Oct 7, 2023 3 min read

I Wish I Knew This Before Moving To a New Country

When I moved out of India at 17, I was just a kid following my passion for playing football in Europe. I did not know what my life would look like if my dream didn't come true. So here I am at 28 years of age now, thinking about how I can help someone who is planning to move to a new country. Here are 5 questions I would ask myself if I were you -

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What are the quickest ways to get a permanent residency ASAP?

Find out how much time it will take to become a permanent resident of the country you wish to go to. Become aware of how many years of full-time work you need to do in this country to be able to fulfill your application.

Check if you need to pass a language exam to qualify. Do I even like how the language of that country sounds? For eg, you might not even like speaking German but you might enjoy speaking Japanese or Spanish. I made the mistake of postponing my language learning journey and it cost me 1-2 years of time to become a permanent resident of Poland.

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Once I get the permanent residency, how long can I stay out of that country?

Some countries do not allow you to stay outside for more than 6 months continuously and 10 months in total after receiving permanent residency until you become a citizen. For example, if you choose to move to Canada, you only have to live in Canada for 730 days out of a total of 5 years (1825 days) to remain a permanent resident of Canada. It's a very good deal compared to several European countries which require you to stay in their country for at least 9 months in a year.

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How can I bring my dependents?

If you do not have anyone depending on you, then please ignore this point. But if you have or will have any dependents in the future, read the laws around bringing your family to that country. Some countries consider only your partner/children to be dependents. What if your parents are depending on you?

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Would I really be able to give up my current citizenship?

A lot of students/workers move to a new country and they soon begin to realize that there is no place like their home country. They start feeling homesick and begin questioning their decision. I personally know a lot of Indians who live in the US and Canada but they invest all their money in the Indian Stock Market for their retirement. They want to maximize their earnings and retire in their home country.

They usually become permanent residents of other countries but never give up their original citizenship because you might not realize that your own country's citizenship has a lot of benefits too. But if you are from a war-torn country or a country that allows dual citizenship, then you should definitely apply for the new citizenship.

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What are my options to travel?

If you are rich, ignore what I'm about to say. But if you're not, listen up. When you move to a new country, you have to solve your money problems. You do not have any parents or other family members who will help you with a job. You should be earning at least 2-3 times more than what you would earn in your home country, otherwise, what is the point of moving to a new country? Once you've solved your money issues, think about where you would be able to travel. When it comes to traveling, there is no other place like Europe. If you decide to move to any major country in Europe, you will be able to travel to all 27 Schengen countries!

Europe will always have a special place in my heart

On the other hand, if you move to Australia, US, or Canada, where do you think you will be able to travel? Only a handful of nearby countries and that too on a visa.

Ask yourself these questions before deciding to move to a country of your choice.

That's it from me this week.