Over the past decade there has been an increase in the number of International Internships for Indian students. These international internships allow students from schools and colleges in India to live and work overseas thereby increasing their chances to not only to explore foreign places but also to network with their international peers. The experience gained in these internships are valuable for students as they not only help them gain valuable experience abroad but also add positively to their profile when they want to apply for work visa and PR.
In 2024-25 more than 30000 students took part in global internships underlining the importance of international professional experience in a person’s resume. This trend is going to increase as the number of internships and the people enthusiastic about the same increases. In this article, we will explore types of international internships, the benefits of an internship abroad, popular destinations, application process, and more details to help you secure the right internship abroad.
What are the types of international internships for Indian Students?
There are basically two types of international internships namely remote international internships and on-site international internships. The elaboration of the same are as follows:
- Remote International Internships (also known as Virtual Global Internships): These internships allow and encourage a student to work from their native country. Hence, they don’t need to travel abroad for work. Since there is no visa involved and work is mainly done in the country of residence, the work done here might be counted as work experience by few countries but as equal to a domestic internship.
- On-site International Internships: These internships allow the student to physically visit the country for work. It includes the issuance of visa on the passport and might be favorably looked upon when a foreign country issues a work visa or looks at a PR application in the future. If a country considers remote international internship as a valid work experience then it considers on-site international internships as valid work experience as well.
What are the benefits for international internships?
Starting an internship is generally the first step out of college for students to know how work is done in the real world. The benefits of International Internships for Indian students are as follows:
- Experimentation: It is the stage of experimentation as it is not a full fledged job and does not come with relevant responsibilities and commitments.
- Growth: Having a number of internships under their belt helps a student grow out of their study mode and prepares them for their career ahead.
- Practice: There are a variety of internships and since most of them happen when the person is still a fresher and getting trained, they are valuable before full time begins.
- Pay: International Internships are highly selective, give good remuneration and help a student understand global work culture.
- Resume: It helps a student enhance their resume and act as proof of concept that a student has the ability to get things done.
- Network: It helps students to network and broaden connections with their peers and superiors in different parts of the globe. These networks work as points of referrals for future jobs.
- Maturity: Furthermore, International Internships help Indian students to cultivate intra cultural sensitivities and proficiency of working in different time zones.
- Work Visa and PR: Majorly true for on-site international internships, a foreign country visa stamp on the passport and if that country is a first world country, increases your chances of getting a work visa and PR. A previous visa of a first world country is a plus for your application.
Which countries and international organizations offer international internships for Indian Students ?
The major countries and international organizations that provide International Internships for Indian Students are as follows:
- Canada
- USA
- Germany
- France
- Switzerland
- United Nations
- World Bank
- CERN or European Organization for Nuclear Research
- International Labour Organization
- World Health Organization
Apart from these organizations there are various NGOs too that give a global internship experience.
How to search paid international internships for Indian Students?
The first step in getting a paid international internships for Indian students is to find one. There are various ways to search for internships which are as follows:
- Online Job Portals: Online job portals provide a list of internships; both domestic and international; that are available for Indian students.
- Peers: Peers such as fellow students and professors on-campus are majorly informed of the top internships. It is best to have a good rapport with them and ask them to guide you on this.
- Program Providers: Program Providers provide end to end assistance and streamlined application process.
- International Organizations: International Organizations such as the UN, WHO and World Bank constantly release vacancies for interns on their websites. One needs to constantly remain up to date with the developments regarding the international organization that you want to intern with.
- Other organizations such as NGOs: Some NGOs take their interns on tours to other countries like Nepal and Bhutan for field work or study purposes. So as to look for these types of internships, regularly check up their websites for updates.
What are the documents required for International Internships for Indian Students?
The list of documents for international internships for Indian students might keep in handy is as follows:
- Passport with at least a year of validity
- Recent Photographs, both virtual and in hard copy
- Birth Certificate
- PAN card
- Degree certificates
- Skill Certificate
- Language test certificate like IELTS or TOEFL etc with validity
- Curriculum Vitae
- Academic Transcripts
These are the common documents that one needs to keep up to date if one is applying for an internship.
How Oasis Visas Can Help You?
Pursuing international internships for Indian students can be a transformative milestone in both academic and professional development, offering global exposure, industry-relevant skills, and valuable cross-cultural experience. If you are looking for an overseas opportunity or just looking for a perfect visa for an internship, we at Oasis Visas can help you.
