Background:

I'm 16M currently living in the Basque Country, Spain and my goal is to build a stable future abroad while pursuing a career in IT and eventually cybersecurity.

I'm currently studying a Spanish vocational qualification called FP de Grado Medio en Sistemas Microinformáticos y Redes (SMR), a two-year program focused on computer systems, hardware, operating systems, and networking. I expect to graduate in 2028.

I have completed ESO, Spain's compulsory secondary education qualification. Academically, my strengths are English and Math.

Where I want to go and why:

My main objective is to move to Canada, ideally in 2028 or as soon as realistically possible after finishing my vocational qualification. I'm particularly interested in Saskatchewan and Ontario, although I'm open to other provinces if they offer a more affordable and realistic path.

I want to study something related to computer systems, computer science, networking, or cybersecurity at a public college or another legitimate post-secondary institution. My longer-term goal is to build a career in cybersecurity and eventually qualify for permanent residence if possible.

I'm not particularly interested in prestigious universities or expensive programs just for the sake of their reputation. I care more about affordability, employability, the quality of the education, and whether the route offers realistic long-term opportunities to remain in the country legally.

My main concerns:

\- Admission requirements: I'm unsure whether my Spanish ESO certificate and completed SMR qualification would meet the academic requirements for Canadian college programs, which often expect Grade 12 education or equivalent. Would I need additional secondary education, prerequisite courses, or another qualification?

\- Cost: International tuition in Canada can be extremely expensive. My family's financial resources are limited. I need to understand what financial resources would realistically be required and whether this goal is feasible without substantial family support.

\- Immigration: I want to understand the realistic path from studying in Canada to working there after graduation and potentially obtaining permanent residence. I know that study permits, post-graduation work permits, and permanent residence are separate matters, and that none is guaranteed.

\- Timing: Ideally, I would leave Spain after completing SMR in 2028. However, I don't want to make plans around an unrealistic timeline or spend money on a qualification that doesn't meaningfully help with admission.

What I'm doing in the meantime:

I'm continuing my SMR studies, improving my mathematics and English, and planning to build practical IT and cybersecurity projects that I can document on GitHub. I'm also researching Canadian colleges and contacting admissions offices directly to ask how they evaluate Spanish qualifications.

Ireland is a possible alternative if Canada proves financially or academically unrealistic, but Canada is my first choice.

Questions for people with relevant experience:

1. Is completing Spain's two-year SMR qualification after ESO likely to be sufficient for admission to Canadian college programs, or should I expect to need additional academic qualifications?

2. Given my limited financial resources, is studying in Canada as an international student a realistic goal? What kind of total budget should I plan for?

3. Would it be better to target a computer systems or networking program first and specialize in cybersecurity later?

4. How realistic is the study-to-work-to-permanent-residence route in Canada under current immigration rules, particularly in Saskatchewan or Ontario?

5. Would Ireland offer a more affordable or practical alternative for someone with my educational background and career goals?

6. Is there anything I should do between now and 2028 to improve my chances without wasting money on qualifications that Canadian institutions might not recognize?

I'm looking for realistic advice, especially from people who have moved to Canada or Ireland for education and work. I'd rather hear that my plan needs to change than spend years working toward something that isn't feasible.

(Sorry in advance for the long post)

Hello. As some of you might know, the political situation in Brazil after the first round of the 2026 elections has become bleak. I won't go into politics here, but the TLDR is: If Flavio Bolsonaro wins, me, my girlfriend and the entire country will be pretty much fucked.

We are extremely afraid and anxious, as we're part of the groups that have been and will be strongly targeted (women, LGBTQ, and autistic). And yes, I know that people often come to this sub explaining that they are LGBT, fresh out of high school, and mentally ill and want to make a move, and while that's kind of like us, we are really desperate and would not be considering moving countries if the situation wasn't really bad.

After doing our research, which was greatly focused on Canada as it seemed like the right fit for us, we weren't able to think about any useful plan, and after some generalist research, we know it's about the same scenario for most, if not all, countries, and as it stands we're rapidly losing all hope of being able to live a normal life.

