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How do I move to a different country?
RockinX
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First, some background: I have an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a postgraduate degree in Research Methodology (how to do research and write theses, and whatnot. It allowed to discover I have skills doing Statistics), my native language is Spanish, and I speak English and Japanese (I'm taking JLPT N3 this year), but I don't have much work experience outside of assisting on the necessary statistics for undergrad students' theses (though I've also been assisting a doctorate's research), about 5 months of having a Psychologist's office (that ended because the Neurologist stopped referring patients to me after I told him that he should not lie about my education; he said I had a postgraduate degree that I got in Argentina in order to attract more clients. He also wanted me to "hypnotize" potential clients into thinking they need therapy. I generally like to refer to them as patients, because I do not want to exercise my profession unless they actually need help), because I live in Venezuela, where it's very hard to find a job, and even harder to find one in one's field. I'm lucky enough to be able o live on my mom's salary, but I fear that's not going to be enough, especially 6 months from now.
Things are getting worse every day in Venezuela, which is making moving to a different country the only way to have a half decent life style.The inflation rate for this year has reached 50%, although that's just the official number; I suspect real numbers are much, much higher. Not to mention the increasing scarcity of basic products and crime rates. I'm getting more desperate as living here just gets tougher as each day passes.
My problem? I think the process of moving to America would be extremely difficult (or so I've been told), Canada requires me to have more work experience, and I tried to apply for the Monbukagakushou scholarship in Japan, but wasn't pre-selected for the English and Japanese tests.
A friend of mine went to Canada to get a postgrad degree there, which has been working great for him, but I'm not sure I can pay $6000 per semester to do that, although I could try. Maybe I could study more English? If I were to do that, it'd be just an excuse to be there, because as you can see, I can speak English just fine, but I don't want to study French, to be honest. If I need to, though, I guess there's no other way.
I could probably go to Japan to study Japanese, but can a study visa turn into a work visa eventually? Can a tourist visa turn into a work visa if I manage to find a job there? I'm taking N3 this year, and provided I pass, I can most likely land a job easier.
So what would be my best course of action here? Staying in Venezuela is not the ideal option.
Things are getting worse every day in Venezuela, which is making moving to a different country the only way to have a half decent life style.The inflation rate for this year has reached 50%, although that's just the official number; I suspect real numbers are much, much higher. Not to mention the increasing scarcity of basic products and crime rates. I'm getting more desperate as living here just gets tougher as each day passes.
My problem? I think the process of moving to America would be extremely difficult (or so I've been told), Canada requires me to have more work experience, and I tried to apply for the Monbukagakushou scholarship in Japan, but wasn't pre-selected for the English and Japanese tests.
A friend of mine went to Canada to get a postgrad degree there, which has been working great for him, but I'm not sure I can pay $6000 per semester to do that, although I could try. Maybe I could study more English? If I were to do that, it'd be just an excuse to be there, because as you can see, I can speak English just fine, but I don't want to study French, to be honest. If I need to, though, I guess there's no other way.
I could probably go to Japan to study Japanese, but can a study visa turn into a work visa eventually? Can a tourist visa turn into a work visa if I manage to find a job there? I'm taking N3 this year, and provided I pass, I can most likely land a job easier.
So what would be my best course of action here? Staying in Venezuela is not the ideal option.
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I don't think French is a prerequisite for moving to Canada, but it will definitely make you look better to potential employers there.
Here's a thought: you have a psychology degree and some small amount of experience in the field, as well as a good working knowledge of Japanese. If you just want out, look into donating your services to one of the relief organizations (still ongoing from the 3/11/11 earthquakes, though I don't think it makes the news anymore) in Japan. You may also be able to donate some time to the relief effort in the Philippines, where they are probably more desperate and the need is more immediate at this point. If you don't speak Tagalog you might not get to do actual psychology, but they need so much help there and it is a worthwhile way to spend your time internationally, as well as make a TON of international contacts from all kinds of places you can take with you afterward.
