To live in another country for a long duration, you need a work visa, a student visa, a resident visa or citizenship. Each visa for each country has different qualifications and the best thing you can do is to check the country’s website to get an idea of which suits you best and what will be required of you to fully comply.
Based on our need to have an income to support our travel aspirations, we ruled out all but the work visa for our circumstances.
We began by studying those countries that have the largest US expatriate communities and that were rated well from a quality of life and safety perspective. From the countries that rated highest, we were primarily interested in New Zealand and Portugal.
To get a work visa, for example in New Zealand, you can use their website: Explore NZ Visa Options
According to their site, they are approving applicants who can score 160 points using this tool: Points Indicator for Skilled Migrant Expression of Interest
We scored about 150 points with consideration of my Bachelor’s degree and an occupation on their skill labor shortage checklist (information technology). As an aside, part of their points system also penalizes people over the age of 55.
To clarify, meeting the age requirement, with a degree and an occupation on their list of professions with a shortage of domestic applicants, I couldn’t get a work visa without a job and from experience applying for several jobs, they ask if you are qualified to work in New Zealand (ie. have a work visa). It’s a catch 22.
While some folks would press their luck, we did not feel comfortable paying $390 to register our intent to get approval to apply for a work visa. From what their website states, it takes about 4 months to get approved for a work visa and, among other things, you must provide a report of your police record and a chest x-ray.
While I didn’t stop looking after trying New Zealand, this is presented as a common scenario; needing the job offer to get a work visa and needing a work visa to get a job offer was fairly consistent. If I had some unique qualification or specialized talent, I’d feel better about the probability.
People with more cajones and more money saved up may have gone for it and succeeded. We chose to pursue a different option.
It didn’t work for me, but maybe it’ll work for you.
Tips for obtaining a work visa:
-Every country is different. Check into the requirements to get a work visa in the country of your choice.
-If you’re not qualified to get the work visa, focus on things you can do to improve your eligibility. Be prepared to play the long game and earn it.
-Gather the documents needed to prove your credentials.
-Make sure your passport is more than 2 years from expiration.