Computer Science & IT abroad
Every step from first year to working abroad. See all nine countries for Computer Science & IT.
1 route
Software developer to the Netherlands or Ireland About 7years to moving BSc Computer Science, 3 years; Honours, 1 year; Developer in SA, 3 years. Then Job with a recognised sponsor; Highly skilled migrant permit; Amsterdam, Eindhoven or Dublin. No count for this career. All careers: 1 218 a year · Dutch first residence permits for all employment reasons issued to South African citizens (2025)
Where it leads: Software engineer at a tech company. Typical employers: Booking.com, Adyen, ASML and the Dublin offices of the large US technology companies.
Worth knowing: The most portable field on the map is also the one AI is changing fastest, and Canada's 2026 Express Entry STEM category leaves software developers out, though Australia still lists Software Engineer and Developer Programmer on its Core Skills Occupation List for skilled visas.
- Study · 3 yrs BSc Computer Science3 years
- Study · 1 yr Honours1 year; makes the degree comparable to a European bachelor
- Train · 3 yrs Developer in SA2-3 years of experience is what gets you hired abroad
- Move Job with a recognised sponsorNo licence, no language test
- Move Highly skilled migrant permitOr the Critical Skills permit in Ireland
- Work Amsterdam, Eindhoven or Dublin
Years are typical minimums from the first year at university. Steps after a bar take no set time. Open a route for where it leads and every step.
How many have done this: 2 official counts, with sources
- 68 a year · Australian permanent skilled visas granted to South African citizens nominated in ICT occupations (ANZSCO major group 26) (Australia, 2025)
ICT business analysts (17), software engineers (14) and developer programmers (12) lead
Trend: 61 in 2023-24
Programme year 2024-25. A further 43 South Africans were granted 482 temporary skilled visas in ICT in 2025-26.
Source: Department of Home Affairs, BP0068 Permanent Migration Program (Skilled & Family) Outcomes Snapshot, to 30 June 2025 - 48 a year · UK sponsored work visas granted to South African nationals in IT professional occupations (SOC minor group 213) (United Kingdom, 2025)
Mostly software developers (17) and IT business analysts/architects (16)
Trend: 147 in 2023, so down about two thirds
Entry clearance (applied from outside the UK) only; excludes South Africans already in the UK who switched into the route in-country, which is now the larger flow.
Source: Home Office, Immigration system statistics data tables, table Occ_D02 (Sponsored work visas by occupation and industry, SOC 2020), year ending June 2026
How to read the board
Timelines are typical minimums from the first year at university; visas, exams and job searches often take longer.
“Well-trodden” means at least 1 000 people counted on an official register (or 200 a year); “Established” means at least 200 (or 50 a year). Counts come from regulators and statistics offices and are never estimated.
Register counts are people working there today, by where they trained. Visa counts are people per year, by occupation, because no country publishes visas by degree. UK visa figures count visas issued abroad only and understate every route: in 2025 South Africans received 793 Skilled Worker visas from abroad but 2 256 more by switching from inside the UK.
Illustrative, well-trodden routes assembled from the MatricMap research. Employers named are examples of the kind of organisation that hires on each route, not endorsements or job offers.