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In the last couple of months reading this website I'm astounded by the numbers of people from where ever who put up posts like "I want to move to Timbuktu, what are the average winter temperatures and which are the best school districts?"
I have an important announcement for anyone wishing to migrate to another country: it is extremely difficult to change countries.
So many people seem not to have heard that most countries do not welcome foreign workers and foreign immigrants; that there are strict visa regimes, legal requirements, residency permits, work permits, immigration quotas. Various meandering ever-changing governmental policies for migrants, exclusionary regulations. ALL OVER THE WORLD.
Moving to any other country from whatever country you currently have citizenship in, is between difficult to impossible. Particularly if you are in a working age group.
So stop with the nonsense. If you want to move worldwide--do your due diligence homework--before you come here asking about moving to countries which have the best beaches and where are the best neighborhoods.
In the last couple of months reading this website I'm astounded by the numbers of people from where ever who put up posts like "I want to move to Timbuktu, what are the average winter temperatures and which are the best school districts?"
I have an important announcement for anyone wishing to migrate to another country: it is extremely difficult to change countries.
So many people seem not to have heard that most countries do not welcome foreign workers and foreign immigrants; that there are strict visa regimes, legal requirements, residency permits, work permits, immigration quotas. Various meandering ever-changing governmental policies for migrants, exclusionary regulations. ALL OVER THE WORLD.
Moving to any other country from whatever country you currently have citizenship in, is between difficult to impossible. Particularly if you are in a working age group.
So stop with the nonsense. If you want to move worldwide--do your due diligence homework--before you come here asking about moving to countries which have the best beaches and where are the best neighborhoods.
Geez.
I'll second that. There's a lot of "I went to the USA on vacation and love it so want to move there next year with my wife and 3 kids. Which is the best area of Orlando?" or "I'm still in high school but sick of my country, should I move to New York or Los Angeles when I finish school?"
I don't imagine for a second that many people are genned up on visas, but surely there's some notion that you may need permission to enter a country in order to live? (and therefore might not be able to get it?)
Some people should get their research prioritized before they start wasting their own and other people's time.
In the last couple of months reading this website I'm astounded by the numbers of people from where ever who put up posts like "I want to move to Timbuktu, what are the average winter temperatures and which are the best school districts?"
I have an important announcement for anyone wishing to migrate to another country: it is extremely difficult to change countries.
"Change" countries? That's so vague it makes me wonder if you understand the issues. Have you ever lived outside your country of birth? I moved to Cyprus several years ago by getting on a plane and going there. Then I moved to Costa Rica a few years after that by getting on a plane and going there. Then I moved to the USA by getting on a plane and coming here - although of course, it makes it easier that I was born in the USA and have USA citizenship.
Granted, getting legal residency can be a pain in the ass - bureaucracy always is. (Believe me, I know. My wife had to go through the hassle and expense of getting residency - that is, a green card - here in the USA.) Getting a work permit can be a pain in the ass - bureaucracy always is. Getting permission to start a business, particularly if you are going to employ locals, is usually easier, but can be a pain in the ass - bureaucracy always is. Changing citizenship is a whole new level of pain in the ass bureaucracy.
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So many people seem not to have heard that most countries do not welcome foreign workers and foreign immigrants; that there are strict visa regimes, legal requirements, residency permits, work permits, immigration quotas. Various meandering ever-changing governmental policies for migrants, exclusionary regulations. ALL OVER THE WORLD.
NOW I suspect you know nothing about the subject. It's very different for different countries. For example, Costa Rica is trivial. I just got on a plane and flew there. I lived there for about 4 years, and both of my children were born there with CR citizenship - and no, my wife is not a Costa Rican citizen.
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Moving to any other country from whatever country you currently have citizenship in, is between difficult to impossible.
Residence and citizenship are completely different things. Then there's the issue of permanent residency vs part-time residency. A work permit is a separate issue. Visiting somewhere up to 3 months is usually not a problem. Do that four times and you're up to a year, the period of time most countries look at with respect to things like residency, work permits, etc.
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Particularly if you are in a working age group.
Age groups don't work. People do, but one doesn't have to have a job to work. Start a business and you have a lot more flexibility.
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So stop with the nonsense. If you want to move worldwide--do your due diligence homework--before you come here asking about moving to countries which have the best beaches and where are the best neighborhoods.
Well how are people going to decide which countries to do their due diligence on if they don't know the things that would make them want to move there in the first place?
Granted, you are exactly correct that governments' rules can be a pain in the ass. But that's all they are. If you want to move somewhere, look into what it takes to do it, but there's a whole world out there to discover. Don't be chicken about it just because there are some pain in the ass government rules to get past.
People, don't be afraid of moving to a different country. It's like starting a business: a lot of bureaucratic bs to deal with, but after you do it, it's like getting a drivers license or your first car or your first job. No big deal.
The world is a lot smaller than it used to be. Embrace it.
"Change" countries? That's so vague it makes me wonder if you understand the issues. Have you ever lived outside your country of birth? I moved to Cyprus several years ago by getting on a plane and going there. Then I moved to Costa Rica a few years after that by getting on a plane and going there. Then I moved to the USA by getting on a plane and coming here - although of course, it makes it easier that I was born in the USA and have USA citizenship.
Granted, getting legal residency can be a pain in the ass - bureaucracy always is. (Believe me, I know. My wife had to go through the hassle and expense of getting residency - that is, a green card - here in the USA.) Getting a work permit can be a pain in the ass - bureaucracy always is. Getting permission to start a business, particularly if you are going to employ locals, is usually easier, but can be a pain in the ass - bureaucracy always is. Changing citizenship is a whole new level of pain in the ass bureaucracy.