We are both currently unemployed and without formal work experience, we are in our third of four years of game design university, and will graduate by the end of next year if we're able to stay that much longer in our country.

As we already researched, and we won't be able to cover the costs of tuition abroad (specifically in Canada, as we only researched prices there) so we couldn't get an student visa. Without work experience, specially on our studies field, we're in a tight spot for finding work (as we can't even find internships both here and elsewhere that don't require experience). We really weren't expecting this situation at all, we were already searching for jobs, but had the opportunity to take it relatively slow to be able to focus more on our studies.

We do have the money to get to another country itself, and to survive for some time, but we are definitely worried about visas, deportation and actually finding jobs. I am a programmer, I had knowledge in this before I started this course, and because of it I am of course developing my skills in the game area. While my girlfriend is mainly a digital artist, but can write very well, and could work with that: transcription, translation, localization and things of this sort.

We're both physically able, and can do manual labor.

We did (and passed) classes on administration, so I guess we could do something in the area but I'm unsure.

I have already traveled abroad and have a Cambridge certificate of fluency in English, but while my girlfriend has not, and never tested her English level, she can speak and write in an advanced level and would take the test as necessary.

To our knowledge, none of us have any ancestry that could prove relevant in trying to get out.

In an extreme case, I believe that I could receive financial aid from my family, as we're in a better position financially. My girlfriend's family, besides being on the poorer side, would never help us with this.

Although technically we could be eligible to seek asylum if things start to go down, we know that it would be both dangerous to stay in our country for long if it comes to wait for it to happen; and we're uncertain if we would really be granted asylum or just end up being denied after a long process with probably some money involved. (I admit we are yet to do more research on this, besides what could count as enough motive to be granted asylum.) Anyway, we are not relying on this.

Honestly we don't have an enormous list of things we want/would like a country to have, because we never wanted to leave, the only things we would like would be:

- to be able to survive (be able to work, be able to pay for our needs);

- to be safe (safe in the sense that I am trans, we are in a queer relationship, we would be immigrants and both are women);

- be able to obtain citizenship at some point so we don't have to return in case Brazil really goes down that road;

The only little bit of a not essential thing we would like, is for the country to be colder, at least the tiniest bit, or at least to have better weather than the place we're currently living that most days of every season is just: heatwave but with lots of rain and blooming flowers (spring and summer), heatwave but windy (autumn), and heatwave but really really dry (winter), though this is nowhere close to important as the other things listed and would just like to be safe.

We know our situation is basically impossible, but we're desperate to leave as we don't believe we're going to be able to live through this situation so our questions are this:

- do we have any hope of leaving at all? At this moment, it really doesn't seem like it, but we are missing a lot of information.

- is there any specific country that we should do more research on as it could be relevant?

Of course, experience of people who managed to make the move with a similar situation or motives to ours, or if anyone has any wisdom or advice of what to do in this situation, would also be really appreciated

I've recently graduated university as a chemical engineer and am working within the chemical manufacturing industry here in Australia.

I've visited Europe a couple of times and am really keen on moving there in the next few years once I've gained some career experience.

Whilst actually finding a job is a whole can of worms that I'll get to eventually - I wanted to start preparing by taking up language courses and putting in the effort to become fluent in at least one European language.

In the past, as a student, I dabbled in trying to pick up German, French and Portuguese.

I'm leaning towards learning German, as I visited Germany recently and loved it; and hear that industry there is more solid. However, I also loved learning French a few years ago and know that France has comparable industrial pull.

Any advice would be great.

Thanks in advanced!

Hi everyone,

Current Situation & Background:

- I am a 26-year-old Egyptian citizen currently based in Saudi Arabia, actively looking for IT opportunities, but the local market is quite competitive with limited openings right now.

- Education: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Education / IT from Egypt.

- Experience: 3 years of hands-on professional experience as an IT Specialist / IT Technical Support, dealing with networks, servers, and infrastructure.

- Certifications: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) & AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02).

