Is it just me or moving countries is really hard?
Posted by Purple_Spot_2911@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 69 comments
Honestly when I was younger my dream was to move countries but as I got older I've seen and understood how hard it is to actually pull of , my dream was always to move to the US but honestly it's so hard , any else feels the same?
AlyeskaBoarder@reddit
It's hard. It's why the Peace Corps is considered a 24/7 job even though your day job while you're there is normal working hours.
Fictivity1984@reddit
I'm Dutch and moved and lived in Ireland from 2016 till 2018 which was as easy as moving to a different city in the Netherlands. It helps being an EU citizen and moving within the union and speaking the language of the nation your moving to, not needing visas or having to learn a new language.
letgoletsgo14@reddit
It depends on how simple your life is, how attached you are to the country you are leaving and if you identify a lot with your nationality. When I left California to live in France 15 years ago, I just quit my job and went. But my life was simple, I did not have a lot of material needs, I was not attached too much, and was so incredibly excited to live in France and learn the language that everything fell into place. I didn't worry about how to get a job or what visa I needed. Ended up marrying a French guy a year later and I've just got French nationality with a job in Paris that I love. Being an American in France I did not find as a burden, but rather as an adventure.
The_Meech6467@reddit
how did you stay in france for a year without any visas
HVP2019@reddit
I grew up in a different county and growing up is was a common knowledge, well known fact that becoming an immigrant and living as an immigrant is hard.
This topic was mentioned in literature, movies, featured on contemporary news. You would hear about it from immigrants or those who returned because it was hard.
Migration was not something I particularly dreamed about. Yet at some point I did migrate. More than two decades later I am sill abroad ( and happy) but many returned.
Federal_Gear9617@reddit
salute
Dantheman7721@reddit
I would like to know if moving countries in general is difficult because when I’m older I want to move back to my home country which I feel is perfect place for me but I’m worrried there will be a lot of challenges
GrondKop@reddit
The bureaucracy and admin is a nightmare
The part where you need to adjust to a different culture is nothing compared to the painful amount of paperwork and admin setting up a bank account, mobile phone, address, credit record, etc. and dealing with expensive and incompetent removals companies, customs clearance.. Not to mention going through the visa approval process and dealing with tax complications
I'm never moving countries again. Digital nomad trips 2-3 months at a time, hassle free, thank you very much
Kittymoonlove@reddit
What are digital nomad trips?
GrondKop@reddit
Working remotely. In this case with temporary accommodation and no actual immigration, just short trips
Otto342@reddit
Having lived in 6 countries .... Yes it is hard, and gets harder. End of.
Cevohklan@reddit
Of course it is hard
NorthernLadyH@reddit
I feel you. I recently moved from Sweden to Belgium and even though it's an amazing experience, it can also feel a bit lonely. Feeling ecstatic the one day, and lost the next...
013016501310@reddit
It’s the hardest thing Ive ever ever done
vintageshoelady@reddit
We just moved to Bucharest from the US. My husband is eligible for citizenship by descent. It took about 7 months of planning from start to boarding the plane. This included hiring an immigration attorney, obtaining loads of official documents from several states, selling our house, cars, and everything we owned, obtaining USDA travel documents for our dogs. (The worst part!) So yes, it takes a TON of preparation but we took it one task at a time. Now that we are here, there is another ton of stuff to do on this end to get our residence permit. It’s SO WORTH IT! We love it here.
Creative-Road-5293@reddit
The salary cut must be huge!
kombuchaqueeen@reddit
Probably COL cut too though
Morgan_unknown@reddit
How do you like australia? What state did you move from?
kombuchaqueeen@reddit
From Ohio and yes I love it 🩷 it’s a great quality of life!
Creative-Road-5293@reddit
I suspect they're taking sweet American money with them.
vintageshoelady@reddit
Yes, retired.
ImSometimesSmart@reddit
money-wise its never worth it to move out of USA unless you keep your USA job. Local salary to COL ratio in other countries is never in your favor
kdb1104@reddit
We’re a few months out from relocating to Italy, my husband also obtained his citizenship through descent. I agree, the process of getting our kitties there is causing the most stress. But I’m happy to hear you’ve successfully come out on the other side & all the stress is worth it!
vintageshoelady@reddit
It is! You will be on pins and needles waiting for the USDA for for the kitties though. At least they won’t be in cargo.
orlandoaustin@reddit
Ok I've moved country 4 times.
Firstly, you need to make small steps. Ask yourself why is it you want to move? What is it which draws you to that country?
Secondly, it's not made to be easy. That's a major reason it's not easy. Imagine you are in Slough and want to move to California. And it was as easy as applying and you get in. Well California would not be California anymore as the whole of Slough would want to move there lol.
