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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

How did you become an expat?

34 replies

DrRisotto · 13/10/2017 23:32

I'm interested. I don't have family anywhere abroad and want to hear how people moved. If with work, what do you do? How did you arrange that?
TIA x

OP posts:
Costacoffeeplease · 13/10/2017 23:52

We sold a business and didn't know what we wanted to do next, so decided to sell the house and move to portugal

We had been visiting the same village since the late 80s and had bought a holiday/rental apt but we had no jobs lined up, nor any idea of what we would do, but we're still here 14 years later!

BradleyPooper · 14/10/2017 01:15

Did an internship with a French company in Lyon during my degree. They offered me a 6 month job in Paris when I graduated, I took it, stayed 4 years, met dh who was traveling a lot for work, got fed up with him never being around, took a sabbatical from myjob in Paris, sold everything, got a freelance job and bought a one way ticket to Singapore. Been an expat for 22 years with 10 international moves on 3 continents.

bambambini · 14/10/2017 01:19

Tbh, mostly I think it's in company moves - that's if you're talking about traditional "expat" moves where your expenses are covered. Obviously you can do it other ways. Be visiting - then find job.

howsafeismytrip · 14/10/2017 01:31

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Ttbb · 14/10/2017 01:32

Met my husband while travelling and stayed put.

Cantseethewoods · 14/10/2017 01:38

DH was transferred by his company (banking). However, he subsequently left that company and joined another so on a local contract. I still work for the same company I worked for in the UK but again, I'm on a local contract. The expat contracts are dying out as it's increasingly easy to hire locally. Most expats in HK are in finance, law or teaching. It's increasingly hard to get visas as the burden is on the employer to prove that they can't hire locally.

It's not really possible to come here and then look for work as you wouldn't be able to get anywhere to live/ a phone contract /bank account etc. without an ID card and you need a work visa to get the ID card.

Strokethefurrywall · 14/10/2017 01:41

I decided not to take a job offer with a law firm in Dubai, realized I preferred to work in the Caribbean so booked a one way ticket to grand cayman. I was 28 and single so it was an easy move.
10 years, a house, a husband, 2 kids and 2 dogs later and I have no intention of leaving Grin

trainedopossum · 14/10/2017 01:44

I did a student work exchange at 21, met someone, got married, got divorced, got married again and never went back. That was almost 30yrs ago.

Nakedavenger74 · 14/10/2017 01:59

Worked in global firm for 8 years. Offered me short term secondment to Sydney. Worked in NZ during that and got offered FT permanent so we moved!

allfurcoatnoknickers · 15/10/2017 16:57

Met DH when we both did our masters at the same UK university. After a couple of years in a long distance relationship he imported me and the rest is history. I've been in New York now for almost four years and love it (most of the time) and have no intention of moving back.

CherryLip · 15/10/2017 19:13

We moved by choice to Southern Spain in 2001 as due to DH’s job we could live just about anywhere in Europe. DH now based in Hong Kong so we are now there.....and Spain!

lifeisunjust · 15/10/2017 22:09

Moved as government employee. Abandoned in country, life threatened several times, end up staying. No longer expat, now an immigrant.

Golondrina · 15/10/2017 22:14

Went to Portugal to teach English as a foreign language, after a year moved to Spain and met DH. Been here since 1999.

36plusandtrying · 15/10/2017 22:30

DH was offered an 18 month contract in NZ, I met him just before he was due to leave. We had a summer romance so to speak, then he left and I stayed in the UK thinking it was just a fling ! We kept in touch he came back to see me a couple of times and then I went to see him on a WHV and on a one way ticket ! That was nearly 8 years ago, we've moved again to OZ. Hard being away from home but the lifestyle makes up for it.

HipToBeSquare · 15/10/2017 22:40

Met in Aus when dh was on a whv. Moved to NZ as his visa expired, then to Ireland (his home) then to the UK and we are still here.

Hoping to do the reverse (without NZ) soon, so back to Ireland for a few years then finally (!) back to Aus.

But I've got a hankering to live in HK or Singapore which I float about once a year Smile

Catinthecorner · 15/10/2017 22:46

Trailing spouse. If I knew then what I know now I’d never have agreed to move. I’ve been shat on from a great height by my husband’s employer and we are now stuck until they decide they want us home.

MrsOverTheRoad · 16/10/2017 01:37

Met a bloody Aussie! Grin

They NEVER want to stay in England. Luckily I love it here...I've been here for 2 years. We came back to Oz with our DC and that's that now.

We weren't doing well financially in England so his parents paid for my visa. We'd have taken a good few years to save enough so thank God for them!

Katsite · 17/10/2017 16:12

Left home after A levels, worked for international organization, went to uni abroad then met equally footloose DH. He has worked for various global companies in a finance role and since birth of DCs I have been a trailing spouse.

Want2bSupermum · 18/10/2017 13:40

Worked for a big bank and was transferred to their US office. The team I was supposed to be joining was poached the week I arrived and walked out leaving me completely screwed. One of the senior managers took pity on me and made some calls. I took a job with another bank and moved to New Jersey. Met DH six months later. He is here on an expat contract. They have tried to move him to a local contract, they tried to not pay him commission and they terminated his final salary pension benefit. He had to take them to court and won.

You are extremely vulnerable when you move abroad. It sounds like an adventure but it's not.

ShanghaiDiva · 18/10/2017 14:42

we moved overseas in 1995 with dh's company. Contract was for 2 years, but this is year 23 and now on country number three.

DubaiismyBlackpool · 18/10/2017 14:56

DH during the course of his work impaled himself on a fence and had the ‘bright light’ moment.
When he left hospital he wanted a better life for our DC than we had in a deprived part of the North East. He saw a job advertised that was in Gibraltar and asked me to give it a go. Gib lasted 10 months and we were about to accept a job in Manchester when a job in Dubai came up. It was my idea to accept as we might never have the chance again. 10 years later were still in the Middle East but are in Oman. Our youngest DC have spent more of their lives outside the UK than in. They don’t ‘feel’ British, they don’t really know what that is Sad. They get on better with other International students than solely UK based ones.

I know we’re very lucky and I have to give DH reality checks every so often.

TwoBlueFish · 18/10/2017 18:00

Saw an ad in a trade paper saying “do you want to work in California” applied, got the job, went for a year stayed for 10. Software development role.

MrsTerryPratchett · 18/10/2017 18:07

Lived overseas a bit as a kid, got the travelling bug.

Met DH in his country and made the mistake of showing him the craphole I lived in!

Came on a tourist visa, got a temporary work visa, then permanent residence, then citizenship. Total pain in the arse and wouldn’t recommend my method unless you are madly in love!

FinallyDecidedOnUserName · 18/10/2017 18:07

With parents as child for job move & then again with DH with his job.

citychick · 19/10/2017 04:26

trailing spouse twice currently in se asia most people are here for the money especially those with a family.
very expensive to live here so a high income is a must .
we'll head back to the UK soon and i will be happy to head home.
it's a great adventure but an expensive one. we miss our families.