Problematic transition from residence permit for the purpose of studies to having an employment: Non-EU foreign students from post-Soviet countries and Czech immigration policy

• Published in: Youth in Central and Eastern Europe Vol. 10; no. 16; pp. 50 - 57
• Main Author: Jirka, Luděk
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pedagogical University of Krakow 21.12.2023
• Subjects: czech republic; migration policy; non-eu international students; residence permit; student migration
• ISSN: 2720-4049; 2720-4049
• DOI: 10.24917/ycee.10496

The Czech Republic introduced a migration policy in 1999, and one of the newly emerged residence permits was for the purpose of studies. It allowed non-EU foreign nationals to study in the Czech Republic. However, its rationale was also associated with restricting the permanent settlement of non-EU international students in the country. The policy changed in 2006. However, even up to 2019, it remained challenging for international students to secure permanent residency. In particular, students from post-Soviet countries wanted to settle permanently and had to find a job before graduation to secure their stay. In 2019, the Czech Republic introduced a transitional period for non-EU foreign graduates, enabling them to stay in the country for nine months to find a job. However, despite the advantages, this was late compared to other European countries. This article discusses the situation of non-EU international students before 2019 and the difficulties they experienced due to the complicated transition process from residence permit for the purpose of studies to employee status.