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help finding region of birth?

I’m trying to find what part of the Austro-Hungarian empire my great-grandfather was born in. His paperwork from America seems to vary, 1910 census he lists Austria, 1920 census he lists Bohemia, and 1930 census he lists Czechoslovakia. The town he is from is also very, very small today, so online sources haven’t been too helpful. It says on his birth certificate that he was born in Zahrádek, Czechoslovakia, but I feel like this must have been amended at some point, because he was born in 1874, before Czechoslovakia was a country.

When I look this place up, it yields multiple results, so i’m not sure what’s more likely. I know that my grandpa told me that his Dad spoke Czech, but he could have also possibly spoken German as well, but neither very well as he mostly spoke English, so it doesn’t really narrow much down. I also know that he changed the spelling of our last name from Lukas, to Lucas sometime in the late 1930’s to the early 1940’s, if that gives any clues. We are not Jewish at all and he never left America after leaving Europe, so changing it because of the war would have been a weird choice, but it’s possible.

I’m trying to obtain citizenship by descent in Hungary based off of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so it’s important which kingdom he was officially born in. Can anyone help me?

Hello!

My husband and I are in dire straits and could use your help and suggestions.

We are an international couple (Canadian and American), and desperate to live together. 18 months ago we started a petition to get me to move to the US to be with him, and we haven’t heard anything back yet. It’s looking like the chances of getting a visa is getting slimmer and slimmer with every day that goes by and frankly we are nervous to settle down in the US for obvious reasons.

We are looking for suggestions of a third country we can reunite in, ideally somewhere soon (by fall). We can’t plan our life. We can’t build a family. We weren’t even able to have a wedding, we have sacrificed so much and we are both in agony.

Me:

• 32 F, Canadian citizen
• Tech product manager, 8 years experience
• French language skills (B2)
• Open to full time work or masters programs

My husband:

• 36 M, US citizen
• Muralist (successful, self employed, steady work and murals across the USA)
• Open to work (freelance or FT employment) or masters program

Please note that we have significant debt (my husbands student debt is in USD, private loans and I have a ton of CAD debt which would be easier to pay off with a higher currency) it’s challenging if we’re making CAD.

Any suggestions of a place we can build a life in? Thank you so much for reading.

22 YO female single with a medical background as a paramedic for 1.5 years. I know it won't get me much so I wanted to try the WHV (working holiday visa) to permanent residency. Now I know that you can't get full-time jobs as WHV so I was wondering If I could get a job at an accredited job so I can then possibly apply for a working visa once I am in NZ.

With the election pushing America towards a theocractic oligarchy, I am a bit worried that I won't be able to survive the next four years. So, in a desperate attempt to figure out what to do with my life I am contemplating leaving the U.S.

The issue is, I feel like it's impossible. Currently, I am a twenty four year old man with a degree in English (Concentrated in Professional Writing), and Psychology.

Right now, I am thinking about going to graduate school for Librarian Science. However, in all honesty that might change as I'm being drawn towards coding and things of that nature (lowkey don't have any direction besides that).

Career-wise, I've worked in food service for five years, then for two years I worked at my University's Provost Office as a Receptionist, then I did a paid-internship where I transcribed historical tape recordings (among other things), and now I'm working as a Library Aide.

I feel like all of that is pointless. Whatever the case, I guess my question is 1. is this pointless? Is there no hope? 2. How can I make myself look like a better candidate?

I should also mention, that, I am open to other countries. The only reason I thought about Ireland is because I'm pretty sure that I have some Irish Ancestry. But in general, I'm looking for English-Speaking countries (mostly), or countries with colder climates.

My father was born in Portuguese Macau and he passed away 40 years ago when I was a little kid. I just recently discovered his Portuguese passport. I can't find his original birth certificate but I found what I believe is a certified copy of his birth certificate. I also found other documents (all in Portuguese) from his life in Macau (which I don't think will help me in my case): identity card, driver's license, vaccination record, high school diploma, military leave. My questions are:

1. Do I have a case to obtain Portuguese citizenship?
2. Will I need a lawyer to do that? I live in the US and am thinking contacting a Macau-based immigration lawyer who may be able to help find any missing documents from local government.
3. Do I have to pass the language test? I don't speak Portuguese.

