Any Scandinavian country would meet your criteria. I live in Finland and in my experience this is the most xenophobic and least sane of the lot, although still very progressive compared to almost anywhere else in the world. There's plenty of islamophobia going on in Denmark. Sweden and Norway are pretty awesome.
New Zealand seems much easier, I think I can make the point score without a job lined up, plus I'm sure it's much easier to get a job in an english speaking country.
Another option to enter New Zealand might be on a working holiday visa, and *then* apply for another permit/visa later on.
On the other hand, if you can get in on the Skilled Migrant category, that's pretty cool too.
Also keep in mind that the criteria to be allowed to move to different countries can be very different and sometimes difficult to satisfy. My aunt and uncle have been trying to move to Canada for years but don't have enough points and don't want to put down the hundreds of thousands of dollars the government wants to let them in. Basically it would be best to pick 2 - 3 countries and then work your way down the list applying for citizenship to one at a time (I'm not sure if applying to all of them at once would cause any problems though) and seeing which you get accepted into.
Singapore fails on "progressive politics" but fits most else and is pro-immigration if you have the skills they want.
Whilst I'd certainly agree that Singapore welcomes the wealthy and skilled (and despite being multi-lingual is very heavily biased towards English for official stuff) I'd say that it can be quite xenophobic to non-whites, and there's still a surprising amount of segregation going on. They also don't have socialised health care - any job will have a private health insurance plan, although you're perhaps not quite as out of luck without it as you would be in the US.
But I'd say the political/social stuff would be a total dealbreaker - no free press, no right to demonstration or protest (to the extent of actually banning groups of more than a few people), single political party that's actually running unopposed in many districts, the death penalty even for non-violent crimes, heavy police presence and reliance of on-the-spot fines over trials. There's a heavy goverment involvement in most aspects of life there (being as close to a working model of the 'benign dictatorship' as you're likely to find). If you were brought up with it, or it gels with your personal beliefs, I'd imagine it's nearly a paradise - but I can easily imagine it jarring with a US resident.
And Britain's just a damn ideological mish-mash right now - almost every new goverment scheme or project is ostensibly 'progressive', whilst sitting alongside massive public surveillance and diminishing personal rights. I think it just reflects a collapse of traditional party alignments in favour of vote-grabbing and individual whims. Keeping out of the high level politics though, and I'd say this about any moderately-sized country, it depends on where you live, and who you mingle with. You're not going to have the same experience living in a Welsh village in the hills, in the inner-city of Manchester, or the outer Suburbs of London. I think it's a pretty spiffy place to live, because I live in a nice part of London with a decent job and have intelligent and liberal friends, but how does that experience compare with that of a footloose American?
I'd agree with the idea of visiting some of the places you're interested in first - last thing you want after stepping off the plane to get to your new job is that you're allergic to the pollen or something.
New Zealand seems much easier, I think I can make the point score without a job lined up, plus I'm sure it's much easier to get a job in an english speaking country.
Another option to enter New Zealand might be on a working holiday visa, and *then* apply for another permit/visa later on.
On the other hand, if you can get in on the Skilled Migrant category, that's pretty cool too.
This is what I did. The working holiday visa makes it much easier to get a job, and once you have a job, it's much easier to get it upgraded to a real work visa. Once you're there for two years, you can begin the process of getting residency.
It really was all very easy; but then I worked in IT in Wellington, which is just dying for people right now.
UK, NZ, AUS, Canada, Ireland etc are all pretty similar and english speaking (in parts). The nuances are on things like attitudes, "Quality of life", economy, infrastructure etc.
And soccer. Do not root for Arsenal* outside of London. Ever. You'll wake up about ten minutes later with a black eye.
* In all honestly it's probably just better that you not root for Arsenal ever, anywhere, period. They're like the Dallas Cowboys.
My advice to most people is that the United States is better then we give it credit for. The reason this country is so poorly run is because the party system sabotaged the federal legislature through gerrymandering. I'd recommend moving to another part of the country first before contemplating leaving the country.
Whilst I'd certainly agree that Singapore welcomes the wealthy and skilled (and despite being multi-lingual is very heavily biased towards English for official stuff) I'd say that it can be quite xenophobic to non-whites, and there's still a surprising amount of segregation going on. They also don't have socialised health care - any job will have a private health insurance plan, although you're perhaps not quite as out of luck without it as you would be in the US.
But I'd say the political/social stuff would be a total dealbreaker - no free press, no right to demonstration or protest (to the extent of actually banning groups of more than a few people), single political party that's actually running unopposed in many districts, the death penalty even for non-violent crimes, heavy police presence and reliance of on-the-spot fines over trials. There's a heavy goverment involvement in most aspects of life there (being as close to a working model of the 'benign dictatorship' as you're likely to find). If you were brought up with it, or it gels with your personal beliefs, I'd imagine it's nearly a paradise - but I can easily imagine it jarring with a US resident.
