11.29.2010

Expats.

I am utterly confounded by people whom, having no citizenship rights, and therefore no real ability to MAKE MONEY, in their adopted new home, manage to relocate to a new country. Can someone please tell me if a trust fund is the key to a new location in life? Is it simply being creative (and successful enough to make a living out of said creativity) that allows people to work from anywhere in the world? I'd like to know, because sometimes I think I could use a serious change.

2 comments:

  1. As an ex pat without legal immigration status, I feel pretty qualified to answer this. But I'm only familiar with the young expat cross section. Most teach English. In some places, it's great pay (think Asia). In others (think Latin America), it's a pretty low paying rough profession. I also have friends that run online delivery only bakeries... one cupcakes, the other muffins. But the real secret? Unless you end up as a couple with a local, ex pats last a year or less before they scamper on home. I've been abroad for 3 years... and guess what? I'm getting married in 8 weeks. Also... you have to find a country with pretty lax immigration policies... where I live, crossing the border every 3 months to renew my tourist visa allows me to stay here forever more. If you tried that in the US or Europe, you'd get booted within the year.

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  2. Thanks Alice, and congrats on the wedding! I somehow don't see my (American) husband agreeing to let me marry someone else for a visa, so perhaps I'm out of luck. Oh well.

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