Hi! So I gratuated BSc in nursing last year and I’m working in cardiology in Finland. I wanted to study this because I wanted to get a profession in which I can go out to the world and same time help people. I think now it’s the time to think how I can get out of here and gain international experiense. I have been thinking about saint helena a lot and would want to know if anyone here has knowledge about moving there. I know it’s remote and that internet and traveling are not as great as here, but that just sounds great to me. I’m also interrsted in the pacific islands and I wonder how difficult the process is (licensing and visa). Islands like Fiji and Vanuatu are very interesting opportunities. I also understand that the pay is shit and working conditions are not as good (also okay, I’m not looking for money and glory). I’m planning to stay in Finland about the next 1,5 years to get experience and studying masters but after that I am sure I’m leaving somehow. So, any experiences? Specially if you are a nurse and have travelled in these places or know something, I would love to know. Thank you!

Hello all! We are needing helpful suggestions on how to make this change. Here’s a bit on our backgrounds:

• We are from a medium sized city in the Midwest. I am a white male, my wife is South Asian and our daughter is mixed. We live in a fairly liberal area in a solidly red state that just doesn’t reflect our values any more.

• Our original plan was to move to a coastal area in the US, but I recently found out that my daughter and I are eligible to apply for German citizenship by descent. This sparked a shift in the conversation towards moving to Europe.

EDIT: Yes, I am aware of the lengthy process of obtaining citizenship documents, but I have been in contact with the German consulate and there should be a path to applying for a passport directly with them instead of going through the bureaucracy of obtaining citizenship documents. So that would cut down on the timeframe by months, if not years.

• We are fairly well traveled as a family, having been to a dozen countries in Europe and elsewhere in the world. We haven’t lived outside the US, so that experience is new to us.

• We own our home in a suburban area that is desirable and we have a decent amount of equity in it, so we’d probably just put any belongings in storage and rent the house out through a property management company, just in case we decide to come back in the future.

• So based on what I’ve seen with the EU, having my German citizenship would allow us to work and live anywhere in the EU indefinitely. We run several online businesses that are location independent and would have sufficient income from those businesses and investments. We’ve also talked about running a small tour guide business in our new home, if we needed some extra income or just for fun. We wouldn’t be dependent on outside employment.

• Regarding our daughter, she is in middle school currently. She is in advanced classes and is extroverted and makes/holds friends easily, so I think she’d adapt ok. There’s always a concern of uprooting her and moving during a crucial stage in her development, though. I think we’d prefer to put her in an “American school” wherever we move, to try and minimize the changes.

As far as where we are interested in looking, this is where we need the most help. We’ve talked about the Netherlands, Northern Italy, Germany (I speak German at a B1 level), Portugal, but don’t really know what we would prefer. This isn’t an exhaustive list, just places we’ve had a conversation about.

We’d probably rather be in a mid-sized city with a vibrant ex-pat community, some level of tourism that we could run a small business around, a good English/American school, and somewhat close to a major airport for travel to/from the US and other vacations.

Any suggestions on areas that would fit this description? What are some of your favorite places you’ve lived in Europe as an ex-pat?

Thanks!

This is not about me but about a friend of mine that I worry for.

I have a long standing gaming friend who is born and lives with his family in Russia. He is part of the LGBT and fears for his future in the country, having to mask himself day to day. His family is alcoholics and physically abuse him. He wants to leave but is unsure of how to do this and what countries would take him. He is looking towards EU countries primarily. Does anyone have experience on how to practically migrate out of Russia and has advice to share? He mentioned that it should be possible to take a flight from Moscow but i dont know if theres other options that could be cheaper on his very limited budget, travel bus maybe? I am very worried about my friend but dont know how to help them.

He has:
* A passport
* A very limited budget

Wife is a citizen of Ireland, so we can move there or anywhere in the EU or UK. We have one child. I work in tech sales and real estate, and my wife is an emergency veterinarian. I know anywhere in the UK would also work worried about her earning potential outside of this country and my ability to find a job. Her best triend lives in London and would help us with childcare, so that has to be an option.

The thought of leaving both of our families is difficult, but we are considering moving, for our child's benefit, on top of us wanting to have a second child and fearing a national abortion ban.

Where else should we be looking besides London and Dublin? Thank you!

Hello, I’ve been living in the US for the majority of my life and I am eager to leave the US due to the worrisome political climate. I specifically want to move to Australia as I have a dual citizenship and close family in Sydney.

However, I have a long time American partner that also wants to move. He has a BS in Software Engineering but limited experience in his field.

Does anyone on this subreddit have experience with moving to Australia through an Australian partner or the WHV? I really want to make this move for my own wellbeing but want to be realistic with our immigration prospects. Thanks!

