Emigrating/moving abroad. Anyone done it?

[mojitomax]

I moved to regional Oz nearly 5 years ago and don’t regret it one bit.

Bought 30 acres of land and am in the process of building a beautiful new house on the hill and a 16x10m shed.

I earn more than I ever could in England and I’ve got space and a great view. No traffic and rural folk are great.

The grass certainly was greener for me (except in the summer when it’s definatley browner)

[unsprung]

inspiring stories in this thread

and a number of divergent themes -- which reminds us that there is no one way to do it (I will, however, heap scorn on the suggestion to marry a local in a sham wedding)

if it is of any use, I will add, from my experience and observations:
.

• if you seek challenge, take work (professional work, if you can find it) in emerging markets and/or in countries with a certain amount of change / turbulence at the moment; particular parts (but not all) of Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America; the easiest opportunities are less prevalent than in the past, but by no means have things dried up

.

• as a Briton, you are not taxed on global income (as Americans are); with earnest effort, you can achieve in emerging markets a level of skill -- and income -- that would take longer to achieve back home; going expatriate, even if the beginnings are a step backward, can be extraordinarily liberating

.

• if you didn't go in your 20s, do not despair; some people make the jump as late as their 40s (and you can go even later than that, if you are able to make particular plans)

.

• do not succumb to the siren song of expatriate hangouts -- the bars, lounges, and eateries that attract the pink shirt and chunky watch brigade; make local friends; learn the local language (these points are, in my observation, given lip service by many Americans and steadfastly ignored by most British)

just my two cents

[Robertj21a]

unsprung said:

inspiring stories in this thread

and a number of divergent themes -- which reminds us that there is no one way to do it (I will, however, heap scorn on the suggestion to marry a local in a sham wedding)

if it is of any use, I will add, from my experience and observations:
.

• if you seek challenge, take work (professional work, if you can find it) in emerging markets and/or in countries with a certain amount of change / turbulence at the moment; particular parts (but not all) of Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America; the easiest opportunities are less prevalent than in the past, but by no means have things dried up

.

• as a Briton, you are not taxed on global income (as Americans are); with earnest effort, you can achieve in emerging markets a level of skill -- and income -- that would take longer to achieve back home; going expatriate, even if the beginnings are a step backward, can be extraordinarily liberating

.

• if you didn't go in your 20s, do not despair; some people make the jump as late as their 40s (and you can go even later than that, if you are able to make particular plans)

.

• do not succumb to the siren song of expatriate hangouts -- the bars, lounges, and eateries that attract the pink shirt and chunky watch brigade; make local friends; learn the local language (these points are, in my observation, given lip service by many Americans and steadfastly ignored by most British)

just my two cents

It may be just 2 cents, but it's worth a good many dollars for those who may actually think about it.

[Jayzee]

Rich_AR said:

Lived in Singapore->Dubai-> and now currently in Prague. Next year I'm moving to Canada (recently obtained permanent residency) with a plan to finally settle down and enjoy a 'normal' life. Cannot wait.

Edited by Rich_AR on Thursday 16th August 13:36

I’ve reached the stage during the most acrimonious divorce process to consider starting again in Canada.

Have you lived out there before?

[Rich_AR]

Jayzee said:

I’ve reached the stage during the most acrimonious divorce process to consider starting again in Canada.

Have you lived out there before?

Nope. Visited a few times (more so recently) and I've got a few friends living out there, whom both love it.

Edited by Rich_AR on Monday 20th August 14:06

[RizzoTheRat]

unsprung said:

do not succumb to the siren song of expatriate hangouts -- the bars, lounges, and eateries that attract the pink shirt and chunky watch brigade; make local friends; learn the local language (these points are, in my observation, given lip service by many Americans and steadfastly ignored by most British)

This is I think a very important thing.

Lots of my colleagues spend most of their social life with other ex-pats, and learning the language is actually made more tricky here (Netherlands) because everyone speaks such good English. I'm trying to make an effort to do some activities that involve getting out and meeting locals, and am currently working though a set of language CD's, but think doing a language course at some point would be a good idea.

[alabbasi]

I moved to America when I was 26. It was a company move so i already had a well paid job before I got here. I've now been here for 18 years and am pretty happy. I'm a car guy that lives in Dallas Texas so I now have a nice big house for about the 1/5th price of a similar sized home in London and a separate large workshop where i keep my cars and tools.

If you like 'stuff' and hobbies, the US is a good place to live. People are generally more friendly and I feel safer here but it's not easy to make close friends.
People like their personal spaces and are generally more transient (i.e get a job offer 3000 miles away and just get up and move). That doesn't bother me so much as I like to keep myself occupied with hobbies but I am on a face book group with ex pats and a lot of people do feel lonely so I guess that it really depends on who you are.

My only concern is getting old. People here rarely retire and most bankruptcy filings are from medical bills.

[h0b0]

alabbasi said:

My only concern is getting old. People here rarely retire and most bankruptcy filings are from medical bills.

Prepare for retirement early and you will continue to live a decent life. Prepare like most in the US and the UK and you are fked.


Changing country has broadened my mind and my waist line. I’m better off financially, but who is to say that’s because of the move and, more importantly, changing country has taught me that money can make things easier in some ways but it will never be the source of happiness. A cliche, I know, but being aware makes decision making easier.