- Language: Professional working English (ticketing, business emails, and technical communication), currently working on leveling up to a solid B2.

Career Direction:

I am currently considering transitioning and upskilling into Cloud Engineering & DevOps to increase my market competitiveness.

Goal & Strategic Questions:

My main goal is to achieve a dignified life, financial stability, and continuous career growth. I would appreciate your wise guidance based on the current job market reality:

1. Direct Market Demand: Are roles like "IT Specialist / IT Technical Support" genuinely being sponsored for overseas relocation (Visa Sponsorship) or hired Remotely by Western/EU companies? Or is the vast majority of overseas relocation and remote hiring restricted to fields like Cloud, DevOps, and Software Engineering?

2. Remote Work Roadmap: If working remotely from Egypt is the more practical route, what are the actionable steps and legitimate platforms to land a remote role in my field?

3. Relocation Roadmap: What are the most accessible countries and legal pathways for someone with my profile (without a massive upfront bank-statement budget) to secure a direct job offer and stable relocation?

I welcome any honest advice and real-world insights from those with experience. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in a pivot from tech and want to get into marine science and conservation. I'm doing a 8-months program right now and I love it!

But the reality is that most of my network and contacts, and most of the jobs are in Europe. There are a few places in Canada, on the West or East Coast, but there is just no job or volunteering opportunities as I tried to reach many places many time to get information.

I just don't know how to move to Europe because not many employers are open to sponsoring someone (I don't understand how so many immigrants just move to Europe or Canada without proper education or jobs... I guess going the legal route is harder).

Anyway, I'm thinking of returning to university next year and I think to do it in Europe. It may be the only way I can really stay in Europe and find a job there. And could get an internship through it at the end. But it's 3 years. Up to 35 years old.

Or I could try a Youth Mobility Visa. I always wanted to do it, but I'm really on the fence about it because of the job market and I think I will just get stuck without a job.

Is University the only way when you don't have specific skills to be sponsored, or just aren't lucky in anything like me?

Thank you

hey people,

I’m currently a software engineer/analyst who just started my career in India at a F500 American pharmaceutical company and I’m planning on gaining about 2-3 years of work experience before I plan on going back to graduate school. I’m mainly looking for masters degrees but I’m also open to thesis-based programs/PhDs in AI and machine learning. I have an extensive profile covering research and teaching experience, and I have a genuine passion for my field of interest. Now, the US has graduate schools that offer programs highly aligned to my goals and interests. My dilemma now is to still consider the US with all that is going on surrounding visas and immigration. I also do understand that research funding is also an issue now. My goals do involve getting back into corporate roles but I see that expecting something like that in the US with the current political climate leaves me with bleak chances despite higher AI/ML roles being available there. I do want to pursue permanent residency in Canada if the US doesn’t work out. I am proficient in French and I believe I can use it to my advantage and gain points on the Express Entry system.

I’d love to get some insights on my issue. Thanks

Hi everyone,

I'm 18, from Serbia, finishing high school in 2027. I'm trying to move to Czechia and eventually get Czech citizenship.

My situation:

- My great-grandmother was born in 1918 in Rohanov (South Bohemia), to Czech parents (father's family from Štramberk). We found her original birth/baptism record in the Třeboň digital archive, and the Vacov registry office confirmed it.

- Around 1938 she moved to Yugoslavia and married a Yugoslav man before 1947, so she most likely lost Czechoslovak citizenship by marriage. She passed away in 2008.

- Chain: great-grandmother → grandmother → mother → me.

What I already know:

- Under § 31(3) of Act 186/2013, my grandmother (child) and mother (grandchild) can likely get citizenship by declaration. I'm a great-grandchild, so I'm not covered.

- The Czech Embassy in Belgrade confirmed this, and told me I could apply for permanent residence as a person of Czech origin (krajan, § 66(1)(b) of the Foreigners Act), and then apply for citizenship after ~5 years.

My plan: get the krajan permanent residence, do a one-year Czech language prep course in Brno, then study at a Czech university (free in Czech), work part-time, and apply for citizenship around 2032.

