A foreign degree can absolutely help. Just not in the “instant PR + instant high salary” fantasy way people sell online.
In real life, a degree works like a three-part advantage:
- Eligibility (it unlocks visa routes that require higher education)
- Points (it boosts your score in point-based PR systems)
- Proof (it helps employers and governments classify you as “skilled” — but only if the credential is recognized and verifiable)
Below is the reality, based on how major government immigration systems and official labor data are actually designed.
1) Immigration: The Degree Helps Most When It’s a Gatekeeper
A) “Degree-gated” work visas (you either have it, or you don’t qualify)
Some work visas are built around the concept of a “specialty occupation” or “highly qualified worker.” In these systems, a bachelor’s (or higher) is not a bonus. It’s the entry ticket.
What this means for you: If your target route is degree-gated, a foreign degree can be the difference between being eligible vs. not even being allowed to apply.
B) “Highly qualified” routes (degree + job offer + salary threshold)
In many regions, the degree matters because it supports a classification like “highly qualified worker,” but the degree alone is never enough. You also need:
- A qualifying job offer or contract (often with a minimum duration requirement), and
- A salary that meets the program’s threshold
Key reality: Your degree doesn’t “create” immigration success by itself. It increases your chances of landing roles that sit inside immigration-friendly categories.
C) Salary rules can act like a pay floor (but only for eligible, sponsored roles)
Some work visa pathways require employers to meet minimum pay rules and occupation-specific “going rates.” If you’re sponsored under those pathways, the immigration framework can indirectly protect you from very low offers.
But: that protection only applies when:
- The job is eligible,
- The employer is eligible,
- And the offer meets the published pay rules.
2) PR: Where a Foreign Degree Becomes Measurable Power
Canada: Education points are real, and foreign degrees must be assessed
In Canada’s Express Entry system, education is a major scoring factor. Foreign education typically needs an official credential assessment to count properly in the points system (Ref).
A major update that changed the strategy for many candidates: job offer points were removed from the Express Entry ranking system starting March 25, 2025 (Ref).
So for a lot of applicants, education + language + experience became even more central to competitiveness.
What this means: A foreign degree can still lift your PR score — but only when it is properly evaluated and documented.
Australia: The PR points test explicitly rewards higher qualifications
Australia’s skilled migration points test assigns clear points for education levels (Ref). For example:
- Doctorate: 20 points
- Bachelor’s degree (or higher) of a recognized standard: 15 points
- Diploma or trade qualification: 10 points.
What this means: In point-based systems like Australia, education is not a vague advantage. It’s literally “points on the scoreboard.”
New Zealand: Your qualification often needs a formal “equivalence” assessment
New Zealand commonly requires overseas qualifications to be assessed when a visa pathway requires your credential to be comparable to a local one. In general terms, many international qualifications need an assessment, with limited exemptions (Ref).
What this means: A foreign degree helps, but the system wants it translated into the country’s framework.
Check our exclusive article on list of 6 countries where your university degrees become rewarding in 2026.
3) Starting Salary: What You Can Claim Responsibly (and What You Can’t)
If someone promises, “Foreign degree = higher starting salary,” they’re oversimplifying. Here’s what the labor market evidence supports:
A) Degree holders earn more on average (strong correlation)
U.S. labor statistics for 2025 (full-time workers age 25+) show a clear earnings ladder by education level. Median weekly earnings in 2025 were:
- Less than high school: 770
- High school: 966
- Some college / associate: 1,097
- Bachelor’s only: 1,578
- Advanced degree: 1,918
This does not guarantee your personal starting salary, but it shows a consistent market pattern: higher education is associated with higher earnings.
B) Immigration systems can indirectly shape starting salary (for sponsored routes)
If your job requires sponsorship and must meet minimum salary rules, you often enter negotiations with a stronger baseline — because the offer has to satisfy immigration pay requirements, not just the employer’s preferences.
But again: this only applies when you’re inside an eligible sponsored route.
4) Where Foreign Degrees Don’t Help Much (The Painful Truth Section)
A foreign degree can feel powerful — until it hits one of these walls:
1) Regulated professions
Healthcare, law, teaching, engineering (depending on country and role), and other regulated fields often require licensing or formal recognition. A degree may be necessary but still not enough to work immediately.
2) “Unrecognized” or hard-to-verify credentials
If the institution is not easily verifiable, documentation is incomplete, or credential evaluation is difficult, the degree’s practical value drops fast.
3) Mismatch between degree and job
Many visa systems and employers care about relevance: degree level, field, and how it connects to the job description.
4) Market reality: oversupply vs. demand
A degree does not cancel out competition. In crowded fields, experience, portfolios, licensing, and local networks can matter more than the word “international.”
5) The Degree-to-PR-to-Salary Playbook (Practical and Global)
If you want your foreign degree to actually “convert” into immigration and income, use this order:
-
Pick the country first, then pick the degree strategy.
Immigration systems reward different things. Don’t study first and hope it matches later. -
Check whether your target route is degree-gated, points-based, or employer-sponsored.
Your plan should change depending on which of those three dominates. -
Prepare for credential assessment early.
If the country commonly requires equivalency checks, treat that process as part of your timeline. -
Aim for occupations that sit inside skilled categories and/or shortage demand.
This impacts both sponsorship feasibility and your leverage in salary negotiation. -
Build proof beyond the degree.
Internships, measurable projects, portfolios, and certifications often do more for starting salary than the degree title alone.
6) The Clean Bottom Line
A foreign university degree helps most when it:
- Unlocks visa eligibility,
- Adds measurable PR points,
- And increases your credibility for skilled roles that have stronger salary structures.
It helps least when:
- The profession is regulated and you lack local recognition,
- The credential is difficult to verify or assess,
- Or your target job market is oversupplied.