Chile has one of the more robust economies in South America right now and there is a demand for people who are able to speak English. I’m not sure if “Methodology of Research” is the most desirable degree, but if you are willing to work outside your field a bit you would likely find something. You would need to travel there as a tourist and then start looking for a job offer. Once you have a job offer then you can apply for a work visa. Do some research to find the best way to handle the emigration paperwork. My understanding is that Chile has a bureaucratic system that’s like an IRS wet dream.
As far as moving to America goes it is not so much difficult as it is complex. Ease of entry into the US is very different depending on why you want to stay. Your best course of action for getting into the USA is on a student visa. If you feel that your English skills are really good and you think you have the ability, start applying to doctoral programs at US schools. It’s pretty easy to get a student visa once excepted to a university. The pay is terrible but you have a much easier time getting a work visa if you graduate from a US institution. Just be certain about your English comfort level, it is the primary hurdle most of our international students face (I work at a university).
For exmaple, Australia's information on that is here - http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/sol/
Have you used the Canadian labor shortage tool to try and apply for work? Not all of the job there require experience (it depends on what field you're looking into, though).
The 'study' programs for Canada do currently suck, unfortunately.
Um, no, not really - unless you want to immigrate to Quebec. Nobody in the prairie provinces will even give one single shit about whether or not you can speak French (and most of the employers won't even speak it anyway). I can't speak for the attitudes in Ontario, but i would be surprised if French fluency were at all a consideration for employers (it's a factor on the immigration application tool - but the only really significant factor as far as the government is concerned is whether or not you get an invitation from an employer).
Depends on the part of Canada. In western parts of Canada, french is largely irrelevant. Really, outside of Quebec, parts of Ontario, and New Brunswick, it's not required.
Where French is a big plus is if you eventually want to work for the Federal government.
Anyhow, if you do want to come to Canada, the government website is: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/
I think working with victims of the earthquake would require a much higher level of Japanese than I currently possess. I also don't speal Filipino =( I've actually been looking for what you're suggesting for a while, and Canada and Japan are the countries I've liked the most based on my research.
Chile sounds good, though I would vastly prefer to move to a North American country, because that will increase my chances of being able to move to Japan (I was told that holding a visa from an English-speaking country would vastly improve my odds). Got a link to a site where I can find more information about migrating to Chile, though?
I'll check out the SkillSelect app tomorrow. Right now I'm too tired to do so.
Wait, it's possible to look for jobs in Canada if I'm outside the country? I wasn't aware. I have to look into that. My friend is currently studying in Montreal, so I thought it'd be nice to go there as well. I've taken their little test, and every time I do, it says I'm not eligible. Most likely because of my lack of work experience.
Thanks for the responses, guys.
Student Visa to Work Visa:
My friend came to Japan on a student visa, after graduation there was a period in which he was allowed to find a new sponsor to provide him a work visa. It was very stressful, but he managed to do it. You can't have a full-time job while you are sponsored with a student visa in Japan, you'd have to take advantage of that short window after graduation.
Tourist Visa to Work Visa:
In 2009, I put my advertising degree to work and put out the best version of me possible for a job in Japan. Gambling that I'd be called for an interview, I flew there and met with the company. I was interviewed, but I was passed over in favor of a candidate with the proper paperwork. I was told later that if that man had not shown up, the job would have been mine.
It is totally possible to transition from Tourist Visa to Work Visa but it is highly unlikely that you just come here and find a job. You'd also have to find someone willing to take a risk and sponsor you.
I finally moved permanently last year through the powers of a spouse visa. It took me a solid 3 months before I found a job that would take me, and it was another 3 months after that before I would find a job in my field. It's kinda hard to find a job here that will provide you a living wage. The job market here has tanked as well.
You might want to find if there are any opportunities with your Embassy or Consulate. But keep in mind that wages in Japan are low for foreigners and the lifestyle is expensive.
In most cases if you want to work you need the employer to sponsor you. Few countries will allow you in without a job offer. And few employers are willing to go through the hassle of the system to do it. You could blanket bomb the job boards with your CV, but then you would need to deal with a lot of calls which start out great and end abruptly when they ask "do you have a visa?" But it is possible you will find one willing to do this, and if your skills are rare enough the actual visa process will be simple.