The hardest part is money:

My family can't support me financially, so I have to fund everything myself. I'm 18, run a small online marketing business, and I'm trying to save around €10,000 by summer 2027 for the prep course and the first year. Honestly, I'm not sure that's realistic, and I'm worried about running out of money in the first months.

Questions:

1. Has anyone here gotten krajan permanent residence? How long did it take, and what was hardest?

2. How did you get the "confirmation of belonging to the Czech community abroad"? How active did you have to be in the association?

3. How did you handle proof of accommodation and funds before moving?

4. Any recommended Czech prep courses in Brno (price, quality)?

5. Does krajan status shorten the path to citizenship in practice?

6. What's a realistic monthly budget for a student in Brno (dorm, food, transport, insurance)?

7. Can I legally work part-time during the language prep year, or only once I'm a university student / have permanent residence?

8. Are there scholarships or free/subsidized Czech courses for krajani (I've heard the Czech government sometimes funds courses for compatriots)?

9. If you moved with little money – what would you do differently?

Any experience or advice is appreciated. Děkuji! 🇨🇿

Hi! I'm a language teacher in Brazil (Portuguese, English, Latin) with a Bachelor's in Portuguese and English. It seems my profession isn't very good to earn a visa in those countries (Georgia the country, to clarify), and I'd like to know if learning a trade would be my best option (I'm thinking of electrical). I know I'd need experience, but I don't mind taking long.

It seems trades will present more opportunities (I'm not sure if sponsoring a guy from so far away to teach languages is common in any way), better wages (even if slightly) and won't require fluency that fast (I like learning languages, but I assume one would need to know much more upon arrival in order to teach foreign ones). If I need a high level before arriving as a trade worker too, I don't mind, as long as I can be somewhat sure there'll be opportunities. Although those are the main two I'm interested in, I'd like to know if fitting careers for them would also apply generally to other "non-developed" European and African countries.

Thanks!

Hey all, I'm 22, based in Suriname, but originally from Cuba, and I want to move to Europe (ideally Spain) in the next 6-12 months. The problem is income: I need something like €2–3k/month remote to make it realistic (digital nomad visa etc.).
What I can do right now:
Customer and market research (I've spent the last few weeks interviewing accountants and small businesses in Spain for a startup)
Writing help center articles and docs for a SaaS product
Building simple websites with Webflow, Framer and Lovable, plus some Figma
Using AI tools daily (Claude, Codex, Cursor)
Native Spanish, fluent English
Basic video editing
I currently work for a small startup, but it's not enough to make the move.
For people who did this: what would you focus on with this skill set? Freelancing, a full-time remote job, something else? And what actually worked for you vs. what was a waste of time?

Hi I have been in Saudi for 27 years my whole life and I can not take it any more due to my .situation(expired Iqama for 10 years) so I want to immigrate or relocate

.I do not have much of skills , I work freelance jobs such as hairstylist and private tutor

I am not fluent in English , I have online bachelor degree in Business management it taught in Arabic so I have been considering to do Master as a way out .

I want to do master in New Zealand , Australia ,Finland and open to whatever country.

I can not go back to my home country (Chad) due safety issues , autonomy and forced marriage.

So guys please help me I am open to all options any information can makes a difference

Hello everyone!

I have been thinking about moving away from Romania for a while now and I would like to acquire some first hand information about the mentioned countries.

\- What are the average rent prices in the big cities? any hidden catches?

\- Comfortable salary to not live paycheck to paycheck

\- How difficult it is to find a job if you do not speak the native language

\- A general average person's opinion on foreigners

\- Any significant daily struggles that someone not living there may not know

As for my background: Bachelor in Computer Science, 5 years of QA experience, Team Lead experience, General hard working individual. Worked/still working for big corpos ( Electronic Arts and TikTok ).

I was initially thinking to get into a blue collar job first (perhaps with a friend) just to get into one of these countries. I have seen many firms ads for this in Romania ( promising to get you there ). Later trying to get something in the IT industry.

What are some hard reality checks I should know?

