Compare the 4 Countries

The table below compares the 4 countries on the criteria that matter most to Vietnamese workers: the basis of assessment, annual quotas, language requirements, income thresholds and processing times. All figures are drawn from government sources, cited in detail at the end of the article.

Criterion	USA — EB-3	Canada — Express Entry	Australia — GSM	Germany — Chancenkarte
Representative program	EB-3: Skilled Workers, Professionals, Other Workers	Express Entry (FSW · FST · CEC) + PNP	Subclass 189 · 190 · 491	Chancenkarte → §18a/§18b Fachkraft · EU Blue Card
Basis of assessment	Employer sponsorship (no points)	CRS points system	GSM points test + skills assessment	Points system (minimum 6 points)
Annual quota / cap	≈40,040 visas/year (28.6% of 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas); up to 10,000 for unskilled workers	≈380,000 permanent residents/year (Levels Plan 2026–2028)	185,000 program places for 2025–26; 132,200 places for the skilled stream	No fixed quota
Language requirement	No formal requirement	IELTS/CELPIP (English) or TEF/TCF (French), minimum per CLB	IELTS/PTE — competent (IELTS 6.0) or above	German A1 or English B2 for the Chancenkarte; higher to practise a profession
Qualifications / skills	Skilled: ≥2 years of training/experience · Professionals: bachelor's degree · Other Workers: <2 years	Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) + skills per NOC TEER	Skills assessment against ANZSCO required	Recognised university or vocational qualification of ≥2 years (Anabin)
Income threshold / reference salary	Paid at the prevailing wage; industry-wide median salary ≈$51,000 USD/year (BLS)	No threshold for Express Entry; reference salaries per NOC (Job Bank)	No threshold for points streams; sponsored stream CSIT $76,515 AUD/year (from 01/07/2025)	EU Blue Card €50,700 EUR/year (€45,934.20 for shortage occupations, 2026)
Processing time (reference)	Several years — depends on the Priority Date & Visa Bulletin; Vietnamese cases often face retrogression	≈6 months for a complete application after the invitation (ITA)	Varies by subclass	The Chancenkarte allows up to 1 year in Germany to find work
All-inclusive cost (estimated, via service)	≈$35,000–60,000 USD (main applicant)	≈$15,000–30,000 CAD	≈$20,000–35,000 AUD	≈€15,000–25,000 EUR
Key strengths	Highest salary; direct Green Card for the whole family; no language required	Transparent and fast; free public healthcare; large Vietnamese community	Good lifestyle; high salary; permanent residence for the whole family	Free public universities; central EU location; major labour shortage
Key considerations	Employer + PERM required; long waiting time	Highly competitive CRS scores; occupation groups prioritised by round	Furthest from Vietnam; requires skills assessment + EOI	German needed to integrate and to practise in many fields

The four pathways differ fundamentally on one point: the USA and Germany rely heavily on employers and actual jobs, while Canada and Australia score the individual's profile. This difference determines who fits which path.

USA — EB-3: the highest salary, in exchange for a long wait

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), EB-3 USA has three subgroups: Skilled Workers, Professionals with a bachelor's degree, and Other Workers. This stream grants a Green Card directly to the whole family.

The most attractive features are the income and the absence of a language requirement. In exchange, the case must go through PERM labor certification, the I-140 petition and then the I-485 or DS-260, and depends on the Priority Date in the Visa Bulletin. Vietnamese cases often wait several years due to priority-date retrogression.

Canada — Express Entry: the most transparent and fastest

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the total permanent-resident target holds steady at around 380,000 people/year under the 2026–2028 plan. Express Entry Canada scores candidates on the CRS and invites high-scoring profiles in rounds.

The process is transparent, with processing of only about 6 months after the invitation, alongside public healthcare and a large Vietnamese community in Toronto and Vancouver. The biggest obstacle is the competitive CRS cut-off; each round often prioritises healthcare occupations, trades or French speakers.

