So, you’ve decided you want to move abroad. Maybe you’re tired of the space you’re in, or you’ve fallen in love with a city or country you never want to leave. Whatever the case, before you go applying for visas or digging out your passport, there are a few basic things to consider before that idealized image you have in your head can be a reality. Read on for more information on the things you should consider before you move abroad.
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Where will you live?
Cost of living is a major contributor to any decision to move abroad. Looking at ratings in the newspaper for the cheapest places to live can only help you so far though. A more realistic statistic is whether you can afford the housing. Housing prices rise and fall with the economic climate, but you will need to know you can afford to be housed in the country before you can afford everything else that comes with the term “living”.
If you already have an idea of where you would like to live, maybe you have your heart set on moving to New Mexico, then it would make sense to check out this website to see the very best places to live if America is your final destination.
Take a look at the HDB loan calculator to find out if you can afford a mortgage, or if will you have to rent. It all depends on what your budget allows but also what kind of stay you’re looking for. If you’re on a working holiday visa that can last anywhere from 6 months to a couple of years, you’d probably be better off renting.
Where will you work?
Have you thought about where you will work? Or are you simply relying on working through a travel visa? Look into your target countries' requirements to work in the country, since they can differ from country to country. Singapore, for example, mandates that you have a job before arriving. Plus, most countries are obligated to offer your job to a local before you can accept. In Canada, you also need to consider whether the company that is offering the job, has gone through the process of LMIA in Canada (l'EIMT au Canada) and has legal permission to hire foreign workers.
Look into residency visas, essential skills visas, work permits, and working holiday visas. Working holiday visas will allow you to work for any employer for a temporary amount of time, whereas essential skill visas can often last up to 5 years but are tied to a specific employer.
A work-to-residence visa offers a path to permanent residence after two years and a skilled migrant visa can be indefinite. Some countries offer schemes for younger people to work abroad, like Toronto’s Start-up Visa Program, which offers visas to starting businesses or entrepreneurs.
There are lots of options and sifting through them all can be daunting so do your research to be sure you’re doing the right thing.
Will the culture suit you?
Think about what will suit you every day for longer than a week. A holiday sitting on the sandy beach might be great for a break, but would you get bored beyond that? Would the city life be overwhelming after a couple of months? Try to look beyond the cliches and the ideals you are imagining.
If you’re looking at Southeast Asia for example, although they are right next door to each other, Singapore and Malaysia offer vastly different lifestyles. Singapore is a city in a country, that offers a hustle and bustle lifestyle with nature surrounding it and all the job opportunities and various industries that come with a metropolis lifestyle.
But Singapore also offers a high cost of living to pay for an exemplary public travel service and amenities. Malaysia, on the other hand, aside from its capital city, Kuala Lumpur, offers swathes of natural beauty to explore. If you’re looking for a slower pace of life with a lower cost of living and a hands-off approach from the government, Malaysia will suit you better.
Are you willing to learn a language?
Be careful the more rural and further out of Europe you go if not. A lot of countries today have locals who will speak English, but it is respectful and will probably avoid a lot of problems if you can at least meet them halfway. Confidence in your new environment will come with language.
Look up colloquialisms as well since every city will have its dialect and slang. And then there are countries like China, Colombia, and Russia where English isn’t a common language. All of the examples given have less than 10 percent of the population speaking English.
It would be helpful to also Google the social norms and laws of where you’re going. A casual glance at Buzzfeed or TikTok will show the horrified faces of Americans when they see how different Britain is, like how they can’t plug anything into their bathrooms.
Without some proper research, you could step into strictly clean Singapore and be fined for chewing gum. Or you could eat in a Japanese restaurant and offend everyone around you by scraping your chopsticks together. You can avoid many social faux pas and hefty fines by researching your target country’s rules.
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