Study visa is easier to get, but you have to pay tuition fees, housing, etc. Once you get a degree most countries will allow you to convert a study visa to a work visa. Thing is, you already have a postgraduate degree. I don't know if you would want to do another, or if you can afford to.
The US has quite literally the most complex visa system on the planet. If you want to go through it you are looking at thousands of dollars and many months before you can start work. More than one US Customs official has told me that it would be quicker if I married an American.
Australia has a points based system that might do well for you, if your skills are needed. Canada has a similar thing, and the UK is bringing one in. But again in all cases, you are going to be better finding work through the internet before you start the visa process. Also look at the economics. A job that sounds like it pays well compared to where you are now could turn out to leave you struggling due to a higher local cost of living.
Source: Almost ready to move from the UK to US.
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Yes; you need to find an employer first, then apply once they've given you the invitation to work. It's an involved process, but it's one of the most reliable ways to get a work visa.
It's not your lack of work experience - the most relevant question on that test is, "Do you have a invitation/referral/whatever from an employer in Canada?"
Once you get that, you can line yourself up for a visa.
Just keep on your toes, and never pay anyone who says they can offer leverage or whatever to boost your chances of getting as Visa. There are a lot of scammers trying to abuse visa seekers. Also, bear in mind that working with, say, SunCor or Syncrude up in Fort Mac or Norman Wells is probably not going to be fun. Venezuela might suck right now, but you need to take a day or so and very seriously weigh what you're willing to trade-off to move to a place like Canada.
If you can't find anything or you are confused about where to start, a little bird told me that the University of Oldenburg and the University of Magdeburg in Germany have large departments of psychology and neuroscience.
Ánimo y suerte!
Unfortunately, the Japanese Embassy in Venezuela doesn't offer holiday visas, which is what some people have recommended me to get in order to find a job. I was linked to this site and it sounds good, but I'd need a Japanese family's sponsorship in order to be able to study like that, and I would need to find a job just before my time there is up.
Where can I submit my CV? I'm a bit paranoid about Googling, because you never know what sites to trust. Also, wouldn't marrying an American woman be a somewhat douchie way to get in?
My degree in Methodology of Research isn't a Master's. It's still a postgrad, and according to one of my professors, at the same level, but I'm pretty sure I need a Master's degree in order to pursue a Doctorate. Not to mention tuition fees are so high, I'd need the sponsorship of a scholarship. Are there German universities that don't require me to speak German? It took me several years to master English, and it's going to take some more to be more proficient in Japanese, so I think it will be a bit hard to speak a language I've never been exposed to, but I can try.
I'm willing to go through any means necessary to move to another country, as living here started to get unbearable, and it will become more unbearable in the following months. We are literally living in a dictatorship. The "president" won the past election by shameless fraud, and controls everything the way the Cuban government wants him to. Since they fixed the prices of most basic products, and the country itself does not produce much (over 70% of basic products are imported! It's insane! That's because the government has taken control of the farms and factories and driven them to bankrupcy), and now they're forcing electronics retailers to sell their products at a loss, which will result in an even worse unemployment rate and turn Venezuela into Zimbabwe 2. So I will basically endure any struggle with living on minimum wage if it means that I will move out of the country, be able to actually find soap, toilet paper, milk, and other basic products, and find employment. I wish we were an American colony instead of a Cuban one.
If you get hired for a project as a doctorand you will get a good pay, more than enough to pay for enrolment in the university. I am a PHD student myself and my girlfriend and I live comfortably on my salary (not that we are big spenders anyway, but still). I work in English and know plenty of people who do too. You should definitely do a quick German course somewhere (I'm sure you can do some online) for the very basics, since out of the university few people will speak good English (anecdotal experience, mind you).
But otherwise you should have no problem. You definitely need to ask about how your degree translates to the German system, though.
Since you really just want to go to a well-run country, you should maybe take a look at countries that aren't "dream destinations" but are pleasant places to live. Smaller European countries, for instance. Asian countries that aren't Japan. Australia/New Zealand. Go off the beaten track.
