Udemezue John
Introduction.
Being an international student is an exciting adventure. It’s a chance to experience a new culture, meet new people, and learn in a different environment. But, it can also come with its fair share of challenges—especially when it comes to finances.
As an international student, managing expenses while keeping up with schoolwork can be tough. However, making money online can be a flexible way to ease some of the financial pressure.
In this blog post, I’m going to walk you through some practical and doable ways to make money online as an international student.
The great thing about these options is that they don’t require you to be in one specific place, and many of them can fit around your class schedule. So, if you’re looking for ways to earn money while studying abroad, this guide is for you!
Why Should I Make Money Online as an International Student?
Being an international student can be both an exciting and challenging experience. You get to study and immerse yourself in a new culture, but at the same time, you may face financial challenges due to limited work opportunities.
However, the internet has opened up a world of possibilities for making money online, and international students can take advantage of these opportunities to supplement their income.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the reasons why international students should consider making money online.
1. Financial Freedom.
One of the most significant benefits of making money online is financial freedom. As an international student, you may have limited opportunities to work due to visa restrictions, language barriers, or lack of work experience.
However, the internet provides a vast range of online jobs that can be done from anywhere in the world.
By making money online, you can have a flexible schedule, work from the comfort of your own home, and supplement your income without having to worry about visa restrictions or language barriers.
2. Flexibility.
Another advantage of making money online is flexibility. Online jobs allow you to work at your own pace and schedule, which is essential for international students who may have classes and study commitments.
By working online, you can easily balance your work and study commitments without having to compromise on either.
3. Development of Transferable Skills.
Working online can also help international students develop transferable skills that can be valuable in their future careers.
Online jobs require strong communication skills, time management, and the ability to work independently.
By developing these skills, you can improve your employability and stand out from other candidates in the job market.
4. Exposure to New Technologies.
Making money online also exposes international students to new technologies and software. Online jobs often require the use of technology such as video conferencing software, project management tools, and online collaboration platforms.
By using these technologies, you can develop new skills and become familiar with the latest tools and software in your field.
5. Opportunity to Pursue Entrepreneurship.
Making money online also provides international students with an opportunity to pursue entrepreneurship.
By starting an online business, you can be your boss, set your schedule, and have the potential to earn a significant income.
Online businesses such as e-commerce stores, online tutoring services, or freelance writing services can be started with minimal investment and can be operated from anywhere in the world.
I wrote an article on this blog where I gave so many valid reasons why every young person should try to study abroad. In that article, I wrote so many statistics and the best country to learn when studying abroad.
Here is a link to that article; make sure to read this article below and come back to finish this one.
How do I Make Money Online as an International Student?
When you are a high school or college student, you generally have huge batches of free time. There’s no better way to spend them than becoming a student entrepreneur.
You may be earning very little, but as time goes by, you are sure to start making very much; this is why I recommend that you plan before choosing to study abroad.
1. Start a blog.
Blogging is one source of income that any government never tasks; your blog is a global business, so you can take it with you worldwide without any hassle.
All you need to start a blog is to choose a proper nice, buy a domain name and a web hosting plan that would cost nothing less than $5/Mo, and start making money by publishing helpful content that resonates with an audience.
I wrote an article to help you jumpstart your blog business; I recommend you read that article.
2. Become a YouTuber.
When you go on YouTube, the majority of channels you see there are owned by international students and travellers, sharing their thought on what they feel about living overseas; they usually have a lot of views because most immigrants generally consult the internet before coming to live in that country.
I wrote an article to help you get started on starting a YouTube channel and making money with it; click the link below to read the article.
3. Start an e-Commerce Business.
E-Commerce is another business model that is highly profitable for international students living abroad; all you need to start an e-commerce business is a website and excellent product sourcing; you should have excellent marketing to scale your e-commerce business.
I wrote an article to help you get started with your e-Commerce business.
4. Start a dropshipping Business
Dropshipping is a business model that is stress-free and profitable for international students living across the world.
Dropshipping is a business model that enables eCommerce businesses to outsource procuring, storing, and shipping products to a third party—typically a supplier.
