Many countries abroad, especially English-speaking countries make it mandatory for foreigners to submit IELTS scorecards to study or work in that particular country. IELTS is the abbreviation for International English Language Testing System; it is a world-renowned English language proficiency examination. Most abroad countries rely on the proficiency test to ascertain a candidate’s English language capabilities before approving his/her application for study or work.
In countries like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other English-speaking nations, the most accepted language proficiency test to study or work is IELTS, however, there are still some exceptions. Like when the organization which offers you a job can prove that you don’t need language proficiency to carry out your activities while in the country or you can submit other language proficiency tests aside from IELTS.
Given that most countries abroad only mostly offer admission or work to foreign individuals, if they meet the IELTS requirements, there is a need to find ways in which one can get to work or study abroad without having IELTS.
One of the ways to bypass IELTS is to present other language proficiency tests like TOEFL, Duolingo, PTE, Cambridge English Test, etc. This can stand instead of IELTS whenever you want to apply for a study or work visa in native English nations and those countries whose official language is English.
Also, you can require the organization that wants to give you employment to provide you with proof of exemption that you will not need language proficiency to perform your duty. Better still, you can enroll in other special language proficiency programs offered in the country that stands as evidence that you have met the language proficiency requirements to be able to work or study in the country.
Be that as it may, though many countries require you to produce IELTS as language proficiency requirements, some countries can offer you work without the need of producing an IELTS score. If you have to look for countries abroad where you don’t need IELTS to work, you are in the right place as this article contains details of the countries that don’t require IELTS before you can be offered work or a job.
Top 15 Countries to Get Job Abroad Without IELTS
If you want to work abroad without IELTS and you don’t know the countries that you the option, here are the top 15 countries to get a job abroad without IELTS:
1. France
The first on the list is France. It is a European country bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Andorra, and Spain in Europe, as well as the Netherlands, Suriname, and Brazil in the Americas. Its total area is 551,695 square kilometers making it the largest country in Western Europe.
The country’s official language is French and has a total population of 67, 092, 056. The country is among the world’s largest economies known for producing wines, automobiles, electronics, and clothing. Tourism is a huge part of the countries economy and it boosts over 80,000 tourists annually.
France being a non-English-speaking nation doesn’t require you to present IELTS to apply for a work visa. Language proficiency isn’t a mandatory requirement to get a job in France, however, if you are applying for a study visa you will need to meet the language proficiency requirements.
2. Spain
Spain; officially the Kingdom of Spain is found in the extreme Southwestern part of Europe. It covers an area of 505,992 km², making it the fourth-largest in Europe, and the second-largest in Western Europe.
The Kingdom of Spain has a population of 47.1 million people, and its capital city is Madrid while the second-largest is Barcelona. The official and national languages are Spanish, co-official languages are Catalan, Galician, Basque, and Occitan.
The economy of Spain is based on the automotive industry, agricultural production, energy, financial services, telecommunication, pharmaceuticals, textiles and apparel, and tourism.
Though finding a job in the country might be hectic for ex-pats, but it is overall a good country for foreigners who are seeking to live and work in the country. When you want to apply for a study visa, you don’t need to produce IELTS, except if the company that offered you the job requires a proficiency test score. Ideal, ex-pats from European nations don’t need visas to work in Spain for a particular time.
3. the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates or the Emirates is a country in Western Asia that is located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and has borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia while having maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran. The federation was formed in 1971 and it comprises seven Emirates which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah.
The country’s estimated population as of 2021 is 9,279,000. Though rich in oil, but it has one of the most diversified economies in the last five decades and has become the business nerve center of the world.
The country is among the top countries in the world where you won’t need the IELTS exam to be able to process your work visa as it is a non-English-speaking nation. There are lots of job opportunities in the country but it is said that it has strict labor law which gives more power to citizens over ex-pats.
4. Poland
Poland is another country that doesn’t make it mandatory for foreigners to get the IELTS exam before applying for a work visa. Also, generally, you don’t need previous work experience to apply for the work visa but you must meet 10th Grade minimum education requirements.
Poland is located in Central Europe and borders Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia. Its total area is 312,696 km², with a population of 38,000,000. The official language of Poland is Polish. The country’s economy is industrialized and it is the sixth-largest in the European Union.
5. Italy
Italy is a south-central European country, which has international borders with Austria, France, the Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, and Switzerland. It also shares maritime borders with Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Greece, Libya, Malta, Montenegro, Spain, and Tunisia. Its capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins. The country covers an area of 301,318 km² with an estimated population of 60,000,000.
The country is the 3rd-largest national economy in the European Union with its most industrial sectors being automotive, textiles, electrical products, office equipment, agriculture, and tourism. Italy isn’t complete without its famous food like pizza, pasta, prosciutto, Parmesan cheese, salami, wine, and ice cream.
The official language of Italy is Italian, so, IELTS exam isn’t a requirement for applying for a work permit in Italy. Individuals from other European countries don’t need documentation to work in the country.
6. Ukraine
International students who want to study or work in Ukraine don’t need IELTS or TOEFL. Though those applying for study visas might need to provide the necessary language proficiency, it is not a requirement for work permit application.
The country is a country in Eastern Europe and it is the second-largest country by area in Europe after Russia. It shares borders with Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the south; Russia to the east and north-east.
