Countries do not share one “work visa”. They share a habit: for many skilled jobs, the employer has to be in the file. This map is the habit, not the statute. Use it to read a listing. Then use the official page to check the listing.
United States — H-1B
The employer files a petition for a specialty occupation, which generally means a role that needs a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a specific field. Most private employers are subject to an annual cap and a lottery. Universities and some research organisations are cap-exempt. A company that says “we sponsor H-1B” may mean “we file if you are selected”. Those are different sentences. Ask which one they mean.
European Union — the Blue Card
The EU Blue Card is a residence permit for qualified work, built on a job offer and a salary above a threshold. Member states set the threshold, and many set a lower one for shortage occupations. Germany is the country candidates mean most often. A degree usually has to be recognised. The Blue Card is not a job-seeker visa, and it is not automatic because a role is technical.
Australia — Skills in Demand, subclass 482
The Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa as the main temporary sponsored route. An employer becomes a standard business sponsor and nominates the role. Streams differ. The Core Skills stream and the Specialist Skills stream have different occupation and salary rules, and the salary floors move. The employer also pays a training levy. A listing that names the stream is a listing that has been thought through.
Canada — a work permit with the employer on it
An employer-specific work permit names the employer and usually the job and the place. Many of them need a labour-market assessment first. The Global Talent Stream is one of those paths, aimed at certain tech and specialised roles, and it is still an assessment, not a stamp. Some workers are exempt from the assessment. The exemption is a rule, not a mood. Ask the employer which path they are filing.
New Zealand — Accredited Employer Work Visa
The Accredited Employer Work Visa is the main temporary sponsored route. The employer needs accreditation, the job needs a job check, and then you apply for the visa. Pay has to meet the market rate for the role. There is a maximum stay, and it is shorter for some lower-skilled jobs. Accreditation is a public fact. A school or a firm that is accredited can point you at the register.
Other desks you will see on GJWV
Singapore’s Employment Pass is an employer-sponsored pass with a salary bar and a points test. The Netherlands uses a recognised-sponsor system for the Highly Skilled Migrant permit, with salary thresholds by age. Ireland’s Critical Skills Employment Permit is for occupations on a list, or for higher salaries. Sweden and Denmark grant work permits from a job offer that meets local pay rules. Japan’s Engineer/Specialist status is the usual residence status for professional hires, sponsored by the employer. The UAE residence visa for work is sponsored by the employer and is tied to that job.
None of these are interchangeable. A salary that clears one threshold can miss the next. A family that can accompany you to one country cannot assume the same permission in another.
GJWV lists the route the employer names. It does not assess your eligibility, and it does not file anything. For the rule that applies to you, start with the immigration authority of the country that would issue the visa.