Agree with everything you're saying on Singapore.
Not to get off on a Singapore tangent, but one thought I had that could apply to other potential destinations as well is that male permanent residents in Singapore (and citizens) are required to serve in the military, that would be something to look into with some of these destinations.
Even if for whatever reason you qualify to get out of that requirement (age, gender, etc), keep in mind that if you do end up settling down there for good your male kids would be looking at a year or two in the military.
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
edited March 2010
Have you considered any of the other commonwealth nations? The Bahamas fits most of your things and English is the dominant language. Jamaca, South Africa, and the Faulkalnds would also work.
New Zealand is a great country. The only problem with it is it's a little small and uneventful. Australia is like it's bigger more lively cousin or something. Why don't you try a holiday or an exchange to a few of the places you're interested in and see what you think?
New Zealand is a great country. The only problem with it is it's a little small and uneventful. Australia is like it's bigger more lively cousin or something. Why don't you try a holiday or an exchange to a few of the places you're interested in and see what you think?
Careful. That's the kind of thing an Australian would say.
New Zealand is a great country. The only problem with it is it's a little small and uneventful. Australia is like it's bigger more lively cousin or something. Why don't you try a holiday or an exchange to a few of the places you're interested in and see what you think?
Careful. That's the kind of thing an Australian would say.
Haha guilty as charged! Although I've lived in both countries.
If your goal is to live somewhere outside of the US for a temporary period, why not try to teach English in a foriegn country? Now I know this will probably fail every one of your criteria, but it might be alot easier than trying to emigrate somewhere and find a job there.
New Zealand is a great country. The only problem with it is it's a little small and uneventful. Australia is like it's bigger more lively cousin or something. Why don't you try a holiday or an exchange to a few of the places you're interested in and see what you think?
Careful. That's the kind of thing an Australian would say.
New Zealand seems much easier, I think I can make the point score without a job lined up, plus I'm sure it's much easier to get a job in an english speaking country.
Another option to enter New Zealand might be on a working holiday visa, and *then* apply for another permit/visa later on.
On the other hand, if you can get in on the Skilled Migrant category, that's pretty cool too.
The working holiday visa was how I got into NZ initially.
Easiest Visa known to man to get... when I got it, the only req's were to be between 18 and 30, have 10k (kiwi) in the bank, and have proof of health insurance. After 3 months in the country, I was able to change over my visa to a proper work permit. Of course, I was living with my fiance so I was able to roll it over via the family option. 2 years with that and I applied for residency via skilled migrant option. It was a pretty easy process all things considered.
If you are ever curious about Asia, Singapore is not a bad place to start exploring from. I'd go as far as to say that it is not much different than any modern Western city and other parts of Asia (the rest of South East Asia, China, Japan) aren't that far away.
Malay and English are the official languages but English is the dominant language among the people.
I'll echo that is very pro-immigration, especially if you have the skills they need. There is little paperwork involved, or so I hear.
The government is definitely not xenophobic. I am surprised that someone would mention segregation but I do not deny that there are some recent issues regarding the influx of Chinese nationals seeking to reside on the island which is eerily similar to US Citizens vs Mexicans in the US. Which is funny because the majority of the population is Chinese. White people are extremely welcomed.
There is universal healthcare and it is rather affordable.
Its pretty stable politically. Yes, it is practically a one party state and the government is in everything. But, as long as you don't plan to break the law or start a career involving politics, everything else should be ok. The government is highly efficient and most governmental issues (i.e. filing taxes) are processed really quickly.
Conscription is only required for 2nd generation male PRs when they reach the age of 18.
Please cut the young, small island city-state some slack. It is literally just a small island. 2nd most densely populated independent country in the world. 2 seasons: Hot and dry / Hot and wet. The cost of living is pretty high, and it should be something you might factor in. Low crime, strong economy.
I looked into immigrating to denmark but it looks pretty difficult unless you either have a phd or can get a job, neither of which sounds very easy for me. Is there an easy route?
Getting a job in Denmark should not be that difficult. It was certainly a lot easier just 2 years ago but unemployment is still low, around 4%, and the latest unemployment figures tells of a slight rise in employment. There is some unemployment in the IT sector here but not a lot and if any the IT sector is an area where not speaking Danish is a none-issue in many companies. In fact many big Danish companies have English as their corporate language.
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Another option to enter New Zealand might be on a working holiday visa, and *then* apply for another permit/visa later on.
On the other hand, if you can get in on the Skilled Migrant category, that's pretty cool too.
Whilst I'd certainly agree that Singapore welcomes the wealthy and skilled (and despite being multi-lingual is very heavily biased towards English for official stuff) I'd say that it can be quite xenophobic to non-whites, and there's still a surprising amount of segregation going on. They also don't have socialised health care - any job will have a private health insurance plan, although you're perhaps not quite as out of luck without it as you would be in the US.