Ukraine’s total population is 41.3 million, and its official language is Ukrainian. The country is though developing country but it is one of the largest grain exporters in the world.
7. Russia
Russia is the largest country in the world with a total area of 17,125,191. It stretches from Eastern Europe to Northern Asia. The country’s capital is Moscow and has a total population of 143,185,000. Its economy is based on oil, gas, precious metals, agriculture, and arms exports.
Applying for a work visa in Russia doesn’t require IELTS, and some popular schools in the country give room for international students to provide other language proficiency exams aside from IELTS or TOEFL while seeking admission.
8. Sweden
Sweden is also another country where you will not need IELTS or TOEFL to apply for a work visa, and it is also not mandatory for international students who want to study and work in the country to provide IELTS or TOEFL, especially if they are from English-speaking countries.
Sweden is a European which borders Norway in the west and Finland in the northeast. It also has coastal borders with Denmark, Norway, Åland, and Finland. Its total population is 10,379,295. Sweden is a major exporter of goods and services. Its largest exports are electronics, machinery, cars, paper, iron, and steel.
9. Norway
Having IELTS or TOEFL or other language proficiency test isn’t necessary to apply for a Norwegian work permit, though having background knowledge of Norwegian and Sami – the official languages are of many advantages. However, if you want to study in any Norwegian University, then IELTS or any equivalent English certificate is required. During the application process for the work visa, your English proficiency will automatically be evaluated.
Norway is a European country that has a total area of 385,207 square kilometers, and a population of 5,385,300. It shares a long eastern border with Sweden, Finland, and Russia to the north-east and the Skagerrak Strait to the south, on the other side of which are Denmark and the United Kingdom.
The country is famously known for fishing, hiking, and skiing. It is one of the happiest countries in the world, and also currently the sixth richest country in the world when measured by GDP per capita.
10. Finland
The English language is widely spoken in Finland, but its two main official languages are Finnish and Swedish. With English not being an official language, English proficiency requirements isn’t necessary to apply for a work permit in the country.
Finland is a Northern European nation bordering Sweden, Norway, and Russia. Its total population is 5,540,000, and the country’s capital city is Helsinki. Its economy is industrialized with electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals being its common exports goods. Finland is the happiest country in the world.
11. Singapore
Singapore’s official languages are English, Malay, Tamil, and Mandarin Chinese. When you want to apply for work in Singapore, the employer needs to apply for a work pass which depends on or role. The application for the pass requires educational certificates and work experience, but there is no need for language proficiency – IELTS, TOEFL, etc.
Singapore is a city-state that covers a total area of 728.6 km², with a total population of 5,453,600. The country’s economy is among the most stable economy in the world which is mainly driven by exports in electronics manufacturing and machinery, financial services, and tourism.
12. Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia with a total estimated population of 125,497,000. It has more than 6,800 islands. The country’s capital and largest city are Tokyo. The official language of Japan is Japanese and it is one of the world’s most literate and technically advanced nations. It is well known for producing motor vehicles, electronic equipment, and steel.
Japan isn’t among countries where you have to speak excellent English to be able to work in the country, meaning that you don’t need IELTS or other English language proficiency exams to be able to study or work in an Asia country.
13. Romania
Romania’s work visa policy is in line with other European country’s visas policies as it is a European country. A foreign worker can only process a work visa through the employee. Though he/she will be required to tender documents like passport, educational certificates, financial support, etc, however, language proficiency isn’t part of the requirements for the work visa processing.
Romania has a total area of 238,397 km² and a population of 19,000,000. It is the twelfth-largest country in Europe and the sixth-most populous member state of the European Union. Its capital is known as Bucharest. The country’s main exports are: cars, software, clothing and textiles, industrial machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, metallurgic products, raw materials, military equipment, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and agricultural products
14. Malaysia
International individuals who want to work in Malaysia don’t need language proficiency exams as it is not part of the requirements for work visa processing. Though there are several types of work pass/visas in Malaysia, none of these visas have language proficiency as a requirement.
The official language of Malaysia is Malay or Bahasa Malaysia. Its capital city is Kuala Lumpur. Its total population is 32,779,000. Malaysia has a diversified economy, it is a major producer of rubber and palm oil, and it exports considerable quantities of petroleum and natural gas. It is as well one of the world’s largest sources of commercial hardwoods.
15. China
Work visas are issued to foreign individuals who have been issued employment permits and intend to work in China. The requirements needed for the visa are passport, educational certificates, police certificates, employment details, and the likes. Out of all the requirements, there is nowhere language proficiency is mentioned, meaning that you don’t need the IELTS exam to apply for a work visa in China.
The official language of China is Chinese. The country is the world’s most populous country with a total population of 1.4 billion. It is among the top power countries in the world, it is the second after the United States of America.
Conclusion
IELTS or TOEFL as a language proficiency exam is required by most English-speaking countries like the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, etc for study and work. If you want to work abroad in most especially countries whose official language isn’t English, you will most likely not be required to submit IELTS or other English language proficiency test exams before you can be offered a work visa. This might not be the same if it has to be a study visa.
I enumerated the top countries abroad that you don’t need IELTS for a work visa.
I hoped this will serve as a guide in understanding how to get work abroad without IELTS. Kindly drop a comment in the box below for any information regarding this piece.
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