Actually, I hate anime. Well, I don't necessarily hate it, but I can't stand it much. I've actually been forcing myself to watch anime in order to study. I've found some good ones, but I don't generally like anime too much, and those that I like, are extremely unpopular and not many people like/know about them.
I like Japanese games, I sometimes can identify myself with the behavior Japanese people display, and I find Japanese women cute (but read: I am not talking about girls who do cosplay or J-pop idols. I'm talking about regular women here, mostly from ages 30 and up, they have a certain Je ne quoi that I find very attractive).
A friend said that it's impossible because Japan's main attraction is anime. But it's true.
in general, to move to the U.S. on a long term basis you will absolutely need a sponsor to petition for you. the way the US immigration laws are set up, the sponsor can either be an employer or specific relatives (spouse, parents, children 21 years or older). an employer must be willing to sponsor you to work in the U.S., and for the vast majority of cases, the position the employer will sponsor you through must at minimum require a bachelor's-level degree.
you can try the education route by enrolling in a college or university here and obtaining an F-1 visa to study. once you finish your studies, most programs allow for an additional year of "Optional Practical Training" that allows you to work in the U.S. during that year. you can try to get employed with a U.S. company who'd be willing to sponsor you on a longer basis. this process is HARD and EXPENSIVE.
there are also "exchange" visas under the J-1 program. essentially these are cultural exchange visas overseen companies or organizations that specialize in facilitating exchange programs with other countries. if you have something unique culturally to your home country, like language, music, art, or the like, you may be able to connect with one of these exchange organizations to go through a J-1 program. the J-1 is tricky, however; in many cases, you are required to return to your home country after 2 years in the U.S. as a J-1.
unfortunately, the U.S. does not have a "working holiday"-type visa. the B-1/B-2 tourist/business visa allows you to enter the U.S. for short periods (less than 6 months), but you absolutely cannot work on this visa, and you MUST leave the U.S. before the visa expires.
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Hahahahaha. Hardly. I moved to the US earlier this year and I'm already looking to transfer to an office elsewhere
To the OP: your best bet of going anywhere is to get a job. You might be able to get in somewhere without a job lined up, but it will be tricky at best
What visa did you use?
Depends on the area you want to work in. For IT, I use jobserve.com because it gets plenty of traffic in Europe, so I just expanded my CV to cover the US. A month later I was headhunted. Jobserve does a wide array of job fields, so yours might be covered in there. You can search for jobs without logging in or creating a profile, and you don't have to pay. So that covers most of the rules for internet job hunting: Don't upload any personal information. Don't pay money for job hunting services. Don't use any job board without trying it first.
Marrying for a visa? Douchey and also illegal. And yet even US Customs suggest it as a way to ameliorate the nightmare of their visa system. So you should have an idea of just how bad trying to legally enter the US for work will be.
My brother attended Oldenburg university doing post-doctorate research, he spoke no German at the start. For study, however, I believe you will need to be fluent in German, at least (or especially) in the area you are studying.
Your best bet might well be to try for jobs in the finance sector in Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Statistics work there could be the quickest way for you to get out of the country.
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Spain would be obvious but with their current financial crisis the do have high unemployment, but with your profile there should be options and there is also lots of other options within the EU - this page should get you started: ec.europa.eu/immigration/
Big difference. You shouldn't be aiming to move to a country because you find its women cute. That's going to be hard to explain to the immigration officer. Anyway, how many of them do you even know? Are we talking particular women you know here, or women from some sort of media (and porno counts!)
TN - non-immigrant NAFTA. Easiest one to get (with a job offer) if you qualify, I literally walked across the border and got it
I googled that and it is for Canada and Mexico only - not going to help a Venezuelan!
I learned this the hard way ;_;
Awesome, I'll register on Jobserve, thanks! My mom keeps talking about how much she loved traveling to Curaçao when she was young, so it has to be good, I'll take a look there.
Yeah, Spain is also out of the question, I'm told that they're sick of Venezuelans, and the financial crisis sure doesn't make the country very attractive. I'm fine with any European country as long as they speak a language I can currently understand and speak, so I'll search for a job there as well as in Australia.
