Thinking of emigrating - advice welcomed pls

bendix

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Generally the easier the country is to get into the more grim the expats are as well. Probably because they didnt succeed enough in the UK to go somewhere harder to get into. The expat scene in Thailand is pitiful for example.

While, i concur in general that the vast majority of the expat scene in Thailand is dodgy, it most certainly is not easy to get in there. Their visa regulations are tougher than those in the UK and Australia.

The expat scene in Thailand is very diverse. There are the executives and diplomats and genuine family people at one level, but under that are the so- called English teachers, eking out a living on a few hundred pounds a month because of the sex scene, and under them are the hordes of losers, wastrels and low-life who slip through the net somehow.

bendix

amcluesent wrote: »

The only other option, if you've some cash already, is to decamp to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam etc. and live well on $5/day.

.

You have obviously not spent much time in any of these countries, unlike myself.

It is impossible to live well on £3 a day there. In fact, it's barely possible to live at all on that much money.

It is a myth which continues to be propagated. When I was over there, I met many guys who had been seduced by that myth, only to realise that after they had made the move they realised what a huge mistake it had been.

Having lived in South East Asia for many years, I have decided that I'm not retiring back there until my savings generate between £3000-£4000 per month. Some feel they can get by on £750-£1000 a month, but that's not a life I would want.

bubblesmoney

for researching country specific info about immigration you might find this website useful http://www.workpermit.com/ this website has some useful calculators and videos about immigration to various countries, they have a newsletter that alerts you regularly about any relavant changes that one needs to be aware of if one is considering a move.

the forum is pretty useful as quite a few of the regular posters on there are more knowledgable than immigration lawyers and even immigration officials and have helped people fight cases without lawyers in some instances. but as usual with any forum treat any information with a big pinch of salt and confirm from other sources as needed. check out the country specific forums on this board http://www.immigrationboards.com/ . there are a few other useful immigration forums but probably the one above will suffice for a one stop website for information about immigration.

hope the above helps with any needed info about places to consider and reconsider if indeed it is worthwhile considering a move at all in the first place. the grass is always greener on the other side.

duchy

I think the time to go and try a new life is before you start a family. You may love it and decide it's where you want to raise your kids......or you may decide it was a great experience but for whatever reason you'd rather go home to raise your kids. Either way you're not uprooting your kids whilst you find out -my ex's family emigrated -they all loved it-except the mother -who insisted she wanted to go home again. They did return but one of the kids emigrated permanently as an adult and a couple of the others wished they had. Either way it messed up their education and the family finances fully never recovered. I think you need to be doubly sure when there are kids in the equasion and it astounds me that some people will move to another country without even having visited first and then wonder why it doesn't work out.

cootambear

amcluesent wrote: »

Why leave now? We are less than a year away from the Tory's coming back, ready for two generations in power. A few years of thrift to sort out Labour's ruination of the economy, then 15-20 years when hard-work are rewarded.

:rotfl:Good use of irony. You are being ironic, aren`t you?

The only other option, if you've some cash already, is to decamp to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam etc. and live well on $5/day.

:rotfl:Don`t forget to dial your time machine back to 1970

NB I'd only go to a country where the birth-rate of the indigenous population is > 2.1, anything less and the mohammedans will have colonised within 20 years and imposed shariah law and their dogma of hate.

I bet you`re lovely company......

Generali

openside wrote: »

Oz or Canada

Small populations huge countries with huge natural resources

I have lots of family in Oz and to a man they say their standard of living has doubled

PS if balked by lack of points required to emigrate just go there on a visa stay, you will be surprised at how easy it is to remain

There's an acquaintance of mine gaming the system at the moment over here (Aus) while getting some professional qualifications. It's pretty easy to do AIUI.

bubblesmoney

this question seems to be coming up often as a discussion point even at work. this link seems to have something about this issue as well

ninky_2

depending on your age you could consider a working holiday visa. i had one of these for nz in 2000. it allowed you to live and work there for a year. after securing work there i was able to apply for permanent residency which was granted.

you need to get in early as only a certain number are given out each year and also need to be under 30 (at least those were the rules when i got mine).

nz is a great country if you like outdoors lifestyle - tramping, sailing etc etc. not so good if you like city breaks or weekends away to cool little towns. or even regular holidays to other countries (the nearest place is australia an expensive 5 hour flight away).

ninky_2

the alternative to emigrating is thinking of ways to get the lifestyle you want here. for example, i loved sailing and outdoors stuff in new zealand. so i've bought a little boat here and keep it at an inexpensive mooring on the solent. so this weekend we're off for a bit of boatey stuff.

also bought a place with my family in montenegro which is a 2 and a half hour flight away and has amazing outdoors - deepest canyon in europe, white water rafting, kayaking, hiking in primeval forests etc etc. so we're off there for a trip next week.

nz has amazing scenery but with no motorways to get around most people have to fly and with limited operators that can be more expensive than a short hop to europe here.

i think we in britland need to think outside the box a little. we have great coast, loads of cultural and scenic diversity on our doorstep and the advantage of a (generally) healthy economy.

good luck to you if you do decide to emigrate however.

ninky_2

openside wrote: »

I have lots of family in Oz and to a man they say their standard of living has doubled

doubled from the uk or doubled in oz from a few years ago?