Immigration
I shouldn't be surprised by this at all, but it does startle me to realize how closed most borders really are. Been looking into how to gain residency rights in most countries and its damn near difficult. Almost everyone wants to keep everyone else out! Even the EU isn't immune.(1 2) I can understand, sure, the reasons a country would wish to keep their borders relatively closed- security, for example. But I often find that the real reasons are based on xenophobia than anything else- creating fears that the new people would pollute their culture or take jobs away from their own citizens. More often than not though, targeted immigration can aid an economy rather than sink it. For example, countries around the world are looking for IT professionals- allowing these people, or other people needed in fields that people either do not want or are short in, can bring in much needed tax money. This is certainly more important considering that many welfare states have a increasingly growing elderly population- you need younger people to help aid these pensioners. By 2050 many EU states will have about one third or more of their population over 60! (source)
There is talk of making a similar "green card" program in the UK (Greg said he'd contact his MP for me to lobby hahaa) and even among some of the EU states collectively- effectively giving a handful of needed people residency rights, but, as of now, it looks like most schemes are designed to only let people given specific jobs for work temporarily in that country before being forced to go back home.
So, not willing to entirely give up my dream of coming back to work and live in the UK, I have come up with a list of ways that I can become a resident after I graduate. I can try for:
* Working Holiday Visa to the UK- this allows me two years and cannot be renewed (are only given one in your lifetime).
* Highly Skilled Migration Programme- for talented people with exceptional skills (IT is looked nicely on). Has to be renewed every 12 months. If you can stay for 4 years you can then apply for residency. (Problem is that I don't know if my accomplishments will be satisfactory to grant me one of these.)
* Sectors Based Scheme- Can work for 12 months (will have to leave for 2 months before being considered again for the visa), but only in certain fields that need more workers (Hospitality and Food industries). Seems pretty difficult- a small quota on visas, and the "requirements make it less likely that the scheme will attract people wishing to stay in the UK on a long term basis."
* Marriage or Unmarried Partner- it's a possibility. Only thing though is that I would prefer to actually mean it when I say "I do" and finding a good boyfriend is hard enough as it is- finding a good husband seems almost unthinkable. (An American Chick's Guide to the UK IND) Most of these options also require that you can show you have some amount of cash on hand anyway (so not having to tap into their welfare benefits). It looks like the first step is to secure a job in my profession after graduation for at least a year. If I do this I don't see myself doing it in Virginia. It's unbearably backward. Somewhere in New England or upper west coast maybe. Save save save, pay off loans, and take try to make more visits back here in the mean time. Waiting probably is a good idea anyway since the laws are changing. But the question is will the new streamlined processes across the EU make things easier or more difficult.
I know several friends who are interested in trying out living in a EU member state after they graduate. For these people you can find some information concerning this topic on the EU Immigration Blog. Hope that helps.
As for me.. who knows. I don't know what will happen next week, much less next year. I do know that I want to start having a family around 30 and need a career in order to pull that off well. Perhaps the dream of migrating can force me to get on the ball concerning finding a long term employment position (even if it conflicts with my dream to hold seemingly random professions in order to see more of how different people live their lives). Guess I can't really afford to be a hands on life-style researcher and do this at the same time.
Other Links
* Moving to Europe
* Moving to Canada/EU/Australia
There is talk of making a similar "green card" program in the UK (Greg said he'd contact his MP for me to lobby hahaa) and even among some of the EU states collectively- effectively giving a handful of needed people residency rights, but, as of now, it looks like most schemes are designed to only let people given specific jobs for work temporarily in that country before being forced to go back home.
So, not willing to entirely give up my dream of coming back to work and live in the UK, I have come up with a list of ways that I can become a resident after I graduate. I can try for:
* Working Holiday Visa to the UK- this allows me two years and cannot be renewed (are only given one in your lifetime).
* Highly Skilled Migration Programme- for talented people with exceptional skills (IT is looked nicely on). Has to be renewed every 12 months. If you can stay for 4 years you can then apply for residency. (Problem is that I don't know if my accomplishments will be satisfactory to grant me one of these.)
* Sectors Based Scheme- Can work for 12 months (will have to leave for 2 months before being considered again for the visa), but only in certain fields that need more workers (Hospitality and Food industries). Seems pretty difficult- a small quota on visas, and the "requirements make it less likely that the scheme will attract people wishing to stay in the UK on a long term basis."
* Marriage or Unmarried Partner- it's a possibility. Only thing though is that I would prefer to actually mean it when I say "I do" and finding a good boyfriend is hard enough as it is- finding a good husband seems almost unthinkable. (An American Chick's Guide to the UK IND) Most of these options also require that you can show you have some amount of cash on hand anyway (so not having to tap into their welfare benefits). It looks like the first step is to secure a job in my profession after graduation for at least a year. If I do this I don't see myself doing it in Virginia. It's unbearably backward. Somewhere in New England or upper west coast maybe. Save save save, pay off loans, and take try to make more visits back here in the mean time. Waiting probably is a good idea anyway since the laws are changing. But the question is will the new streamlined processes across the EU make things easier or more difficult.
I know several friends who are interested in trying out living in a EU member state after they graduate. For these people you can find some information concerning this topic on the EU Immigration Blog. Hope that helps.
As for me.. who knows. I don't know what will happen next week, much less next year. I do know that I want to start having a family around 30 and need a career in order to pull that off well. Perhaps the dream of migrating can force me to get on the ball concerning finding a long term employment position (even if it conflicts with my dream to hold seemingly random professions in order to see more of how different people live their lives). Guess I can't really afford to be a hands on life-style researcher and do this at the same time.
Other Links
* Moving to Europe
* Moving to Canada/EU/Australia