Well, I wouldn't tell an immigration officer that my aim is to meet women and marry one. That'd awkward. Porn doesn't count, because around 99% of them have had both plastic surgery and boob jobs (they also give blowjobs, but that's not the point :P ), and real Japanese women don't look like that. I've watched NHK shows, and seen videos and pictures of real Japanese women.
But it's true, you don't try to settle somewhere just because of their women (they're just the icing on the cake. I'm told Nagoya has lots of milfs, too!), but I'm used to say that's my main reason for wanting to move to Japan each time another Venezuelan asks me. I started learning Japanese because I wanted to be able to play games in Japanese, but then I got discouraged by the amount of kanji I had to memorize and quit (which I regret, I didn't even learn how to conjugate verbs), not to mention it seemed like a lot of effort just for playing games, and studying by myself made it easy for me to lose interest. But then a group of young people started teaching basic Japanese in 2011, and at the end of the course they told us that their main goal was to get people to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, in the hopes of connecting more people to Japan and probably get the Embassy to allow us to take the test in our city, rather than having to travel to the capital to take it.
Then I started taking classes from a Japanese Sensei (paid classes, of course), and then I got 75% on the JLPT N5 (the basic level) and thought "hey, maybe I can apply for the Monbukagakusho scholarship, that'll get me out of this country and I don't need work experience." But I missed the deadline for 2012 and couldn't apply. Besides, I had to finish my Specialization, so I couldn't afford it, either. I applied this year, but I didn't qualify for the English and Japanese tests (maybe I missed the deadline by a hair, but the mail company says they delivered it the day the deadline expired, at the time it expired). Either way, it was disappointing, but that made me study even harder while my Sensei was on a 4-month vacation, and I gained a lot of vocabulary and was able to memorize many kanji, and it's showing now that I'm taking the practice tests.
So yeah, there's that. I like the Japanese language a lot, and developed a taste for their women, and I've spent countless hours studying it, not regretting it the least bit. I also like how Japanese people try to be honest by taking lost belongings to the lost and found office (there is no such thing here, haha. Not to mention there's a high crime and murder rate here, and they've killed just for a phone or even shoes), in general, Japan seems way safer than Venezuela. Also, I don't think I'd have to constantly avoid stepping on trash, diapers and used toilet paper, but I'm sure I wouldn't need to do that in other countries unless I'm taking a walk in New York.
protip: this is a bit creepy and certainly fetishistic.
in the context of your thread, i'd caution against making people of other nations into "objects" if you're thinking of moving to their country. they're people, not things.
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I did explain that wasn't the main reason for me wanting to go to Japan. And if women were THE reason for wanting to live anywhere, I wouldn't move from Venezuela. Have you seen Venezuelan women? They're stunning, especially in San Cristóbal, there are beautiful women everywhere, but I don't really want to move to that city, either. Also, guess what country holds the second place for most Miss Universe crowns won, losing only to America. I've also gone out with a girl that's attempting to enter the world of beauty pageants.
As I explained before, I originally learned Japanese because I made the decision of applying for a scholarship, and it seemed like the only way out of the country, while at the same time it allows me to play Japanese games. However, time is running out, and if I were to have the opportunity to move anywhere else, I wouldn't complain, and simply import Japanese consoles or something, and be done with it, but at the time I knew of no one that had been able to leave Venezuela successfully, and today, I only know of one person who went to Canada to study a Master's Degree, which I can't exactly afford. I did take the time and made the effort to learn Japanese, to the point of having intermediate ability, and it's very time-consuming, so I thought I'd put it to better use than just playing games. Their culture is also more respectful than Venezuela's, and the various elements of the culture are fascinating, despite their flaws, and I identify with some of the behaviors they display.
Besides, I'm not sure why it bothers you so much; if you have a thing for chubby girls, you won't try to score a skinny one, you will want to go out with chubby girls. If you find milfs attractive, you attempt to meet milfs. If you like Japanese girls, what better place to meet them than Japan?
oh hells.
i don't want to derail this thread, and i realize that your background informs this kind of viewpoint, but you may want to reconsider this kind of thinking. you're thinking of women as objects to be classified, not people. i guarantee you, that view does not fly in a lot of the countries you're thinking of moving to.
yes, even Japan.
really, this is a whole other conversation.