Australia — GSM: lifestyle in exchange for distance

Australia's 2025–26 migration program has 185,000 places, of which the skilled stream accounts for 132,200. The points streams Subclass 189, 190 and 491 are assessed on a points test (minimum 65 points) together with a skills assessment against ANZSCO.

The points streams require no salary threshold, while employer-sponsored streams must meet the CSIT income threshold of $76,515 AUD/year (from 01/07/2025). Australia is attractive for its lifestyle and high salaries, but it is the furthest country from Vietnam in this group and demands a thorough skills assessment before lodging.

Germany — Chancenkarte: free study, German required

The Chancenkarte Germany is a points-based job-seeker card: you need at least 6 points, a recognised university or vocational qualification of 2 or more years, and German A1 or English B2. The card allows you to stay in Germany for up to 1 year to find work.

Once employed, you move to a Fachkraft work visa or the EU Blue Card with a salary threshold of €50,700 EUR/year (€45,934.20 for shortage occupations, 2026). Germany charges no public-university tuition and faces severe labour shortages in healthcare, IT and engineering — but German is a real barrier that must be prepared for early.

Your occupation usually narrows the options faster than any other criterion. Below are suggested pathways by common occupation group.

• IT / technology: Canada (Express Entry), Australia (Subclass 189/190), Germany (§19c IT Specialists), USA (EB-2 NIW / EB-3 Professionals)
• Healthcare · nursing: Germany (Ausbildung Pflege), Canada (CEC), Australia (Subclass 190), USA (EB-3 Schedule A)
• Engineers: all four countries are strong; Germany and Australia especially prioritise engineers
• Trades (welding, electrical, cooking): Canada (FST), Germany (Ausbildung), Australia (regional Subclass 491)
• Unskilled workers: the USA's EB-3 Other Workers is the clearest opportunity, with no qualifications or language required

In Vietnam's immigration consultancy market, the all-inclusive cost through a service — covering government fees, language tests, credential assessment, medical checks and service fees — usually falls within the following reference ranges: EB-3 USA around $35,000–60,000 USD for the main applicant, the Canadian skilled stream around $15,000–30,000 CAD, Australia around $20,000–35,000 AUD, and Germany around €15,000–25,000 EUR (the Chancenkarte stream also requires proof of funds via a Sperrkonto blocked account).

Of these, the government fees are fixed and verifiable: the USA ≈$1,440 USD for the I-485 per person (plus the I-140 at $715), Canada ≈$990 processing fee and $575 RPRF per adult, Australia $4,765 AUD first instalment for the main applicant, and Germany only about €100 for the visa and residence permit. The rest is service and preparation costs, which vary widely by case — so ask for a detailed fee schedule for each stage before deciding.

On timing, the differences are stark: Canada is fastest (about 6 months after the invitation), Germany is flexible depending on how quickly you find work, Australia varies by subclass, while EB-3 USA is the longest pathway because it depends on the Visa Bulletin and priority-date retrogression for Vietnamese cases.

After comparing the 4 countries, the practical way to choose is to work backwards from your own situation, not from "which country is best".

• Want a high salary, accept the wait and have an employer sponsor: prioritise the USA (EB-3)
• Want a transparent, fast process, and have qualifications and good English: prioritise Canada (Express Entry)
• Value lifestyle and have skills recognised by Australia: prioritise Australia (GSM)
• Ready to learn German and want free university for your children: prioritise Germany (Chancenkarte)

The next step should be to quantify your own chances with M2W's free tools: CRS Canada calculator, GSM Australia calculator, Chancenkarte Germany calculator or EB-3 USA profile assessment. You can also view the full list of immigration programs to narrow down your options.

Official data sources: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) & U.S. Department of State — the EB-3 program and Visa Bulletin; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — OEWS median wages; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Immigration Levels Plan 2026–2028; Australia's Department of Home Affairs — the 2025–26 migration program and CSIT income threshold; the Make it in Germany portal (German Government) & the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) — the Chancenkarte and EU Blue Card. Figures are updated for 2026; requirements and quotas may change with each country's policy.