How do you move to another country? (2009, home)

[LZKay1]

I'm 21, getting very tired of the United States going down the gutter, and I'm eying other countries to move to. I'm really looking into Ireland and Scotland, the only problem is I'm unsure how to move. How exactly do you get a passport to move to another country and get let in?

[NinaLove]

Got to the post office, they'll give you a passport application. (Maybe you can print one online) Follow the instructions, submit it and you should be issued one within a couple months. Apply for a visa to the country you want to travel to, buy a plane ticket and voila. That's just the basics though. You may want a work visa so you can get a job there, but you could also work under the table, the difficulty and the specifics will depend on exactly where you want to go and how you plan to survive while there. You'll need a place to live and money for eating etc. It's not rocket science, every country in the world has immigrants legal and illegal. I think it might acquire some cajones, but if I had a quarter for how many stories there are of people who arrive in strange countries hardly speaking the language with laughable amounts of money in their pocket and were able to build rewarding lives.... it's mostly about the cajones.

[kevxu]

First of all, use Google; then come back with the hard questions. You will be able to find 99% of all the information you need that way. The puzzling stuff, the tough stuff is what you should be dealing with here. To be honest, if you haven't done this much already, are you equipped to live in a foreign country?

Maybe you should wait until you get your feet wet in the Real World in the U.S. and then take off for other parts if you feel you still want to, and have the mental and emotional wherewithall.

[Chava61]

It is quite hard for American to get a work permit/visa to live & work legally in Western European countries.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by Chava61

It is quite hard for American to get a work permit/visa to live & work legally in Western European countries.

And yes, though it's not impossible.
Having desirable job skills helps.
Visiting another country is a good way to get some perspective as well as life experience.

[Nasuba]

Originally Posted by LZKay1

I'm 21, getting very tired of the United States going down the gutter, and I'm eying other countries to move to. I'm really looking into Ireland and Scotland, the only problem is I'm unsure how to move. How exactly do you get a passport to move to another country and get let in?

Younger and younger americans seem to want to get away from america....I dont blame you

Try getting a job in another place first before moving because that would make it so much easier

[uptown_urbanist]

I agree that you can find most of this information by simple internet searches, but it sounds like you're looking for basic, very general international move 101 type stuff. First, like others said, get yourself a passport. I'm assuming that you're an American citizen; in that case you will have an American passport. If you are able to move to another country you will keep your passport, but will receive a visa to work or live in that country. That's where things get tough. It's very difficult to get permission to live and work in many countries unless you have skills that are in demand.

Are you in school? Have you recently graduated from college? One easy way to go to the UK (and some other countries) is through the BUNAC program: Work Abroad, Volunteer Abroad and Teaching Overseas programmes - BUNAC. It's not a permanent thing, but it would give you a taste of another country.

There are other options, too, especially if you're flexible about where you want to live and don't have a lot of debt to worry about in the US. If you have experience with kids you could consider being an au pair, you could try to find a volunteer position somewhere that would cover your living expenses (probably not England or Scotland, though...), depending on your background you could possibly get a job teaching English somewhere, etc.

Otherwise, if you're thinking in the long-term, check out what skills are the most heavily in demand, dedicate yourself to getting the experience and credentials to make you stand out in an international job market. Or make yourself as valuable as an employee as possible, get a job at a multinational company, and work your way up into a position where you could transfer internationally.

[dougie86]

Originally Posted by LZKay1

I'm 21, getting very tired of the United States going down the gutter, and I'm eying other countries to move to. I'm really looking into Ireland and Scotland, the only problem is I'm unsure how to move. How exactly do you get a passport to move to another country and get let in?

I doubt that US is alone .. and in no way near the end for foreseeable decades to come.

Royal Bank of Scotland former CEO's home vandalized - BloggingStocks
Former Royal Bank of Scotland CEO Fred Goodwin's Edinburgh home was attacked by vandals. Windows were smashed, but no one was hurt because Mr. Goodwin and his family were traveling. A group claiming responsibility for the attack issued a statement saying that "We are angry that rich people, like him, are paying themselves a huge amount of money and living in luxury, while ordinary people are made unemployed, destitute and homeless. . . Bank bosses should be jailed. This is just the beginning."

If you've the right skillset and good command of Bokmal and Nynorsk, Norway may be what you're looking for.

Norway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The country is richly endowed with natural resources including petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals. Large reserves of petroleum and natural gas were discovered in the 1960s, which led to a continuing boom in the economy. Norway has obtained one of the highest standards of living in the world in part by having a large amount of natural resources compared to the size of the population. The income from natural resources includes a significant contribution from petroleum production and the substantial and well-managed income related to this sector. Norway also has a very low unemployment rate, currently 3% (June 2009). The hourly productivity levels, as well as average hourly wages in Norway are among the highest in the world. The egalitarian values of the Norwegian society ensure that the wage difference between the lowest paid worker and the CEO of most companies is much smaller than in comparable western economies. This is also evident in Norway's low Gini coefficient.

[VanJovi]

Hello, Anyone knows if I can travel to all the European countries with my Lithuanian National visa? When I am already in Chengen Area? Would I need to get another visa or no?