[The Moose]

h0b0 said:

alabbasi said:

My only concern is getting old. People here rarely retire and most bankruptcy filings are from medical bills.

Prepare for retirement early and you will continue to live a decent life. Prepare like most in the US and the UK and you are fked.


Changing country has broadened my mind and my waist line. I’m better off financially, but who is to say that’s because of the move and, more importantly, changing country has taught me that money can make things easier in some ways but it will never be the source of happiness. A cliche, I know, but being aware makes decision making easier.

As the song goes:
“Money can’t buy happiness
But it could buy me a boat, it could buy me a truck to pull it”

[ReaperCushions]

unsprung said:

.

• do not succumb to the siren song of expatriate hangouts -- the bars, lounges, and eateries that attract the pink shirt and chunky watch brigade; make local friends; learn the local language (these points are, in my observation, given lip service by many Americans and steadfastly ignored by most British)

just my two cents

This is a big bug bear of mine.... I've been in the US for 4 years and I haven't come across a single British pub / expat hangout that I would want to spend any time in. Union jacks, bangers and mash and Fullers London Pride.... no thanks.

[alabbasi]

h0b0 said:

Changing country has broadened my mind and my waist line

Yep

[A44RON]

Moved to NZ with my parents when I was 19. Lived there for three years, missed UK, so moved back on my own. Six years later I moved back to NZ as I missed my parents and brother. However, the homesickness hit exactly at the same point it did the first time (2.5 years in) and I've realised I moved back to NZ for the wrong reasons; there's a lot of great things about the UK I took for granted. I'm now putting things in place to move back to UK 18 months from now once my work contract has finished.

I love driving, access to motorsport and the career I'm in has limited opportunities in NZ. However, if you have a manual trade you can do well here.

For me, things that are good about NZ: great weather, more laid-back lifestyle (if you like that), some good scenery, close-ish proximity to ski fields and a beach, cheap car insurance and road tax, petrol marginally cheaper.

Cons for me: Earthquakes, much smaller economy/job market/opportunities (though this is dependant), terrible road infrastructure, the authority's relentless enforcement of speed can kill your passion for driving if you're used to UK driving speeds - 85mph on a motorway here and you'll be banned, slightly lower wages & higher cost-of-living, most things are more expensive to purchase, lower quality housing/glorified sheds that are overpriced, lack of central heating & double-glazing in most homes, lack of choice/availability of goods mean you have to import in or go without. The more laid-back lifestyle also means some things are inefficient and can take longer to get completed.

Ultimately everyone is different and it comes down to what you want in life I've now realised that what I want/miss is the UK way of life, with more career progression opportunities for myself, close proximity to some of the best car events in the world and I want to own a warm home that is built to a high standard and not have to worry about earthquakes.

For the first time in months I'm at peace, I'll just have to deal with being a 24-hour+ flight away from family when that time comes

[sleepezy]

Lived and worked in Papua New Guinea for 2.5 years when I was late 20's - really just for the experience (which it absolutely was) rather than intent to stay, although we did consider it briefly.

Definitely worth doing as an eye opener and experience, even given the time we went (Millennium). Definitely learn the local language and get out to see and experience the culture. Can honestly say it permanently altered my outlook on life.

But would I really want to permanently emigrate in reality, not sure - even less so now - but do feel pangs of regret every now and then for not considering NZ more as we loved the place when we went popped across for an extended holiday. Everywhere has its own annoyances and upsides.

[pmanson]

My wife and I were chatting (again) at the end of last week, about seeing about moving to the USA (likely North Carolina where my Brother lives with his American wife and family).

I'm assuming it's not an easy process (I run my own business which I'd look to move out there and run from there) and we have three kids to think about too but we thought it might something we can work towards over the next 3-5 years.

Has any one made the move in this way? Eg. without an employer that you're planning to go and work for? Part of me thinks it will be almost impossible?

[anonymous-user]

pmanson said:

My wife and I were chatting (again) at the end of last week, about seeing about moving to the USA (likely North Carolina where my Brother lives with his American wife and family).

I'm assuming it's not an easy process (I run my own business which I'd look to move out there and run from there) and we have three kids to think about too but we thought it might something we can work towards over the next 3-5 years.

Has any one made the move in this way? Eg. without an employer that you're planning to go and work for? Part of me thinks it will be almost impossible?

How many people do you currently employ and how long has your business existed?

[HD Adam]

pmanson said:

My wife and I were chatting (again) at the end of last week, about seeing about moving to the USA (likely North Carolina where my Brother lives with his American wife and family).

I'm assuming it's not an easy process (I run my own business which I'd look to move out there and run from there) and we have three kids to think about too but we thought it might something we can work towards over the next 3-5 years.

Has any one made the move in this way? Eg. without an employer that you're planning to go and work for? Part of me thinks it will be almost impossible?

Pretty tough without an employment based visa.

The United States EB-5 visa, employment-based fifth preference category or EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program, created in 1990 by the Immigration Act of 1990, provides a method for eligible Immigrant Investors to become lawful permanent residents—informally known as “green card” holders—by investing at least $500,000 or $900,000 after November 21, 2019 to finance a business in the United States that will employ at least 10 American workers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EB-5_visa