A Lifetime Adventure: Setting Up Home in Another Country
It is the adventure of a lifetime. For anybody, moving a long distance to the other side of the country, or another one completely can be the thing to reinvigorate your life. Many people go to another country for years and find that they’ve set up a whole new life for themselves there and want to stay in this country permanently. but with such an upheaval in life comes a significant amount of preparation, but also a lot of emotional preparation. What do we all need to be aware of if we decide to set up home in another country permanently?
The Visa Application
This is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome. It’s crucial to check your new country’s government website to see what documents you need to send with your application. There are so many hoops to jump through, and once you’ve qualified for a visa and you are planning on living in this country permanently, you need to apply for permanent resident status which is where an immigration lawyer can help. Even if you’ve been living in a country for a few years, that doesn’t guarantee you can apply for permanent resident status. Depending on the country, you may need to show your ability to be financially self-sufficient and show that you can contribute to the country positively.
Navigating the Healthcare System
When you live in another country there will come a time when you encounter the healthcare system. Before going to another country you need to acquire your medical records. But again this depends on the individual country. For example, people moving to the United States from another country would need to check via the US Embassy for the relevant requirements. Certain countries require foreign residents to fund their own healthcare despite the healthcare infrastructure providing socialized medicine for naturalized citizens.
Preparing Yourself Culturally
Moving to another country is an adventure but when you decide to live somewhere, you still need to consider how it will make you feel. Another country might not feel like home right away. It’s important for you to ingratiate yourself with the culture by conducting additional research. Even if you’ve been living somewhere for years, it can still throw a cultural curveball.
Enroll With the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
Known as STEP, this will give you the most up-to-date information about the safety conditions of your chosen country. There can be a wide variety of emergencies, whether it’s a natural disaster or a family emergency, and enrolling with this program can help you considerably, especially when trying to settle into a new country, but still feeling torn between there and your homeland.
Moving to another country permanently can feel so final, but you have to be sure that you know when your heart of hearts that you are ready for the next adventure. Moving to another country permanently is something that you need to feel in your bones. And it can be the biggest adventure you will ever undergo. But always be sure to trust your instincts.
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