Lastly, I think you really you're looking at the requirements for entry to the US and seeing their being little chance just like if an American wanted to move to UK or alike.
thalamisa@reddit
Yup. Although that depends on how much efforts you want to move overseas. If you want to be sponsored, you can either apply from overseas or getting transferred.
People from my home country tend to use marriage visa to move overseas. It's kinda funny that later they share videos of their experience of applying jobs in their new country while skipping the fact that they got their visa through marriage instead of getting sponsored.
even more ridiculous when they said applying spouse visa is "hard" because they need to prove the immigration thst they are in love with their spouse.
bruhbelacc@reddit
I actually heard from someone complaining about her marriage visa process in the Netherlands because she had to do... A2 Dutch? And a test about Dutch history.
In my case, I didn't need any visa due to the EU, but I needed to learn Dutch to the level where I work in Dutch. In theory, I could also move to e.g. Finland or Portugal tomorrow, but having a relevant job and integrating is so hard that almost no one is doing it without a foreign income.
jjcly@reddit
Midnight Cowboy
svensKatten@reddit
Yeah it is difficult, not only finding work abroad but a new community and circle, adjusting to a new culture, finding permanence somewhere that feels temporary, this is why I’m moving back home and planning on staying there for now
treasurehuntera@reddit
I moved at 22 and thought it would be all fun and rainbows but after three months the excitement wears off and the home sickness kicks in. You go through a lot of different stages, the excitement, loneliness, mourning your old life, building a new life, becoming who you really authenticity are not being influenced by others, real growth and development. I feel like home is both places yet neither at the same time. After ten years now I’ve found home in myself and those close to me. What an adventure. Not for the faint of heart and it takes bravery so well done to all of us :)
You_Stupid_Monkey@reddit
Not that it was ever easy to be an immigrant but man, it must have been nice just getting on a steamship and 1-3 weeks later... presto-chango, you're settled in the New Country and on your way to becoming a citizen of the same.
But it is still a goal that can be accomplished, it just takes a lot more planning these days than just going down to the steamship office to buy a ticket. And, for most of us, maybe 'settling' for a country we never thought about as kids but which has turned out to be pretty nice, after all.
estrea36@reddit
The immigrants during the industrial revolution and Victorian era had similar problems.
Specifically, Ellis Island inspectors would scrutinize immigrants based on their class, health, intelligence, and race.
fr_nkh_ngm_n@reddit
They didn't do a really good job..
FifiLeBean@reddit
And religion
50MillionChickens@reddit
Yes, it's the challenge of a lifetime, especially if you are truly leaving everything behind and immigrating.
I would not say it was any easier in the 19th century. People didn't just walk up and buy a ticket on the cruiseship to paradise. More often, prior to getting on that boat, they had to leave a home and town several hundred miles away with a few trunks at best and little money, travel any way they could, and then find their way to pay fare and get a bench on a boat. Travel for weeks again on the open seas. Then, be treated like a number at the other side and hope they pass all health and custom exams, or just be sent right back home on the next boat.
Purple_Spot_2911@reddit (OP)
For real I understand you
LordDeathScum@reddit
There is a reason the tendency of people from your same country is to return. It is accepting a big change in your everyday life.
I come from Latin America and moved to Germany, in a way I don’t know where I’m from anymore but I know I made the right choice. But I would say 3/4 of the Latinos I met have returned.
emeaguiar@reddit
No shit. Immigration is one of the most difficult things you can do
jasmine_tea_@reddit
Someone once mocked me and said "it's just a box-ticking exercise that requires no skill".
sailorsensi@reddit
sure if you’re rich and shallow
Madpony@reddit
Haha, it requires a lot of resilience.
Significant_Owl7745@reddit
You have to be jazzed for it in order to actually get through it.
EmpathyHawk1@reddit
moving intself its the easiest thing to do
integrating later on after honeymoon is whats hard
ezekiel7_@reddit
Lived in 11 countries now. Damn, yes, moving countries is complicated 😂
SomeKindOfWondeful@reddit
We've spent the past 9 months moving... Not easy to get all the paperwork done and to meet the requirements.
It's also very expensive as we are finding out.
It's even harder to do if you have any special circumstances.
Once you get there: 1. Temporary housing 2. Temporary transportation 3. Lots of travel to find a place you want to settle into 4. Buying stuff (furniture, appliances, etc) 6. Visa costs 7. Insurance (medical, home, auto, etc)
Are you sending your stuff from the current country? That's expensive and time consuming.
Airfare... We went back and forth a few times and that's adding up.
