Key takeaway: Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker, Australia’s subclass 189, Germany’s Opportunity Card and Portugal’s remote-work residence visa; Portugal’s job-seeker visa is not yet available and the unsupported 14-country list was removed.

Canada: Federal Skilled Worker through Express Entry

A Federal Skilled Worker candidate needs at least 67 points on the IRCC eligibility grid and language results of at least CLB 7; a job offer can add points but is not required. Candidates must also show enough money to settle in Canada unless an exemption applies. Eligibility only places you in the Express Entry pool: IRCC invites candidates in rounds, choosing them by Comprehensive Ranking System points.

IRCC: Federal Skilled Worker Program eligibility IRCC: Express Entry rounds of invitations

Australia: Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

The points-tested subclass 189 visa lets invited workers live and work permanently anywhere in Australia. You must be invited, be under 45 when invited and score at least 65 points; an invitation can require a higher score. You also need an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list and a suitable skills assessment.

Home Affairs: Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), points-tested stream

Germany: Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)

Under section 20a of the Residence Act, the Opportunity Card is a residence permit to look for work or for measures to recognise foreign qualifications. It allows employment averaging up to 20 hours a week and trial work of up to two weeks, and requires secured means of living. Applicants qualify as skilled workers or through the points table with a state-recognised qualification and at least basic German or B2 English.

Residence Act section 20a (Opportunity Card)

Portugal: remote income, not job search

Portugal’s residence visa for remote work requires a work or services contract and average monthly income over the last three months of at least four minimum monthly salaries; the consular portal gives the 2026 minimum as €920. Its skilled job-seeker visa is not yet available at Portuguese consular offices, pending regulation.

Portugal consular portal: residency visa documents Portugal consular portal: means of subsistence Portugal consular portal: skilled job seeker visa

Questions before acting

Can I move without any job offer?

These routes do not require a job offer, but each has conditions such as points, funds, income or an invitation.

Is Portugal’s job-seeker visa available?

Portugal’s consular portal says the skilled job-seeker visa is not yet available at consular offices, pending regulation.

Corrections in this revision

The previous version included statements without sufficient direct support. This revision removes or corrects:

  • Portugal’s job-seeker visa listed as available for 120 days plus a 60-day extension
  • Australian “80+ points”, “~190,000 places” and processing ranges; Canadian start-up and New Zealand investor amounts without dated sources
  • The 14-country list and difficulty ranking

Review scope: legal and financial statements in this revised article. Recheck on a provider, professional, immigration or tax-rule change; reuse of dated figures requires a new check.

See recorded sources

These primary references have the jurisdiction, product and scope stated above. A source link is not proof of personalised eligibility.

Choose the type of route to explore

The routes covered here serve different purposes. Continue with the country information or the Portugal remote-work article, then describe your intended pathway in the questionnaire.

Germany · Australia · Portugal remote-work guide

How we record our sources. The questionnaire presents recorded programme information; it does not decide eligibility.

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About the author

António Mira is the founder of whereTOemigrate. For over a decade he has worked at the intersection of Portuguese real estate and overseas business, helping international clients navigate the cross-border decisions that come with relocating. He sits on the board of CCIAP (Portuguese-Arab Chamber of Commerce), the Portuguese-Saudi Business Council, and the Portugal-Hong Kong Business Association — always with one focus: enabling overseas business and human mobility into and out of Portugal.

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