I'm just looking for someone to help straighten my head. My fiancé and I are in the US, and we're trying to leave due to the political environment, ideally to Scotland if we can. We'd like to try and get student visas, but it's been a decade since either one of us has been to school. Work visas, from my understanding, are not an option since the job market in our area is hell; fiancé manages to cover the bare minimum by working retail, but I've been unemployed for over 2 years despite my best efforts (my last job was pharmacy technician. Last interview I had was for a manager position at a fast-food place, but said interview ended up not happening because it was scheduled with an ai app, and the manager was not present at the scheduled time. The hiring person never got back to me afterwards.) Aside from that, I'm currently not the best at quickly researching visa/immigration laws while figuring which parts of my life are political chess games. Spending hours scanning the UK and Scottish websites only gets me so far, if there's a way to explain things clearly please help me.

31M, very willing to adapt and work. I am not here to discuss politics, though I have my own personal concerns and reasons for wishing to leave.

I was also unable to finish my college degree, but I am educated and willing to finish it. I understand that an unfinished degree can be a point against me.

Honestly, I just figured I’d check and see if it was possible at all to move there, however unlikely it may be. Even if I have to work a crappy job or get started by continuing my college education there if possible. Or whatever else.

Perfectly understandable if not possible. Worth a shot anyway.

EDIT: Either some folks have made an assumption or I worded something wrong. But I have plenty of work experience and useful workforce skills. I know I didn’t make that clear initially, but I very much have work experience. When I said that I was willing to adapt and work, I meant I’m willing to do so in the country and not just sit around there. I have zero intention of being a burden on society, and I understand it’s difficult and selective.

My husband (35M) and I (33NB) have aspirations to move to The Netherlands. The DAFT pathway seems achievable for us, but I have some questions and would appreciate your insights or experiences.

Edit: I meant bicycle mechanic, sorry for any confusion. I realize in hindsight that 'mechanic' is a strange word to use for a bicycle! He does bike repair/building/customization.

First off, I'd like to address some common concerns that come up in these posts:

• Housing crisis: We are aware of the housing crisis in the Netherlands. We have sufficient savings to buy an apartment outright, so we wouldn't have to worry about renting or a mortgage. Our plan is to buy first and then immigrate, so we wouldn't leave without having housing secured. We would like to move to Rotterdam or a nearby town like Schiedam. Yes, we do feel guilty about contributing to another country's housing crisis, but from a selfish/personal perspective, it seems feasible.
• Language skills: I'm currently taking university-level Dutch classes after three years of self-study and Duolingo. Theoretically I'm at an A2 level now, but it's an A2 with huge knowledge gaps. I'm starting fresh with formal classes to re-learn some things correctly and get more fluent, but I'll only be around B1 by the time we're ready to immigrate. This worries me, since I may not be ready to conduct full training sessions in Dutch by the time we move. My husband is way behind (like A1, maybe A2), but we're hopeful that working as a bike mechanic will be doable in English or basic Dutch while he learns. He does have 5 years of German somewhere in the back of his brain, so what little Dutch he has studied, he's picked up much more quickly/intuitively than me.
• Socialization/loneliness: We've considered how difficult it will be to find/build community as foreigners in The Netherlands, but at the same time we're two autistic introverts with basically no social circle in the US. Worst case scenario, we have the same level of social interaction we have here.

On to the questions. At this stage, we're grappling with two main concerns: do we understand DAFT correctly (i.e., will we get approved), and do we have a realistic assessment of our ability to earn a living with our skill sets?

1. DAFT requirements: I get kind of mixed impressions of the requirements between reading what's on the official government websites and what's on blogs and immigration attorney sites. On the one hand, the intent of the treaty is to encourage business between the US and Netherlands. But on the other, there doesn't seem to be any restrictions on business type. Our intention is that one of us would do DAFT and then the other would get a work permit as a spouse, so we'd each have our sole proprietorships but one of us would have the option to pick up part-time work. This gives us the option to put whichever is the more favorable business type on paper. Does anyone who's familiar with DAFT have any concerns about a sole proprietorship in dog training or bike repair qualifying?
2. Demand for skill sets: Does anyone happen to know about the demand for bike shops or dog trainers in NL? I hear that there's always demand for bike shops, but I'm not sure if that's real or a joke/stereotype. In deciding whose business to put on the DAFT paperwork, we will also want to weigh which of us could get hired by a company for part-time non-freelance work; if there's a significant discrepancy, we'd want the more marketable person to have that ability.
3. Legal advice: For those who have done DAFT, did you get any legal/immigration advice before you started? I know it can be done DIY and an immigration attorney is not needed, but my worst nightmare is we buy a house and then get denied. My second-worst nightmare is we get approved, but then don't get approved for the renewal in two years because our business isn't true Dutch/American commerce (or whatever).
4. Financial feasibility: Can we get a reality check on budget? Our industries aren't exactly "high-skill" (in the sense that our skills don't earn high pay). We're thinking that by owning our living space outright and living in a less expensive city, we can lower our costs enough to have a reasonable chance of success. But are you reading this thinking, "yikes, that'll never work?"
5. Real estate: And lastly, is there any advice for working with a real estate agent remotely? I'd love to hear anyone's experiences in buying a house when they aren't local to go to open houses.