But I'd say the political/social stuff would be a total dealbreaker - no free press, no right to demonstration or protest (to the extent of actually banning groups of more than a few people), single political party that's actually running unopposed in many districts, the death penalty even for non-violent crimes, heavy police presence and reliance of on-the-spot fines over trials. There's a heavy goverment involvement in most aspects of life there (being as close to a working model of the 'benign dictatorship' as you're likely to find). If you were brought up with it, or it gels with your personal beliefs, I'd imagine it's nearly a paradise - but I can easily imagine it jarring with a US resident.
And Britain's just a damn ideological mish-mash right now - almost every new goverment scheme or project is ostensibly 'progressive', whilst sitting alongside massive public surveillance and diminishing personal rights. I think it just reflects a collapse of traditional party alignments in favour of vote-grabbing and individual whims. Keeping out of the high level politics though, and I'd say this about any moderately-sized country, it depends on where you live, and who you mingle with. You're not going to have the same experience living in a Welsh village in the hills, in the inner-city of Manchester, or the outer Suburbs of London. I think it's a pretty spiffy place to live, because I live in a nice part of London with a decent job and have intelligent and liberal friends, but how does that experience compare with that of a footloose American?
I'd agree with the idea of visiting some of the places you're interested in first - last thing you want after stepping off the plane to get to your new job is that you're allergic to the pollen or something.
This is what I did. The working holiday visa makes it much easier to get a job, and once you have a job, it's much easier to get it upgraded to a real work visa. Once you're there for two years, you can begin the process of getting residency.
It really was all very easy; but then I worked in IT in Wellington, which is just dying for people right now.
And soccer. Do not root for Arsenal* outside of London. Ever. You'll wake up about ten minutes later with a black eye.
* In all honestly it's probably just better that you not root for Arsenal ever, anywhere, period. They're like the Dallas Cowboys.
My advice to most people is that the United States is better then we give it credit for. The reason this country is so poorly run is because the party system sabotaged the federal legislature through gerrymandering. I'd recommend moving to another part of the country first before contemplating leaving the country.
Agree with everything you're saying on Singapore.
Not to get off on a Singapore tangent, but one thought I had that could apply to other potential destinations as well is that male permanent residents in Singapore (and citizens) are required to serve in the military, that would be something to look into with some of these destinations.
Even if for whatever reason you qualify to get out of that requirement (age, gender, etc), keep in mind that if you do end up settling down there for good your male kids would be looking at a year or two in the military.
Careful. That's the kind of thing an Australian would say.
Haha guilty as charged! Although I've lived in both countries.
Add him to the List!
The working holiday visa was how I got into NZ initially.
Easiest Visa known to man to get... when I got it, the only req's were to be between 18 and 30, have 10k (kiwi) in the bank, and have proof of health insurance. After 3 months in the country, I was able to change over my visa to a proper work permit. Of course, I was living with my fiance so I was able to roll it over via the family option. 2 years with that and I applied for residency via skilled migrant option. It was a pretty easy process all things considered.
Don't do it.
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Malay and English are the official languages but English is the dominant language among the people.
I'll echo that is very pro-immigration, especially if you have the skills they need. There is little paperwork involved, or so I hear.
The government is definitely not xenophobic. I am surprised that someone would mention segregation but I do not deny that there are some recent issues regarding the influx of Chinese nationals seeking to reside on the island which is eerily similar to US Citizens vs Mexicans in the US. Which is funny because the majority of the population is Chinese. White people are extremely welcomed.
There is universal healthcare and it is rather affordable.
Its pretty stable politically. Yes, it is practically a one party state and the government is in everything. But, as long as you don't plan to break the law or start a career involving politics, everything else should be ok. The government is highly efficient and most governmental issues (i.e. filing taxes) are processed really quickly.
Conscription is only required for 2nd generation male PRs when they reach the age of 18.
Please cut the young, small island city-state some slack. It is literally just a small island. 2nd most densely populated independent country in the world. 2 seasons: Hot and dry / Hot and wet. The cost of living is pretty high, and it should be something you might factor in. Low crime, strong economy.
Streaming 8PST on weeknights
Getting a job in Denmark should not be that difficult. It was certainly a lot easier just 2 years ago but unemployment is still low, around 4%, and the latest unemployment figures tells of a slight rise in employment. There is some unemployment in the IT sector here but not a lot and if any the IT sector is an area where not speaking Danish is a none-issue in many companies. In fact many big Danish companies have English as their corporate language.
If you haven't seen this page already it is a good place to start https://www.workindenmark.dk/ and there is also this http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/frontpage.htm and finally here is a search I did on a Danish job site listing their IT-jobs offerings: http://it.jobindex.dk/cgi/jobsearch.cgi?supid=1&qs= (As you will see most is in Danish but in but there are also many in English so it should get you started).