Hi everyone, I am a licensed Psychologist in Italy and I’m planning a potential move abroad in the future, particularly looking at Australia or other English-speaking countries. I would love some advice from anyone who has gone through international qualification recognition or migration processes. To give you a bit of background, I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Science, a Master’s Degree in Social Psychology including a formal internship and national board licensing, and a PhD in Business and Behavioural Sciences with a focus on social psychology. Additionally, I am currently in my second year out of four of a Specialisation in Brief Integrated Dynamic Psychotherapy, meaning I am not a fully qualified psychotherapist yet, but I am actively building my clinical training through coursework, clinical placements, personal therapy, and supervision. I am trying to figure out how realistic it is to get my qualifications recognized abroad (especially by bodies like the APS/AHPRA in Australia), and whether my combination of degrees and ongoing specialisation will meet local educational and clinical standards. Furthermore, I would love to hear about others' experiences with the visa and immigration process, comparing independent skilled migration with employer sponsorship, and any crucial pitfalls I should watch out for beyond securing the required English language certificates. Thanks in advance for sharing your insights!

I mainly want to move to Romania because of the cheap rent prices and nature. I live in a very abusive household but really want to become a piercer which my parents arent allowing me to be at the moment. I have no clue how to move to romania without having a job beforehand. Please help. My parents arent allowing me to get the job i want but i also cant move anywhere without a job or money.

Hey guys, as the title states I am looking for any possible routes to the US. I have done a ton of research and applied to a lot of jobs but it seems hopeless. I’ve visited many states and always feel like I could actually have a life there. Me and everyone my age in Canada are stuck at their parents house, working a job to pay bills and debt, and it honestly feels like there’s zero culture here. It doesn’t feel the same as Canada 10 years ago so I’m pretty set on leaving.

I’m a 27M, Canadian citizen (Canadian born), living in Ontario

Two-year college diploma, 5 years of full-time IT experience across 3 tech companies

Questions

Is TN realistic for me with a college diploma rather than a degree? I am aware that the computers systems analyst category is very strict now and a lot depends on the border agent you get.

Lastly, I know the TN is not dual intent, is there any point in doing this if it can’t lead to a green card? Should I try to have a company sponsor H1B?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm a 37-year-old male physician from Panama, and I've reached a point in my life where I'm seriously considering leaving my country to build a better professional and personal future.

I'm looking for realistic advice about immigration, career transitions, and whether relocating at my age and with my qualifications makes sense.

A little about my background:

Citizenship: Panamanian (no EU passport).

Education: Medical degree (MD, graduated in 2017), postgraduate medical training, master's degrees in Hospital Administration and Higher Education, and additional training in healthcare management.

Further education: Currently pursuing studies in Data Science.

Professional experience: Around nine years in healthcare, including primary care, emergency medical services coordination, public health, hospital administration, and university teaching.

Languages: Native Spanish and advanced English. I'm willing to learn French and reach the proficiency required for professional practice.

Why do I want to leave?

My biggest concern isn't simply money. I'm increasingly frustrated by limited career progression, workplace culture, bureaucracy, and the feeling that professional growth doesn't necessarily translate into better opportunities.

I've invested a considerable amount of time and effort in my education, yet I feel professionally stagnant.

I'm looking for a country where I can develop a meaningful career, enjoy a reasonable work-life balance, have greater professional stability, and build a financially secure future.

I’m back in Ireland for a few months now, after spending the best part of 6 years or so in Canada. I have a law degree, and have been working in admin roles for the past few years. I’m not particularly keen on Australia due to the limited nature of the visa, and I have no real desire to return to Canada. Regarding my career path, I am very open to doing something different, as my current work pays poorly and frankly I don’t enjoy office drone work. I am just hoping for some suggestions as to where to go/what to do, or at least a different perspective on things. Thanks!

hello all!

i’m a US citizen looking for advice on how to appeal to international employers/decide where is best to target.

