… To be considering leaving the UK?

[globalnomad25]

We have been considering leaving, even if only for a few years. Many of our clients have already gone or are planning it, and some of our friends too.

I’m not sure where we’d go: UAE, Portugal, Jersey, Ireland, Canada, Australia? We don’t currently want to move to the US, even though that would probably make the most sense from a business/client point of view.

For those out there who have already left, how has it gone? Was it a horrible mistake or are you glad you did it?

For those also thinking about it, where would you go?

Kids are school-aged and smart and used to international travel as our work already takes us all over, although they’d miss their friends (as would we). We aren’t English so our family is already based all over the place, although we visit them frequently.

Yeah, the two places I investigated were Canada and New Zealand and neither were a challenge. One person I know failed to get into Canada but she has a disabled daughter, and that was the stated reason they didn't want her, which is fair enough.

where do people live while they are waiting to rent?

or buy?

I dont want to leave the UK, but i do want a big move for a better life.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates

The pp is right, we’re an anomaly atm. Other countries put in place attractive systems.

Net tax payers: individual or entity that pays more in taxes to the government than they receive in government benefits or transfers. If someone pays more money in taxes (like income tax, payroll tax, etc.) than they get back in the form of government services, welfare, subsidies, or tax credits, they are considered a net taxpayer.

Desirable skills are abilities or qualifications that are not strictly required for a job or role, but are considered valuable and beneficial. They enhance a candidate’s appeal and may improve their chances of being hired or succeeding in a position.

As regards doctors in Australia- after you’ve worked in a high needs remote area for 10 years , you’ve navigated the lengthy and complicated registration process and it has been proved Australians can’t fill the posts.

And as regards coding, there is coding and coding. No anybody who can code cant just walk into jobs in other countries .

Bare in mind Jersey is tiny. You can drive across from end to end in 30 mins and the speed limit isn't greater than 40 anywhere. It is a very different lifestyle.

Ok you seem to believe that but my experience of doing it is very different. My current dev team has people who has done just that.

Not true for canada , super hard to get PR now

Canada has a points system. It’s pretty easy to get an indicative idea fairly quickly. If you don’t have the points it will almost be impossible to immigrate if you aren’t a citizen or can claim through parents. It isn’t like moving from the UK to Europe.

Getting sponsored unless they are exceptionally desired jobs is almost impossible too. The rule is that a company has to show that there is no other Canadian that can do the job before they offer internationally.

Sorry OP you may be just thinking about it but immigration is difficult and time consuming. I seriously doubt a lot of these countries will just let you immigrate, work, have access to healthcare and education from day one without citizenship or a work vis a (see above).

I'm sure there are places that don't want skilled immigrants but the UK isn't one. We've got Indian engineers where I work on work Visas. (They can't go on holiday in Europe, which I think is a shame.) Pretty sure after covid they blanket issued 5000 visas for skilled workers.

...but yes I'm sure there are places that don't want good people so the OP can cross them off her list. Perhaps that's why she's asking in this thread.

Yeah, it's extremely annoying isn't it? As I say though, the majority of the people complaining, and saying they are leaving the UK won't go. Most are full of hot air. But yeah, I am SICK of the UK bashing threads. They genuinely piss me right off.

Also, you couldn't pay me (as a woman) to move to the UAE. No thanks!

Interesting- which particular coding skills?

Well moving from the UK to Europe without fluency in languages and jobs that can’t be filled by Europeans isn’t a given now thanks to Brexit.

Think some posters are in for a nasty surprise.

Exactly. It's ludicrous how some posters are trying to make out you can just waltz into another country and get a job immediately, and live exactly as you did in the UK, if you have the 'necessary skills.' LOL, there will be 100s of 1000s of people living there already/born there, with the same skills, and most of them will be better at the job than you are!