Then once you're there, banking (was a pain to setup accounts), all the other stuff that you've just had at home... License, Doctors, even grocery stores that can meet your needs...
Another big thing is finding a restaurant where you can actually enjoy the food. It's fine to eat at what is essentially a foreign restaurant once in a while, but if you need any comfort food you're out of luck. Nothing tastes the same.. big change.
Finding reliable auto shops for your car
I don't know .. lots of little things. I feel like a fish out of water.
BKKJB57@reddit
Did you move to Tajikistan?
Party-Stormer@reddit
I think comfort food tastes the same even there
BKKJB57@reddit
Actually they do have great bread in Tajikistan.
Rodzynkowyzbrodniarz@reddit
People said moving mountains is like impossible and you want to move entire countries? Yes, it is hard
Top_Distribution9312@reddit
I’ve moved countried twice in 5 years and it’s harder than it looks for sure. I’ve been on skilled workers visas in both countries (UK and US) so I’m lucky enough to not have had to struggle for a visa. It’s a lot of logistics to move domestically, let alone internationally.
carnivorousdrew@reddit
Easy only if you're rich.
ConstantParticular87@reddit
It depends a lot on kind of people you encounter , I have lived in four countries , and I have memories of people more than the places .
It’s going to be exciting , and could be lonely too sometimes But that’s the fun part of it.
Tabitheriel@reddit
Everything in life worth doing is "really hard" including: finishing university, getting a good job, learning a new skill, making friends in a new city, etc. So if you are afraid of doing anything "hard", then I guess you should stay at home in your pajamas, LOL. Life is only gonna get harder as you grow older.
theOMegaxx@reddit
The logistics of completely relocating can be tricky if you don't have a lot of money. I moved to China with only 2 suitcases and built a life there. Then I left and it's taken me 2 years and I'm still not fully moved to my new country from China lol. You'd be surprised at how much you can live without though, and how resourceful you can be.
Immigration and government are another story though.
apc961@reddit
It depends on your situation. As a working expat, my last 3 moves have been organized by my employer. Flights, shipping, visas, and accommodation completely covered. Some employers go further than that and will hand you a cash allowance for settling and a rental car on arrival but this is not as common these days from what I hear.
ritaq@reddit
This is way less common since the pandemic. I’ve only seen it happening at the executive level these days
Catcher_Thelonious@reddit
Indeed, I've moved six times like this and the biggest hassle seems to be making sure all the paperwork is in order and getting packed.
Never got a rental car but was once handed a bundle of cash to furnish housing.
apc961@reddit
Only got a car once, that move was more than a decade ago. I think it's uncommon especially now. At my current gig only expat senior management types get that benefit.
SensualAct@reddit
I’m trying to move out of the US. & yes it’s hard!
Cuppa-Tea-Biscuit@reddit
Yes? But plenty of things are hard.
standard_issuehuman@reddit
I’m getting ready to change countries for the second time and honestly, while I am super excited there’s an alarm on the back of my head telling me to be prepared for the hiccups.
Def the food being different will be a thing, and a lot of convenience I have here will be “gone”.
I still think it’s the right thing to do for my mental health tho!
Snufkin_9981@reddit
Moving countries is the direct opposite of being easy, especially if you are doing it on your own. I changed countries several times and have zero regrets. But it's not for everyone - you need something to motivate you and keep you going when things get tough, because they will at one point or another, that's just part of it.
Purple_Spot_2911@reddit (OP)
If it's ok with you what countries did you live in and where are you originally from?
Snufkin_9981@reddit
Grew up among expats in Prague, spent some time in Austria too. Moved to the Netherlands in my late teens and am still here. I may or may not try to get a job in London at some point, mainly due to the language and the melting pot of cultures - easier to integrate for someone with my background.
LyleLanleysMonorail@reddit
Isn't Amsterdam already super international and melting pot of different cultures?
Snufkin_9981@reddit
You're not wrong! But as I said the main factor for me is English. Even Amsterdam has its limits in that regard, and it's only fair.
FrauAmarylis@reddit
Yes, a friend envied my life abroad SO MUCH that she talked her husband into doing it and she's now miserable.
She watched me on Social media,but she Conveniently Ignored all the HARD things I did to make it a good experience, like taking Intensive Language classes 5 hours a day, Saving $75k the year before by going without a car and living frugally, etc.
nogoodtime4badnews@reddit
I’m from brasil and right now in the middle of the process to move to canada and it’s indeed really difficult (even though canada has a great immigration program), but if that’s your dream dont give up! it will be worth it
sv723@reddit
The being hard is baseline. Many things work differently and require finding out or adjusting.
If you add moving with a weak passport to a country with strict entry requirements, it gets very difficult.