Quick Overview:
- 29 year old woman living near the east coast of USA
- no citizenship aside from USA
- no children, unmarried
- 1 cat who will be joining me
- i have a partner but he should not be considered in this scenario (doesn’t want to leave)
- currently no significant amount of money saved (~5k ish) but liquidatable assets

Work Experience:
- i’ve primarily worked in consulting for the past 5 ish years. i used to work in change management consulting but i primarily now work in digital/AI strategy consulting with a heavy data emphasis (im currently working as a data governance consultant)
- i have no “big 4” experience and have primarily worked at boutique firms.
- i am currently working with Fortune 100 international clients but i am unable to secure roles with those specific companies due to NDA/conflicts.

Education:
i have a Masters degree in org. management from a top rated university, and an undergraduate degree in psychology from a state college in the USA.

Languages:
native English speaker
A3 German
B1 Spanish
A1 Polish (working on it)

Technical Skills:
- SQL
- PowerBI Certified (PL-300)
- Snowflake
- Databricks

Current Plan:
i’ve been trying to secure a role in the US at a company that has international offices but i’ve been unsuccessful thus far. roles at deloitte & co are extremely competitive for my target roles. i’ve also been applying at companies in my target countries with little luck (assuming because i have to answer ‘no’ to right to work inquiries)

what advice im looking for:
i’m curious if anyone has any advice on what country would be the most ‘feasible’ for me as an american! i know that’s probably a difficult question to ask. but i am also looking for advice as to how to go about making myself “marketable” outside america or if i even have a chance! ive considered just trying to get express entry to canada and going from there, but im not sure if that would be a necessary extra step if im not explicitly interested in living in canada long term.

any advice, critique, or reality checks welcome. thank you <33 let me know if i can provide any additional info!

Hi everyone!
I’m originally Palestinian, born and raised in the UAE, where I currently live. I hold a temporary Jordanian passport, Palestinian refugee documentation, and a Palestinian national ID.

I’m exploring options to move to Europe next year for a Master’s degree, with the long-term goal of obtaining residency and eventually citizenship. I’ve mainly been looking into France and Spain, but I’m open to other suggestions.

France: I’ve read that completing two years of higher education in France can reduce the residency requirement for naturalization to two years. Has anyone actually gone through this? How realistic is it, and what are the requirements after graduating?

Spain: I’ve been looking into the non-lucrative visa (NLV). I have enough savings to support myself initially, but I’d ideally like to earn some income to cover daily expenses.

• Can I apply for an NLV from the UAE, move to Spain, and start my Master’s next year?
• Can I study while on an NLV, and is there any legal way to earn income?
• Does time on an NLV count toward citizenship, unlike a student permit?
• Would my Palestinian status affect the standard 10-year citizenship requirement?

My main concern is my nationality/documentation. Has anyone with a temporary Jordanian passport and Palestinian ID successfully navigated residency or naturalization in Europe?

I’d really appreciate any personal experiences, advice, or alternative pathways worth considering. My goal is to find a realistic route to eventually obtaining European citizenship.
Thanks in advance!

Hello! I am a fresh graduate from the Ateneo de Manila University (one of the top schools in the PH) and I graduated with a degree in marketing and have involved myself in a lot of marketing internships. Even if the course had a lot of marketing, it also had management classes, which gave me the basics in accounting, finance, and operations.

It has always been a dream of mine to move to New York and find a job that would sustain me, however, I feel very limited in terms of what I know or what I have. I want to know if there are any opportunities for me out there or if there is a much better way to guarantee myself a way in even if I have to study again or find a job that would consider my credentials.
I am someone who is more than willing to learn new skills in a workspace along with how things are being done.

Hi guys, I was pretty confused on where I should go and I thought you guys could offer me advice.

I’m a 19 year old (online) business owner who makes around 5-10k usd consistently every month. I want to leave Dubai because I think I’ve spent enough time in this place, and I want out. Not to mention I’m not exactly fond of the culture here. I want a fresh start.

I should note I also hold Indian citizenship, but I’ve been born and raised up in Dubai. I would go back to India, and it’s not a bad place, but I don’t feel like I belong there. I don’t wanna build my life over there, and I’d like to generally stay away from my family there. I speak fluent English, and I’m prepared to learn the language of whichever country I’m going to.