With the right information, just about anyone can start a dropshipping business and make cool money without a hassle.
All you need to get started with a dropshipping business is to find a supplier to work with and then work on promoting those products.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to start a successful dropshipping business. Check out the link to the article to learn more.
5. Start an Affiliate Marketing Business.
Affiliate marketing is another business model that is highly profitable in any part of the world; I was in a seminar with Stefan James, the founder of Project Life Mastery, and he was telling us how he made over $10,000 while on vacation in Hawaii, all he did was to choose a product to market, obtain a unique affiliate link and send it across his email marketing list of over 300,000 subscribers, which converted in less than ten minutes.
Affiliate marketing is an excellent business that anyone can do no matter race, ethnicity or colour.
I wrote an article on affiliate marketing on this blog to help you kickstart your affiliate marketing business, and I recommend that you read that article below to get started.
6. Become a Freelancer.
Freelancing is an excellent business model that allows you to make money with a new or existing skill set that you possess.
Soft skills like Graphics design, photography, and web design are usually outsourced to foreign countries. However, possessing such a skill set can put you in a place where you make cool cash without being tasked by the country’s Government.
I wrote an article on how you can get started in affiliate marketing, and I recommend you click it.
7. Become a Software Developer.
Software development is another skill set that can be monetised at any point and at any time.
Knowledge of basic programming terms like HTML, CSS and Javascript can become a source of livelihood when you eventually find yourself abroad.
Many remote jobs can be outsourced from any part of the world to your present location as an international student.
Do you need a roadmap to start as a web developer? I wrote this guide on this blog to help you get started.
8. Become a Graphics Designer.
Knowledge in image manipulation is another skill that can be monetised anytime; this skill can be used to make money on a part-time basis while studying full-time.
Many platforms can be used to source for jobs as a graphics designer, and one of them is Fiverr, you can also seek remote jobs in your country of study to get started.
I wrote a guide to help you start your career on freelance platforms like Fiverr; click the article to read it.
9. Become a Video Editor.
Another primary skill set that should not be underemphasised is video manipulation; there is an enormous need for this skill set worldwide, so getting jobs and making money should not be a problem.
You can decide to look out for freelance platforms like Fiverr and Upwork or seek a company in your country of study.
I created a guide to help you walk your way through on Fiverr; click the link to get started.
10. Amazon FBA.
Amazon FBA is a very lucrative business designed for Americans. So if you are studying in the US and need something lucrative to fall back to, then starting an Amazon FBA business should be one to look out for.
Amazon FBA works like a dropshipping business; all you need do is purchase products from countries like Vietnam and China, dropship on Amazon and the rest is perfected for you.
The Amazon FBA business is designed for American citizens only; you will need somebody with American citizenship to help you get an account.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to start an Amazon FBA Business as a foreigner. Check out the link to the article to learn more.
11. Start a Writing career.
Writing is another lucrative business that can help you make money online; apart from owning a blog, you can become a freelance writer and make very cool money.
Freelance platforms like Fiverr can help you make money; you can also decide to leverage writing platforms like Medium to pay you for all your work.
If you don’t want the stress attached to running a blog, then Medium is a great place to get started.
I wrote a comprehensive guide to help you start on Medium. Check out the link to the article to learn more.
12. Start a Podcast.
Another very lucrative business Idea is Podcasting; a podcast is just a pre-recorded voice that is distributed all over the web. If you have a talent for speaking or motivating and inspiring people, you should start a podcast.
I wrote a comprehensive guide to help you get started with a podcast; click the link below to get started.
13. E-Book Sales.
Selling E-books can be a source of passive income for you as an international student; there are so many people willing to pay for your knowledge; all you need to do is create and adequately market them; you can use a platform like Gumroad and Amazon Kindle.
I wrote an effective guide to help you scale your eBook publishing business; read that article below.
14. Become a Digital Marketer.
Digital marketing is another skill set that can be monetised from any world. Knowledge of Facebook, Instagram and search engine ads can earn you a living in whatever part of the world you find yourself in.