NOW I suspect you know nothing about the subject. It's very different for different countries. For example, Costa Rica is trivial. I just got on a plane and flew there. I lived there for about 4 years, and both of my children were born there with CR citizenship - and no, my wife is not a Costa Rican citizen.
Residence and citizenship are completely different things. Then there's the issue of permanent residency vs part-time residency. A work permit is a separate issue. Visiting somewhere up to 3 months is usually not a problem. Do that four times and you're up to a year, the period of time most countries look at with respect to things like residency, work permits, etc.
Age groups don't work. People do, but one doesn't have to have a job to work. Start a business and you have a lot more flexibility.
Well how are people going to decide which countries to do their due diligence on if they don't know the things that would make them want to move there in the first place?
Granted, you are exactly correct that governments' rules can be a pain in the ass. But that's all they are. If you want to move somewhere, look into what it takes to do it, but there's a whole world out there to discover. Don't be chicken about it just because there are some pain in the ass government rules to get past.
People, don't be afraid of moving to a different country. It's like starting a business: a lot of bureaucratic bs to deal with, but after you do it, it's like getting a drivers license or your first car or your first job. No big deal.
The world is a lot smaller than it used to be. Embrace it.
Just hopped on a plane, did you? Did you even bother check about immunizations, etc. before just hopping on a plane to go to another country? Incidentally, those "government rules" are in place for a reason. You aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
Location: Kowaniec, Nowy Targ, Podhale. 666 m n.p.m.
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I disagree... I've changed countries more than some people change underwear... Then again, I have three passports (2 EU and 1 US) which basically allows me to live and work wherever in the civilized world I please. On top of that, I work for "big oil", so I've got plenty of opportunities to go elsewhere, even through my job.
I do know, however, that people who do not have one (or more) passport(s) from any of the EU/EEA countries, the US, Canada, Oz or Kiwistan might not have such an easy time, especially not if they're undereducated and don't speak any of the main global languages fluently...
I think one can rationalize themselves out of doing anything out of fear that they will fail or experience change. It's not easy to do a variety of things that are worthwhile.
By that, I mean I personally recieved a 2 year working visa for Canada through being affiliated with the Commonwealth (Australian Citizen), to which I paired up a B1/B2 USA visa which allows up to 6 month long stays upon entry to USA, so for around 3 years I hypothetically had 'free reign' of North America assuming I went to USA for 6 months, then Canada for 2 years, then USA for another 6 months. Not full-blooded 'immigration', but quite a lengthy amount of time.
Ultimately, however, I met my (future) wife on an initial 4 months in USA, bounced over to Europe (as I have an EU passport) for 3 months, then went to Canada for only 3 months, then back to USA for approximately 5 months to meet back up with and marry my wife, then took her back to Australia with me.
So I've done the Canada work-visa application process (which was simply an on-line form, followed by a medical checkup), the USA B1/B2 visa application process (which was an initial on-line form, followed by an interview at the Embassy), and the true Immigration process to move my wife to Australia with me.
Actual immigration is expensive and lengthy - without ever touching a lawyer (or paying anyone anything at all) it still cost in 'fees and incidentals' around $4,000 to get my wife here (not including plane fare) as well as about 5 months 'processing time'.
Canada working visa was less than $200 but that doesn't include the $200 medical, and USA B1/B2 visa was less than $200 from memory.
When the time comes that my wife wants us to move 'back' to the USA, I am sure the process for me to obtain a Green Card will be as long, if not longer, than the process to get her to Australia.
I think there are key differences here. If you want to move to Europe or a Commonwealth country from a non-EU or non-Commonwealth country and actually live, work, and settle there for the future, then yes, it is going to be difficult, costly, and time consuming. If you want to country hop for a while by stringing together a bunch of 3 month stays, then sure, you are living in a country but are you really living there? I lived in Sweden for 6 months by extending my visitor visa, but seeing as I didn't have permission to work, then it wasn't as though I was 100% ingrained in the Swedish way of life.
Commonwealth members have a lot of opportunities that folks in the US don't have to move to another part of the world and try to establish themselves. The US has some pretty high walls for even temporary immigration, and especially for permanent residency. Ease of immigration is going to be determined by your place of origin and your place of destination with a time componentt. I most certainly agree with the OP comment that folks do need to do their due diligence a bit better though - but I think a lot of that comes down to global naivete.
are you a native american ? no ,then stop complaining about immigrants
that's it very very simple the US is a country of immegrants &it was built by the hands of those immigrants whatever they moved in the 1800s or last month!!
even the statue of liberty say that lol
oh &btw about the "how hard is it to adjust in a new country" no one in the whole world will have a problem adjusting in the US it's the most diversed country in the whole world whether ur asian ,afrian,europian or latin u will adjust totally in few months...
oh&btw am talkin about the legal immigrants who wins the lottery program every year{around 50 000 }
Just hopped on a plane, did you? Did you even bother check about immunizations, etc. before just hopping on a plane to go to another country? Incidentally, those "government rules" are in place for a reason. You aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
Well obviously if he successfully immigrated to Costa Rica the Costa Rican government was fine with it.
And did you know that as an American, you can go nearly anywhere in the world you like as a nonimmigrant on a tourist visa for up to 90 days? That's of course excepting the usual gang of Iran, N. Korea, Cuba, etc. Last I checked no immunizations are required. I'm not even aware that you need immunizations to immigrate to the United States...as far as I know a medical examination by a civil surgeon is sufficient, and that's only if you are applying for a green card.
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Don't be afraid to move to a new country!