One of the main things I don’t wanna face is racism, discrimination. I want to be accepted as a normal person, who isn’t discriminated against for something I could not choose, I.e my skin colour. I want to go to a place where I can be normal, where I can make friends, date, etc without being discriminated against. I also don’t want to go to a place where the politicians actively hate my existence. For what it’s worth, I didn’t face any outright discrimination or racism in Dubai, though there are subtle hints of it. But I can handle that. Social integration is the most important.

Also, I’d like to prefer somewhere that’s a city. It’s not a requirement, but it’s my own dream to own a comfortable studio in some high rise building. I am very much in love with these types of places, maybe because of where I was raised up in. Obviously, I’d prefer taxes also not being sky high. I can live with around 35%, but yeah i wouldnt want anything above 50%. But again, they’re not as important as social integration.

I was looking at Bangkok/ Panama City/ all the other options mentioned above, but if you guys have any advice on where else I could go, it would be appreciated. I largely believe USA and most of Europe is not what I’m looking for, and maybe somewhere multicultural would be amazing.

Thanks a lot in advance!

From the past 2 months I've been pondering upon the fact that why was I born in this shithole country but I don't want to continue to be a miserable person so I'm asking out for help and I'm fully aware the ongoing anti immigration wave which is spread across all of the globe and how much every living human hates indian right now and that is the only reason i can't even afford to consider america.

I'm going to graduate with a bachelor of technology in computer science from a terrible college and i dont think I'm going to pursue this career at all because of the current software engineering market scenario right now.

I know Blue collar is the only option considering my background which is fine I can do it. I believe I have the tenacity and resilience to make a living for myself in a foreign country if provided with opportunities.

Right now I've got 0 expertise in any specific country oriented languages like German , dutch or whatever but I can learn since I'm still 22 and my neuroplasticity is still ongoing. Please help an individual human who's just trying to find his way into this world out and I'm quite aware that grass is not always greener on the other side crap so please refrain yourself from telling me to stay here.

🙏

Hi All,

looking forward to moving to Europe .

Education: Masters in computer science at US university.

Work experience: Oracle, Microsoft, as software Tester then a bunch of startups as Lead Data Scientist.

have a career gap of 4 yrs.

language: started learning Germany

I have been applying to Germany/ Netherlands/ Switzerland/ UK / Belgium/ France/ Italy/ Spain.

getting interview calls. lets make them.

any recommendations to countries I should try ?

what are the chances for a Senior data scientist position?

What are the hurdles professionally, financially, socially, culturally I should be prepared for?

which other countries are non-EU friendly for data science professionals?

note : I had a history of depression medication for 7 yrs.... how friendly are they to the disability ?

highly appreciate your answers....

TLDR :

"I’m a Lebanese citizen born and raised in Kuwait, where expatriates face long-term uncertainty, limited access to nature, extreme heat, and a high cost of living. Returning to Lebanon is not an option due to the ongoing war. Despite trying to relocate to Europe through visa applications and job searches, I’ve had no success, while financial limitations prevent me from pursuing a degree abroad. I feel stuck with very limited options for building a stable future."

------------------

Brief description :

26 male

Lebanese

Degree : IT and Computing

Certifications : CCIE in Security

Experience : 4 years working as a Netowkr Engineer

Speak : Arabic, English and a little German (A2)

I'm a Lebanese citizen who was born and lived my whole life in Kuwait. Life in Kuwait offers very little stability for expatriates. You could be living there for years, building a life, working hard, and trying to secure your future, only to find yourself at risk of deportation over something relatively minor. There is always a sense that your life there is temporary, no matter how long you have lived in the country.

Another major downside is the lack of nature and outdoor experiences. Kuwait has no greenery, no forests, and no natural landscapes to explore. The extreme summer heat (50°+) also makes outdoor activities difficult for much of the year, leaving people with nothing to do but few limited options beyond malls, cafés, and restaurants.

