Do All Countries Hire Coders Without Degree?

No, not all countries accept programmers without a degree—but many do, especially if you have strong experience, skills, and proof of work (like a portfolio or GitHub).

Countries that Often Accept Programmers Without Degrees:

1. Canada

o Through Express Entry or job offers (especially for skilled trades/tech roles).

o Focus is on work experience, not formal education alone.

2. Germany

o Offers work visas for programmers with job offers, regardless of degrees—if skills are proven.

o Blue Card might require a degree, but alternatives exist.

3. United States

o H-1B generally requires a degree, but tech founders, freelancers, or those with equivalent experience might qualify under other categories (e.g., O-1 or L-1).

4. UK

o Skilled Worker visa requires a job offer and minimum salary—not necessarily a degree in all cases.

o Some employers accept self-taught developers with portfolios.

5. Australia

o Skilled migration often prefers formal qualifications, but Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows experience-based assessment for IT roles.

6. Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia

o Tech-driven economies open to hiring skilled programmers with or without degrees—startups especially value portfolios and problem-solving.

Key Factors That Matter Instead of a Degree:

• Real-world programming experience (3+ years)

• Strong coding portfolio (GitHub, freelance work, open-source)

• Certifications (AWS, Microsoft, Cisco, etc.)

• Fluency in English (and sometimes local language basics)

• Job offer from a sponsoring employer

Countries with Stricter Requirements:

• Japan and South Korea often require a degree for work visas.

• Some Middle Eastern countries also expect formal qualifications unless you're internally transferred.

Final Tip:

If you don’t have a degree, build a strong skills-based résumé, showcase your work, and focus on countries and employers that value ability over credentials.