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Moving country because of some strange idea about the women there = bad idea.
The OP admires Japan's respectful culture but seems unwilling to take onboard that which he admires. Japan's culture is created by the efforts of the people who live there. If he goes there expecting respect but being unwilling to give it, he will not find a welcome.
Can we not continue this, please? ceres has even stated that he will close the thread if this continues. Besides, I'm not sure where I said I was unwilling to give back respect. In no way did I talk to the other person in a disrespectful way (if I made it seem so, then I'm sorry).
But I'll go ahead and admit the women thing is just an excuse to get people who ask why I want to go to Japan to stop asking, and that story carried over to this conversation, just out of habit, which makes this whole deal all the more embarrassing. Generally, when I'm asked here, they say nothing more after pointing out the insane work hours and other weak points of Japan. What is true, however, is that if I settle in any country, I'm going to want to start a family. The reason I started learning Japanese, and why I continue to are the same I stated above. I do find Japanese women cute, but really not the reason I want to move there.
Funny, no one who asks in my country seems to even want to continue, maybe they think I'm crazy because Venezuelan women are already beautiful enough. But if it allows me to stop the conversation on the spot, then I'm fine with that. You can choose not to believe me if you want, but what I ask of you is that you do not continue this. If you want to do that, PMs exist for a reason, so let's not go that route.
In other news, I signed up on Jobserve.com. I'm glad I already had my CV translated into English, because to be honest, needing to fill all the fields of an online CV sounded like it'd take a bit of time. Should I go ahead and say I was Time's person of the year in 2006? If anything, it'd give them a good laugh, but I don't know if they'll take it the wrong way because that doesn't seem like a serious thing to write on a resume.
Edit: Well, dang, turns out that my postgrad degree's proper English name is Research Methodology, not Methodology of Research. It's not a huge difference, but I'm pretty sure potential employers will prefer to see the proper name. I'll go back and fix that in the OP.
Everybody get it now? Awesome.
In Northern Europe pretty much everybody speaks English so apart from the UK and Ireland which is obvious I'd suggest especially looking at smaller countries like the Netherlands and the Nordic countries, this also includes Norway which I forgot to mention in my first reply as they are not part of the EU but they actually have a great economic boom*.
Here is a couple of websites to check out:
Sweden
Denmark
Norway (Note - it is down right now but the URL should be the correct one)
Holland aka. the Netherlands
also I stumbled upon this page which may or may not be useful regardless of where you decided on going: ixpvisas.com/
*Their economy is doing great and one example is that Norway has build up a "pension fund" where they put some of their oil money in and it holds $783.3 billion(30th September 2013) which for a nation of 5 million souls isn't too bad.
Probably best to avoid the jokes.
Putting your CV out there on a job site is a long shot at best, and when they see you need a visa, they'll probably just bin it. Most employers want to fill a role *yesterday*, not in 6 months when the visa clears. You have specific skills so you need to contact the specific people who need those skills.
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I grew up in a town with a lot of oil workers. It is a shitty lifestyle that has a tendency towards drunkenness and drug abuse. I would highly recommend looking into other fields before taking an oil rig job.
If you do, here is what to expect: You will be working in the wilderness around Fort McMurray, in an isolated camp with a select group of people. In general, these people will be under-educated and have a substance abuse problem. In the summer, it will be hot (+40C) and mosquito infested, in the winter it will be miserably cold (-40 to -50C). Your average day will consist of doing hard physical labour or potentially terrible jobs (one friend of mine literally shoveled human shit for a week). Although you will get paid a large amount of money for this work, it will be eaten up through the high cost of living in the area, or the necessity of travelling to the Edmonton area where most people live; as Fort McMurray is way too expensive to live in.
Where I grew up, working on the rigs was synonymous with being too stupid to accomplish anything else.
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If you're looking to go to Montreal, french is in my opinion a necessity, possibly even more than english.
Montreal isn't as french as the rest of quebec, but getting a job here without a conversational level of french is just, unlikely enough that you may as well consider it as not going to happen