I've done it for a couple of years (5 in all), from the Netherlands to Canada.
It cost an arm and a leg, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
As for taxes, the rule in my case was that as soon as I spent more than half a year per year in the one country that one became the one where I paid my taxes.
I did create a corporation in Canada in order to have a bigger footprint and to help with the immigration process. Eventually moved back to Europe because the immigration process seemed to take for ever (of course, two weeks after letting everybody go and moving back to Europe we received permission to become landed immigrants).
I wouldn't do it again with the same country, but really, it was a very nice time.
If an opportunity presents itself to move abroad again I'll probably take it (as long as it is not the USA or Canada).
Nothing broadens your horizons and teaches you stuff than moving to different places on the planet.
Asia in 2013? Who knows ;)
Earning money online made stuff considerably easier, it meant that no matter how rotten the local economy was there was always food on the table and transportation.
Health insurance is different per country so you'd better check in to that in serious detail before you make your move, there can be all kinds of limitations and liabilities if you mess that up.
But, I keep hearing and reading all of these "horror stories" about people waiting up to even TEN YEARS for immigration applications to get approval, particularly in Canada. The minimum I've read has always been over a year's wait, which still seems really long to me in this age of instant gratification.
Did you just go to those places as a visitor and lived there while applying for a more permanent residency or did you do a temporary work visa or something else?
These questions coming from an American wanting to immigrate to Canada as a first choice, but is seriously looking at S and SE Asia as well.
Ten years is not that bad actually, I can point you to a family that has been living there for 30 years and they still don't have their status.
As for the process, there are different 'routes', I picked the entrepreneur/investor route through the Buffalo office, I was / am fairly well connected and in spite of all that (and employing a bunch of people and some major investments).
My visum was a temporary work permit until landed immigrant status would be given but I never reached that stage.
Canadian immigration usually was quite ok when dealing with them at the airport (once every two weeks for two years), but I've had my frustrating encounters too, with hours of waiting to be sent on my way within 2 minutes of it being 'my turn'. Road crossings were a mixed bag, sometimes no problem at all, sometimes a big hassle when someone decided to pretend they're guarding Canada from all those Dutch terrorists they've been having lately.
We ended up going back because we had had enough of it. The schools in the area where we lived (rural Northern Ontario) didn't help either and the weather is simply brutal out there.
But again, I do not regret having done this, it gave me a completely new perspective on life and living.
Last I checked it was taking around 9 months if you could make your skillset fit in to one of their priority job classes where Canada is experiencing skill shortages. It's much quicker to get a temporary work permit if you can find an employer to sponsor you, and then apply for residency once you're here (which is what i'm doing).
this is very good insightful experience.. I am also thinking to work from one remote village where basic needs like electricity and internet available..
Enjoy the lively weather, nice friendly community surrounded by. As you raised, health insurance that is one very important thing to consider. In some part of world, the health facility are not upto the mark. So in case of need, there may be some issue. Except that it is wonderful to work where ever you wish to.
Comments
I've done it for a couple of years (5 in all), from the Netherlands to Canada.
It cost an arm and a leg, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
As for taxes, the rule in my case was that as soon as I spent more than half a year per year in the one country that one became the one where I paid my taxes.
I did create a corporation in Canada in order to have a bigger footprint and to help with the immigration process. Eventually moved back to Europe because the immigration process seemed to take for ever (of course, two weeks after letting everybody go and moving back to Europe we received permission to become landed immigrants).
I wouldn't do it again with the same country, but really, it was a very nice time.
If an opportunity presents itself to move abroad again I'll probably take it (as long as it is not the USA or Canada).
Nothing broadens your horizons and teaches you stuff than moving to different places on the planet.
Asia in 2013? Who knows ;)
Earning money online made stuff considerably easier, it meant that no matter how rotten the local economy was there was always food on the table and transportation.
Health insurance is different per country so you'd better check in to that in serious detail before you make your move, there can be all kinds of limitations and liabilities if you mess that up.
But, I keep hearing and reading all of these "horror stories" about people waiting up to even TEN YEARS for immigration applications to get approval, particularly in Canada. The minimum I've read has always been over a year's wait, which still seems really long to me in this age of instant gratification.
Did you just go to those places as a visitor and lived there while applying for a more permanent residency or did you do a temporary work visa or something else?
These questions coming from an American wanting to immigrate to Canada as a first choice, but is seriously looking at S and SE Asia as well.
Ten years is not that bad actually, I can point you to a family that has been living there for 30 years and they still don't have their status.
As for the process, there are different 'routes', I picked the entrepreneur/investor route through the Buffalo office, I was / am fairly well connected and in spite of all that (and employing a bunch of people and some major investments).
My visum was a temporary work permit until landed immigrant status would be given but I never reached that stage.
Canadian immigration usually was quite ok when dealing with them at the airport (once every two weeks for two years), but I've had my frustrating encounters too, with hours of waiting to be sent on my way within 2 minutes of it being 'my turn'. Road crossings were a mixed bag, sometimes no problem at all, sometimes a big hassle when someone decided to pretend they're guarding Canada from all those Dutch terrorists they've been having lately.
We ended up going back because we had had enough of it. The schools in the area where we lived (rural Northern Ontario) didn't help either and the weather is simply brutal out there.
But again, I do not regret having done this, it gave me a completely new perspective on life and living.
There's an absolute ton of info to be had by trawling through the wiki and forums of British Expats:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=33
Last I checked it was taking around 9 months if you could make your skillset fit in to one of their priority job classes where Canada is experiencing skill shortages. It's much quicker to get a temporary work permit if you can find an employer to sponsor you, and then apply for residency once you're here (which is what i'm doing).
this is very good insightful experience.. I am also thinking to work from one remote village where basic needs like electricity and internet available..
Enjoy the lively weather, nice friendly community surrounded by. As you raised, health insurance that is one very important thing to consider. In some part of world, the health facility are not upto the mark. So in case of need, there may be some issue. Except that it is wonderful to work where ever you wish to.
Can you advice a good place to check health insurance in serious detail? I would appreciate that.