I recently had a subscriber email to ask me:

Mikkel, I really don’t like what is happening in the US right now. I don’t know where to go and I don’t know how to support myself once I get there. Is it easy to get a job in another country?

Great podcast by the way, 

Albert

——————— 

Okay, this comes up a lot, and I can understand why.

If you are just starting down your expat journey you might not understand that the chance of just picking up a job in a foreign country can be extremely difficult or downright impossible.

Let’s look at some of the challenges that you might face and then talk solutions…

If you don’t have citizenship or a residency in the country you want to work in then you will need to find a company willing to sponsor you. I have been through this process several times and it is not fun.

Even if you do find a company willing to sponsor you then chances are they will have to prove to the government that they have tried for a certain amount of time to find a local to do the job. This can include advertising in the local newspapers, working with headhunters, etc. Add to that, they will need to prove you, as the employee, have qualifications or experience that does not exist in the local job pool.

If you do not speak the local language then employers may or may have this as a requirement and hold it against you.

Certain countries only allow citizens to perform certain jobs. Take Panama, where I have a home as an example. Panama does not allow foreigners to work as doctors, lawyers, and engineers.

If your work requires a license or permit then acquiring that or transferring your documents can be extremely difficult, you may need to go back to school to requalify for your profession.

When I lived in New Zealand and Australia I already had a visa to live and work there so finding work was easy, and when my visa expired in Australia I was able to transfer to a bridging visa and eventually a 457 Skilled Migrant Worker Visa (since replaced with the 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa). But that was because I already had a couple of years of track record with the employer and they were willing to go through the extra work of keeping me on.

When I lived in Singapore I arrived with no right to live and work in the country and it took me 10 months to find a job and 2 months to figure out I hated the job. I finally quit and went back to a 30-day tourist visa and eventually left the country. I had no recourse to stay in the country and just find another job, my visa was tied to this one company.

In my 21 years of experience working and living overseas, for many companies in many countries, I am now so glad to see there are alternative ways of doing this. 

If I was completely starting over again today, I would focus on finding remote work. 

If you are looking for inspiration on the best remote work careers, which jobs pay the most and are the easiest to get, then grab this PDF from my friend Marisa, it’s very good.

https://expatmoneyshow.com/91-careers

It’s FREE by the way.

Talk soon,

Mikkel