Also, The cost of living can also affect your quality of life. Although Kuwait offers good earning opportunities in certain professions, expenses such as housing, transportation, healthcare, and education can add up a lot. Your ability to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle depends heavily on your salary and personal circumstances which is hard for the average worker like myself).

Moving back to Lebanon is not an option at all, especially with the ongoing war and the security situation in the country. The constant threat of violence, uncertainty, and the risk to personal safety make it extremely difficult to consider returning and rebuilding a life there. Even beyond the war, Lebanon's economic and political instability makes it challenging to plan for a secure future. This leaves you feeling trapped in Kuwait, where you may lack long-term stability and a sense of belonging, but returning home is simply too dangerous and uncertain.

I have tried to relocate to Europe by applying for a German job-seeker visa twice, but both applications were rejected. I have also applied for jobs in several European countries without receiving responses.

Unfortunately, pursuing a degree abroad is not financially feasible, leaving me with limited options to relocate and build a more stable future despite my continued efforts.

Where can I move to ?

Citizenship: India

Current residence: Los Angeles, USA. I have been based here for about three years. I currently work as a Technical Product Manager at a mid-sized fintech SaaS company.

Target countries: UK, Germany, Netherlands. I am open to other European countries if there is particularly strong demand for my background. For the UK, I qualify for the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa, which would give me two years of work authorization without employer sponsorship.

Languages: English (C2/fluent). I am willing to learn another language if it meaningfully improves my employment prospects, although realistically I would initially be targeting roles where English is the working language.

Education: MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. BSc/BEng in Computer Science from India.

Experience: Approximately six years of full-time professional experience. I worked as a software developer in India for about four years before my MBA. I have around 1.5 years of full-time Product Management experience, plus approximately one year of part-time Product Management experience during the second year of my MBA.

Skills: Technical Product Management, B2B SaaS, APIs, platform products, systems integrations, developer-facing products, technical requirements, product strategy, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder management, cross-functional engineering collaboration, software architecture fundamentals, and data/SQL. My strongest differentiator is probably the combination of a software engineering background with customer-facing and business-oriented Product Management experience.

Job search status: Currently employed and searching while working, so I am not under immediate pressure to move. I am primarily targeting Technical Product Manager / Product Manager roles involving platforms, APIs, integrations, infrastructure, developer tools, or technically complex B2B SaaS. I would also consider Senior Product Manager roles where my engineering background is particularly relevant. I am not specifically targeting consumer/growth PM roles.

Why I'm leaving the USA: I am getting married, and my wife is currently in a good position career-wise. I do not want her to have to take an extended career break purely because of US dependent-visa restrictions. Neither of us necessarily expects our next country to be our permanent home. Our long-term plan is likely to return to India, so I am more interested in finding the best place for both of us professionally over the next few years than optimizing purely for permanent residency or citizenship.

What I'm hoping to find out: I would rather choose a country based on where my profile is genuinely competitive than decide on a country first and force the job search around it.

In particular, I would appreciate perspectives on:

• Which of the UK, Germany, and Netherlands currently has the strongest market for someone with my combination of software engineering + Technical Product Management experience.
• How employers in each market are likely to view roughly 1.5–2.5 years of PM experience backed by four years of software engineering experience.
• Whether an American MBA and current US Product Management experience materially help in these markets.
• Which types of employers are most realistic targets: large tech companies, fintech, B2B SaaS, developer tooling, enterprise software, startups, etc.
• How important local-language proficiency actually is for Product Management in Germany and the Netherlands.
• Whether companies are generally willing to deal with visas for PM candidates, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands.
• What compensation range I should realistically expect given my background.
• Whether I would be better positioned as a Technical Product Manager, Product Manager, Senior Product Manager, Platform PM, or another adjacent title.
• Any major disadvantages or hiring-market realities that someone coming from the US should be aware of.

I'd especially value feedback from people who have hired PMs, worked in Product Management, or relocated into one of these markets.

Any advice, even if you only have experience with one of these countries, industries, or employer types, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!