I wrote a guide that can help you kickstart your career in digital marketing; click the link below to get started.
15. Become a Virtual Assistant.
A virtual assistant is someone hired to carry out micro office jobs such as letter typing, attending to email and planning documents remotely.
Most businesses usually like working from and would not want to waste much money. You should have basic knowledge of a computer before becoming a virtual assistant.
I like being a virtual assistant because you can be employed by more than one business; just imagine being a virtual assistant for more than ten businesses, and you would even find yourself outsourcing jobs to the less privileged.
One place to start as a virtual assistant is on Fiverr; fortunately for you, I wrote an article to help you get started on Fiverr as a virtual assistant and start making money.
16. Start Creating Online Courses.
Do you know a specified area? One legit way to start making money by selling your knowledge is by creating and selling online courses.
There are online course platforms that help you handle every infrastructure that you need to get your business up and running; most of these online course platforms allow you to host your online course, build an email list and even help you with a website and even collect payment; just like making your custom online school.
I wrote an article to help you start your online course creation business up to the point where you start making money with it, read the guide below.
17. Become a Mobile App Developer.
The current internet trend has shifted concentration from desktop computers to smartphone apps; every business you see in the world that thrives has a majority of its infrastructure developed for smartphones, which involves mobile app creation for various devices such as Android Ios and Windows Mobile.
There is so much demand for mobile app developers today. This calls for an opportunity; all you need to start developing a mobile application is just basic coding knowledge and an understanding of how to use some basic mobile app frameworks.
I wrote a comprehensive guide to help you start as a mobile app developer; click the link below to read.
18. Become a Photographer.
Photography is one skill that has been around for so many centuries, and funny enough, it will be very much around in the coming centuries.
There is very much demand for photographers worldwide today, and the sad part of it is that only a few are readily available.
All it takes to become a photographer is just a basic understanding of some photography concepts and a camera.
Most of your colleagues would not mind paying you anything to have a fantastic photoshoot as an international student.
19. Start a Membership Website.
A membership website is an online platform that brings people of a similar mindset to share ideas. We have seen a few membership websites become multi-billion dollar businesses in the past few years, including Reddit, Twitter, Medium, and many others.
You can start a membership website today and start building your community. There are several ways to make money on your membership website, and some of them include; offering a subscription for extra services or even selling ad spaces if you are generating a lot of traffic.
20. Become a Social Media Influencer.
Social media influence is one business model that came along with creating social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter and many others.
So many brands have not included influencer marketing as part of their business models today, and it has been discovered to convert very well to Paid advertising.
All you need to become an influencer is to create and nurture your audience, and one way to do that is by becoming an authority in a specific industry of your choice.
I wrote this guide to help you become a social media influencer on this blog; click the link to the article to get started.
Book Cheap Flights.
As an international student, you should ensure that you have access to the right travel platform that solves all your travel needs.
I took my time to make a whole list of the best travel platforms worldwide, most of which are designed to handle flight booking, hotel reservations, hotel booking, tour guides and many others.
FAQs
1. Can international students work online while studying?
Yes, in many cases, international students can work online as long as they are compliant with their visa regulations. Most countries allow students to work part-time, but working for an online employer may be subject to specific rules depending on the country.
2. Do I need experience to start earning online?
Not necessarily. Many online jobs, like data entry, transcription, or online surveys, don’t require any special experience. Other jobs like freelance writing or tutoring may need you to have some expertise or skills, but many platforms don’t require previous experience, just a willingness to learn.
3. How much money can I make working online?
It really depends on the type of work you do, how many hours you put in, and your skill level. Some online jobs like freelance writing or tutoring can pay well, while others like taking surveys or doing data entry may not earn as much. On average, many students can make anywhere from $10 to $50 per hour, but this varies widely.
Conclusion
Making money online as an international student can be a game-changer. It’s flexible, and you can do it from anywhere—whether you’re in your dorm room or a coffee shop.
The key is finding something that works for you and fits around your studies.
So, are you ready to start earning some extra cash online while making the most of your time abroad?
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