A work visa, which is also referred to as a work permit, is a legal document issued to an individual for work purposes. It indicates that the holder has permission to accept and take up a job within that foreign country. All countries in the world would need a work visa for a foreign individual to be gainfully employed. European countries require a work visa from any foreign individual before employment, and here are some reasons to own a European work visa:
Pros
- Enormous work opportunities
Europe is a continent booming with numerous job opportunities. Their opportunities exist in various sectors, including IT (Information Technology), including data science, computer engineering, engineering, and healthcare.
- Standard/ Standardized work hours
European countries offer standard work hours for their workers and standard work rates and pay depending on hours worked for. These standard work hours also offer individuals time to have separate lives from their sometimes demanding jobs.
- Payment benefits for those unemployed
Countries in Europe also offer some benefits to some individuals who have no jobs. They are paid some stipends monthly to help with their upkeep and feeding.
- Social Security
European countries usually offer some form of social security schemes for their workers. This is done to provide social benefits in monetary terms for its workers. A part of their salary is paid into a separate account, which constitutes part of their retirement plan when they eventually retire.
- More money to be made
Since their salaries are paid in foreign currency to the individual, when exchanged for his/her currency and compared with what people doing similar jobs are being paid, it is not uncommon to find out that the individual with a European work visa earns more.
- Opportunity to learn new skills
Some jobs require you to learn new skills, and in doing that, you improve yourself and your capabilities and boost your career considerably.
- Experience a different cultural climate
Because you have a work visa, it means that you are a foreigner, and that also means that some, if not all, of the country’s culture and traditions, are new to you. So please take a moment to experience and enjoy a new culture and immerse yourself in it. By listening and experiencing new things, you have a wider perspective and grow as a person, both in your personal and professional life.
- Gain a lot of extra knowledge
Because you have the opportunity to meet new people in the form of work colleagues and learn from them, you also learn a lot of new things and gain insight, which translates into better job productivity.
Cons
- Fewer opportunities for non-skilled individuals
If you have little or no employable skills, it would be hard to find a decent job as a lot of them require a specific skill set.
- Sometimes, most available jobs are offered to those who are nationals of a country who have an existing deal or partnership with the country in question. So, nationals from other countries might get overlooked for these positions.
- Taxes
In many European countries, the tax rate is quite high compared to other countries, which might come as a surprise, especially if you were not well informed prior to that.
- Sometimes moving and working in a new country and environment means unlearning many things you were used to and readjusting to how things are currently, and it sometimes might take a lot of time to get used to.
After studying the pros and cons, it is left for you to decide if you are still serious or you want to go about getting that European Work Visa. If you decide to go for it, no one is stopping you.