“Europe’s wealth hubs in retreat — and reinvention
The UK is not alone in its struggles. For the first time, EU heavyweights France, Spain, and Germany are expected to see net HNWI losses in 2025 — with projected net outflows of –800, –500, and –400millionaires, respectively. Ireland (–100), Norway (–150), and Sweden (–50) are also beginning to see significant wealth losses, with many affluent Europeans relocating to more investor-friendly hubs on the continent.
Key beneficiaries of this trend are Switzerland, set to attract a net gain of +3,000 migrating millionaires this year, while Italy, Portugal, and Greece are also forecast to see record inflows of +3,600, +1,400 and +1,200, respectively — driven by favorable tax regimes, lifestyle appeal, and active investment migration programs. Southern Europe is fast emerging as a new center of gravity for wealth migration in the region, with Monaco(+200) remaining popular, especially among ultra- HNWIs from the UK, Africa, and the Middle East.
Europe’s smaller markets are also gaining strong momentum. Montenegro (+150) tops global millionaire growth over the past decade with a remarkable 124%increase in resident millionaires, driven in part by its citizenship by investment program (operational from 2019 to 2022), low taxes, Adriatic coastline, and EU accession prospects. Malta (+500) follows with 87% growth, though its trajectory may be impacted by April’s European Court of Justice ruling against its citizenship by naturalization process. Latvia is also on the rise, with 70% millionaire growth between 2014 and 2024, and a projected net inflow of another +100 HNWIs this year.
Andrew Amoils, Head of Research at New World Wealth, says* “If one reviews the fastest growing wealth markets* in the world over the past decade, it is noticeable that most of these countries are either popular destinations for migrating millionaires — such as Montenegro, the UAE, Malta, the USA, and Costa Rica — or emerging market tech hubs like China, India, and Taiwan. This demonstrates the importance of millionaire migration in driving new wealth formation in a country.”
Global winners: Where the wealth is heading
Outside of Europe, strong demand from the UK, India, Russia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, facilitated by attractive golden visa options, has reinforced the UAE’s position as the world’s most sought-after wealth haven (+9,800). Saudi Arabia is the biggest riser on this year’s inbound list, projected to see a net inflow of +2,400 new millionaires in 2025, with the kingdom benefiting from a surge in returning nationals and international investors settling in Riyadh and Jeddah.”

Countries encouraging wealthy emigrants with residency by investment programmes:

harveylawcorporation.com/residency-by-investment/

and more info:

taxfoundation.org/research/all/global/2023-international-tax-competitiveness-index/

Exactly this! The arrogance is hysterical. I come from a family with many desirable skills and family members who have lived abroad( and come back). You don’t just pick a country and waltz in. You are an immigrant with hoops to jump and said countries will employ their own citizens first.

And yet Canada has the highest rate of university educated people in the western world. We just don’t test kids to death and don’t overload them when they are young.

French - I started learning in lockdown on Duolingo and switched to an evening class once things opened up. I’d say I’m intermediate level now. I was recently talking to a French lady comparing our old French properties and she said in French ‘well I’m going to keep talking to you in French because your French is good enough’ I was really chuffed. Dh has stuck with duolingo but doing ok. He is already fluent in 3 other European languages though, annoyingly!

Neither of us need fluent French for our jobs, I will start a small business here (total career change) and he will keep working in his engineering role in a third country. Only we will now pay French tax which is slightly more but not much really. rather than uk tax.

Of course there are hoops, I don’t think anyone is planning on turning up in a dinghy.

I think I answered this above to pp but yes love it here.

Agreed - we were fortunate to get PR but it was a long drawn out process (made worse by covid ) 4 years In total all the time in limbo on work permits not knowing if we could stay. Required immigration lawyers and thousands of pounds in cost too probably close to 8k ish with legal fees and all the permit costs prior to pr, medicals , biometrics , police reports and the actual application cost ! That’s on top of the cost or relocating all on stuff to which was around 5k - it’s a hugely expensive and time consuming process - we got there in the end but was lucky

Well a single youngish person with a degree doing a job that requires a degree is a shoe in for Canada:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/check-score.html

...and that's not even a technical degree.

And yet Canada has the highest rate of university educated people in the western world. We just don’t test kids to death and don’t overload them when they are young. Cultural differences are real and some kids love it, adjust, get on with things and fit right in. Others don’t. That’s a personal experience based on individual people. A lot can depend on how the kids like it.

I never understand why people think the EU is this wonderful thing. It's a capitalist cartel devoted to making sure labour is as cheap as possible (hence free movement) and an imperial power in imposing it's views on liberalising economies (i.e. privatising everything including the kitchen sink) on trading partners esp in Africa. It's also deeply undemocratic and is intended so to be - ordinary people are kept as far away from any levers of powers as possible.
What's the craic?