The world has become much smaller in recent years. These days, people are seeing that it is not such a crazy idea to change countries and live a different lifestyle far from home. There are plenty of opportunities to find a job and legally live in another country. Even if it isn’t necessarily a permanent move, there are loads of benefits that come from experiencing life in a foreign country.
Although the benefits are great, it is not an easy thing to pull off. It isn’t as simple as showing up in a new country and begin living there. You have bureaucratic issues to overcome as well as culture. There is a lot to prepare ahead of time such as getting international travel insurance, visas, and finding work. In this article, we will go over several of the things that you need to know before you can make your move and become an expat.
1. What kind of visa do you need?
There are no countries that allow foreigners to come and work without having to do any kind of paperwork like a visa. Even if you aren’t planning to work in the local economy, you still need a visa to live there. People often think that if they have a remote job that they are entitled to live anywhere they want since they aren’t stealing a local job.
The reality is that there are many different types of visas that every country issues to those that are looking to live in that particular country. You’ll have to investigate which type of visa you’ll need from the country where you’d like to live based on your set of circumstances and what you plan to do while there.
For instance, if you are looking to work in another country this will almost always involve getting a job offer from a company and then having them apply to sponsor you for a visa. Without that, it is often very difficult to work in another country.
There are some countries that offer a job-seeking visa that allows you to come to look for work for a predefined period of time. If you get an offer within that time then you can often stay and work. There are other countries that offer a sort of digital nomad visa in which you can work remotely in that country for a certain amount of time.
Another common visa is a retirement visa that many countries will give to older people who have retired and will be collecting a pension.
Talk to the local consulate of the country where you’d like to emigrate and ask them what types of visas they offer for your situation.
2. Be prepared for culture shock
Even if you end up going to a country that speaks English, you should be prepared for the fact that the culture is going to be very different from what you’re used to. Even if you have traveled to that country before on vacation it is going to be much different than what you expect.
The ways that people do things in that country will often make little sense to you. Keep in mind that if they were to go to your country, they would feel the exact same way. You’ll have to be the one to adjust how you do things and manage your expectations.
It will be exhausting to try to continue doing things the way you’re used to or the way that you think they should be done. It will take some time but eventually, you’ll need to start doing things their way so you can get along well.
The way work and office culture go are especially important to understand. There are many ways to make a faux pas that could make things awkward in your new job so take some time to figure these things out.
3. It can take years
Once you decide to make the move, it requires you to then start putting the pieces in place to make the move. This process can take quite some time depending on the country where you want to move and what your set of circumstances are. In fact, we could be talking about years for this to work out.
Getting a job may require you to further your education or have more experience to be considered a viable candidate. Many countries require people to have a certain level of experience and education so they will end up getting high-paying jobs and contribute to the economy.
The sooner you start planning the better prepared you will be which will increase your chances of securing a job and a visa. Just be sure to understand that the process will take a while and patience is key.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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