approve the job first (Canada's LMIA, Italy's nulla osta, New Zealand's job check, Ireland's permit) add 1 to 3 months. Japan's Certificate of Eligibility runs 1 to 3 months before a 5-working-day visa. Germany's fast-track procedure for skilled workers brings a 2-to-10-week process down to about 3 weeks when the employer pays the EUR 411 fee to the foreigners' office.
The Gulf is fast at the visa step and slow at the paperwork: the UAE entry permit is issued in 48 hours but the medical, Emirates ID and residence stamp take 2 to 4 weeks end to end; Saudi Arabia's SAR 2,000 visa follows 2 to 4 weeks of attestation and pre-checks; Qatar's QVC appointment in India takes 1 to 2 weeks before clearance.
Standard visa or premium tier?
Most countries now run a premium route beside the standard one, and the route pages compare them. The UAE's AED 210 employment visa sits beside the 10-year Golden Visa; Singapore's Employment Pass beside the ONE Pass, Tech.Pass and Personalised Employment Pass; Japan's Engineer/Humanities visa beside the Highly Skilled Professional points visa and J-Skip; the UK Skilled Worker beside Global Talent; the Netherlands' highly skilled migrant permit beside the EU Blue Card. Premium tiers trade a higher salary or a points score for no employer tie, faster settlement or family rights, and they are worth the comparison when your salary is near the premium threshold.
Why work visas get refused, and the fix
The five reasons that recur across the 21 work route pages are: a salary below the going rate or the general threshold for the occupation code; a job title matched to the wrong occupation code; an employer whose licence has lapsed or is under compliance action; a qualification not recognised as equivalent (Germany's anabin and ZAB, Australia's skills assessment, the Netherlands' Nuffic check); and a labour market test not evidenced. Each fix is on the employer's side or in the applicant's paperwork, which is why the work visa refusal page groups the reasons by who must act.
Choosing between two work visas
Decide on the path to settlement first, then the family rights, then the employer tie, and only then the fee. The UK Skilled Worker leads to settlement after 5 years; Canada's work experience feeds Express Entry; Australia's 482 leads to the 186 after 2 years; Germany after 5 years, or 27 months (21 with B1 German) for Blue Card holders, and the Netherlands after 5 years. The Gulf states offer no naturalisation route but tie residence to the job. The UK vs Schengen work visa comparison and the sponsored jobs board, which lists roles from employers on official sponsor registers, are the next two pages to open.
