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Considerations for an Oversea Move?
An Anonymous Coward asks: "I'm currently working as an 'IT technician' (lowly tech support position) in the southern United States, but I am considering a move to the U.K. to be with a significant other. What's the best way to gather information like the U.K. technology job market, immigration laws, cost of living, housing arrangements, and of course, how I would move my belongings? Sites like this would be most helpful." While the link that is provided is fairly comprehensive, other sources of information, both referential and anecdotal would be appreciated.
Lots of info at Escape Artist.
Stop eating my hands.
I'm currently considering something similar. The hardest part I've found is finding the right job. Why would a company look into canidates from overseas when there are so many availible locally? Definatly not easier to interview non-local canidates. So do you just take that leap of faith, spend a bunch of money to move there and then look for something when you land?
As I recall from when I lived in Germany as a high school student, in order to keep his work visa, my dad had to go into immigration and basically prove that he was the only one qualified to do his job. (i.e. no German could do the job that he was doing, therefore he was not competing with German citizens for the position he was doing) Is this common in European Countries?
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Turn all of it into something easier to carry, such as money. A garage sale is your best bet, or even E-bay. If you're sentimental about a 900 lb. antique wardrobe or something like that, then give it to a dear friend or relative who will keep it for you. When you get to England, you can turn all that money back into all the stuff that you want.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
I lived in China for a year while in college, and my wife grew up in Arabia (her New Yorker father worked for the oil company there). We would love to spend some time over seas with our kids, but perhaps in an Asian or African country.
Anybody have any experience/ideas for working in the rest of the world?
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A person of moderate zeal
If so your immigration hassles to the UK could be eased as you may qualify for dual citizenship. Ireland is the best know: if you have a parent, grandparent or even in certain circumstances great-grandparent born there (north or south) you will almost certainly qualify for Irish citizenship. My girlfriend is American but had a grandmother from Northern Ireland so once she'd got her Irish passprt she was able to move here to the UK under the rights granted to European Union citizens under the Treaty of Rome and work with next to no problems (well, she's still trying to get an NI number - SSN equiv - but you don't need one to work here, though it makes it slightly easier). As an irish citizen she can even vote in all our elections!
I believe some other European countries have similar deals to Ireland, so it may be worth checking your family tree. BTW, if this does apply to you, don't beleive anyone who tells you that the US does not allow dual citizenship and that you could lose your US citizenship - the old rules that meant that were declared unconstitutional and repealed years ago.
If you can't use that route, be aware that the UK is greatly liberalising work permit rules for skilled workers, and there's still an IT skills shortage in many places here.