It depends on the country and course. For Canada, a single applicant must show at least CAD 23,448 for first-year living expenses for applications from September 1, 2026, and must also show first-year tuition. So ₹20 lakh may cover one year in Canada but not a full degree. It goes much further in countries with low or no tuition at public universities, such as Germany. Check the latest official financial-support requirements ↗ (opens in a new tab).

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) measures English in listening, reading, writing and speaking. Universities, immigration departments and employers accept it. It is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Choose Academic for university admission and General Training for work or migration.

No. The IELTS partners recommend that a result be treated as valid for a maximum of two years. Organizations can verify a Test Report Form beyond that, but most still ask for a result from the last two years. Some scholarships set their own window; DAAD’s EPOS program has asked for English proof not older than five years.

Build accuracy in Listening and Reading first, since these are the quickest bands to raise. In Writing, plan Task 2 before you start and keep each paragraph to one idea. In Speaking, extend your answers and practice with a partner or tutor. Take full timed mock tests, then review every error.

IELTS has no pass or fail, only band scores, and you can retake as often as you like.

There is no upper age limit. The test is generally recommended for candidates aged 16 and above, so check the official test-taker information for your test center.

It depends on the program. DAAD does not accept an unverified claim of English ability, so you need valid proof of English. IELTS and TOEFL are the usual choices, and some programs also accept a medium-of-instruction certificate. No single English-language rule applies to every course.

For the 2027 research-student round, the Embassy of Japan in India received 7,303 applications and shortlisted 186 for the written test and interview. That is roughly 1 in 40 before MEXT’s worldwide screening in Tokyo even begins. Indian students apply through the Embassy of Japan, which sets the deadline each year. The 2027 research-student deadline was 15 May 2026. Undergraduate, KOSEN and Specialized Training College each have a quota of up to 12 applicants who proceed to MEXT’s worldwide final screening.

The scholarship is free for students. MEXT offers full tuition coverage, return airfare, and a monthly allowance of ¥117,000 for undergraduates or ¥143,000 for research students; amounts are subject to change. You may still pay for documents, medical certificates and some insurance.

Courses that lead to Green List jobs. These cover engineering, healthcare, teaching, information technology, construction, trades and agriculture. The Green List shows each role’s tier, qualifications and registration needs.

The main India-specific option is the New Zealand Excellence Awards, which are funded jointly by Education New Zealand and the eight New Zealand universities as partial scholarships. Amounts and eligible levels change by round, so check the current one. Government scholarships such as Manaaki and the NZ Commonwealth Scholarships have their own country and eligibility lists. Individual universities also run international scholarships.

Healthcare and ICT are the clearest shortages, and Cedefop classifies health and ICT professionals as high-shortage occupations. EURES also reports shortages in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, food service and hospitality, business administration and transportation. iGaming and fintech also hire heavily.

It is easier in shortage sectors, but it is not guaranteed. Eurofound describes Malta’s labor shortage as endemic for several years, so employers do recruit abroad. Non-EU nationals generally need an employer-sponsored work permit, so a job offer comes first.

It depends on the program. For a study permit, a single applicant outside Quebec needs CAD 23,448 for living costs, plus tuition. For Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs, a single applicant needs CAD 15,263, effective 7 July 2025. Canadian Experience Class candidates and those with a valid job offer are exempt, and IRCC updates the figure each year, so confirm the current amount on the official IRCC page ↗ (opens in a new tab).

It is a former citizenship rule, not a PR rule. The 1977 law applied to people born abroad between February 15, 1977, and April 16, 1981, to Canadian parents who were also born abroad. They lost citizenship at 28 unless they applied to keep it. Parliament repealed it in 2009 but not retroactively. Since December 15, 2025, people born before that date who would have been citizens but for the first-generation limit or other outdated rules are Canadian and can apply for proof of citizenship.