Hello,
I've been toying with the idea of moving to a new country for a while, and leaving the UK. Thing is, I've never done anything like it before, and I'm not really sure how to go about it?
I think I'd like to go somewhere with good riding and surfing, and the idea of Canada has always appealed.
How do you go about doing this? Finding work, that sort of thing? Has anybody done something like this before, and if so, would you recommend it, and how would you go about it?
As a bit of background, I'm a mid twenties male with no attachments or kids. I'm currently a technician in a chemistry department, looking after machinery and students, but have also worked in a medical products lab, and as a landfill consultant dealing with construction, monitoring, reporting to the environmental agency and that sort of thing.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Toby
Canada, google Canada immigration.
Hope you've got skillz
You can't just pick and choose necessarily. Most countries will not just let you walk in and start looking for work, except for EU ones.
I have done it within the EU, it's a lot easier, and makes it possible to do it for a few months or longer if you feel like it.
Do some proper research, go there for a long time first. Often, living in places is not the same as holidaying, so go and stay for a while and get to the grass roots of living/working/schooling/retiring there AND how you might return home.
We wanted to and could have moved to Barbados 3 years ago, and although the lifestyle appeals, many other things (once you got out of tourist mode) didnt.
Try an expats forum?
Dunno about Canada, I think you need to sort visa/job out first.
Closer to home, the Basque country is great for biking and surfing. Jobwise, dont know if there is a demand for your skills, have a look at www.infojobs.com and select Spain.
Used to be a few countries, OZ & NZ but don't know about Canada, offered working holiday visas for a year or so to people in their twenties. This would be a good way to try it out before you commit everything.
Whether it'll work for you or not really depends on...
1. the kind of person you are - how outgoing, flexible, willing to try new things.
2. what ties (family, friends, job) you're leaving behind and how important they are to you, and...
3. what you're expecting to get from it - hint: its just another country - you're still the same person you were, its not going to radically change your life and suddenly make you rich, happy, and irresistable to the opposite sex - at least it didn't for me 🙁
Ok.
Thanks for all the advice. Plenty to think on and chew over.
Much appreciated, particularly the bit about being rich, happy and irresistible!
Cheers
Toby
I can talk you through the criteria for moving to canada and how difficult/easy it is
email in profile
Speaking as an expat (>15 years now...) beware of the "grass is greener" bit, Kryton57 makes the very good point that visiting a country is not the same as living there: a short visit in summer with few cash restrictions and a hotel in the centre of town is unlikely to be a realistic view of day-to-day life, a mortgage is a mortgage wherever you live, and getting up to go to work on a cold Monday morning is no more appealing for being in another country. (Case in point: despite its reputation as a sunny, warm country, it's pissing down today in Madrid, and the temperature is 10C...)
That's not to say it's a bad idea, though. I'd look at the job, first - it's where you'll be spending most of your time. Assuming that's at least as good as what you can get in the UK, then start to think about the riding/skiing/weather/girls.
Mogrim - I'm thinking about a move near to Madrid. What's the riding like round there? The internet suggests it's canny but nice to have a real opinion.
Mind you at least you get 3G on the underground in Spain for the commute to work!
1867 isn't that new.
try south sudan.
HTH
I would suggest a spell in an EU country to start with. You can generally just apply for jobs there. This is quite easy in some industries (IT contracting for example). In some countries foreign recruitment is common as are English speaking workplaces. That way you can pop over for 6 months and see how you get on, without much up front investment.
If you have a little cash you can just jump in the car and drive over, and see what's available. This takes balls but it's perfectly possible, something like ski resort work would be easiest to get I'd imagine.
Mogrim - I'm thinking about a move near to Madrid. What's the riding like round there? The internet suggests it's canny but nice to have a real opinion.
Pretty good riding, at least to the west... lots of stuff from XC to downhilling. Proper mountains, and it's nice and sandy, too, which means little to no mud 🙂
Give us a shout if you're planning on coming down, my email's in my profile.
Grand, going for a recce, con bike, in Easter. I'll drop you line before then.
It very much depends what kind of work you are looking for and how much you really know about where you want to go, or if you just want a change. Although the grass isn't always greener a change can be a good thing in life, every so often.
I would add, start investigating where the sorts of jobs you can do are located. You say you want somewhere with good riding and surfing, but will those places also offer you employment opportunities and will the way of working in that industry in that country suit the lifestyle outside of work that you desire?
Or, are you willing to take an unskilled, low paid job in order to live in a location that offers the lifestyle you want and are you willing to take the risk you may struggle to get back into the better paid, more professional work you do now/have done?
Like mogrim said, work is where you will spend most of your time.
I know a number of colleagues (mostly environmental consultants) who have emigrated permanently (or at least got residency). Two anecdotal stories. One collegue moved to Seattle for a more outdoorsy life. Loves the city and the area but still has to travel away from home for long periods (site work in oil and gas industry) and now only gets 10 days a year 'vacation'. Another colleague decided she wanted a more outdoorsy life, so took a position with a wind farm developer in Scotland. She works hard, long hours through the week so she can spend most weekends having fun in the Highlands.
Now approching my 3rd year as an expat and I can echo the advice above mostly, my 2 pence worth would be:
1. Go somewhere where you can speak the laungauge or at least the basics
2. Try somewhere close and in the EU just to get you past the visa situation to start with
3. Yes, most countries require that you have a skill or trade in demand before you can turn up and work, do you?
I grew up in Africa, spent a good part of my mid-20's in new York and have travelled and worked in every continent on this planet (bar Antatica) so I cannot recommend getting as much experience outside of the UK as possible, and if theres surf and trail, even better.
Also bear in mind many countries don't enjoy such good access laws as we do here. In the US you get to ride your bike in designated areas, on designated trails. This may represent a lot of riding, it may not, depending on where you are.
In Scandinavia otoh you can go wherever you like, as long as you don't damage anything. Fab 🙂
One more thing. Don't fall into the 'UK is crap, can't wait to get out of this hell hole' trap. If your life is crap, it's unlikely to be the UK's fault. If you go to a different country you'll still be you. And wherever you go there are probably going to be just as many people who think it's crap too.
Grand, going for a recce, con bike, in Easter. I'll drop you line before then.
Cool, although I can't guarantee I'll be in town for Easter weekend!