Thanks for any advice. We've been working toward this since 2022, but we're transitioning from the planning stage to the implementation stage now. That's exciting, but overwhelming. We're grateful for any insights or experiences you can share. We also have a trip to Rotterdam coming up later this year, so if there's anything we should make sure we do while we're there to help get our affairs in order, that would be helpful to start thinking about.

Hi! So i wanted some advice from americans to choose wisely a city to live!

I'm deciding on where to live in USA to decide on what community college to chose. Im searching for a place with a good cost of living and opportunities in the job market, but the internet is too vague on this information or idk how to search it right

A city i love all the time i go is miami cause of all the nonstop movement going on there and the tall buildings and stuff lol

So if yall could help me know more about cities i would love to hear it!

Hi there, so currently I’m a 20 year old studying biochemistry up in Maine. With the current administration promoting the breakdown of the Education department, not being able to finish my degree is a very real possibility. I’m currently 2 years into my program and I was researching possible ways to study abroad and which countries would have the highest chance of even accepting me if I applied. Right now I’m banking on my major and apprenticeships for studying PFAS as a potential route to be seen as “critical” employment. Right now my biggest worry is funding as I’m flat broke. Do you guys think this is even worth investing my time? Thanks.

Hey all!!

I’m 32F (black) looking to relocate (possibly permanently) to one of the aforementioned countries with my 12 year old. I graduated law school last year and am sitting for the bar at the end of the month.

I’m not sure how this will work but maybe I can do remote work or work in house?

Any advice or suggestions or ideas are welcomed.

I know with my age it's unlikely, but how likely is it that a single/no children/no direct family, 57 year old who works as a Ship Reporter/Ship Reporting (logging movement of vessels, no maritime journalism) could get employment in Ireland or Canada. I think than in both (for sure in Ireland) such positions are Government (EU for Ireland) jobs and so I'm guessing no hope? I work overnights and have no problem with the loneliness (I prefer it). I also publish books on the side, and have longtime employment history as a fiction editor? (but no one in America reads anymore, so...) Granted, I don't speak any other languages.

It's a pipe-dream, isn't it? I have nothing keeping me here (no wife, kids, family) but leaving seems impossible.

So I'm trying to get my masters degree in either the UK, Ireland or France and eventually immigrate to.

I chose Ireland and UK mainly due to their conversion course options so I can take a master's degree that's unrelated to my bachelor's I'm getting in the spring (Digital Media) and go for a master's degree in CS or anything related to that.

While France does not have that option, it is a beautiful country with a slower way of life and great work-life balance.

I know the UK is quite skiddish in sponsoring international students for a skilled worker visa and Ireland's housing crisis is well known by now, but those are challenges and risks I'm willing to take in order to leave the US and fulfill my goal. Trade-offs and all.

PS: I don't care about going to school in London, Dublin or Paris. I am aware of how expensive they are. Please do not assume that's all I'm aiming for.

I'm going to ask for advice on a few different things.

1. If you don't know what happened to passports regarding transgender people in the United States, it would be easier for you to look up than for me to explain. I have my driver's license and social security card in my new legal name, but my birth certificate and expired passport don't match. Being that I can't get a passport, does anybody have any ideas?

2. Additionally, I would like to ideally move to either Germany or Italy, but anywhere in Europe is on the table for me. I prefer Europe because I can get by with only knowing English for a while. It is the only language I currently know.

Edit: "for a while." Obviously I am going to be learning the language of whichever country I move to, but it is unrealistic to be fluent in like 2 weeks. I will be learning the language once I figure out which specific country I can go.

3. I have an associates degree in general studies and a bachelor's degree in biology with a marine bio minor. I also have been working in vet med for 3.5 months. What kind of jobs could I successfully be hired for in any of these countries, and how would I go about doing it?

4. Financially, I barely make enough money to pay my bills currently. When I decide where to move, find a job, and get my documents in order, how should I go about getting the money to make this move? Should I sell my used car? Are there financial aid companies overseas that I could talk to about getting help with emigration? I know these are a lot of questions, but if anybody has information on any of these questions I would really appreciate it. I need help figuring out where/how to start.

Basic Info: Me and my partner (not married) are both genderqueer people living in the United States right now. I am an environmental scientist with a Master's degree in natural resource conservation as well as additional conservation qualifications (Bachelor's + Graduate Certificate in wildlife/conservation topics), and my partner is a freelance skilled worker with no formal degrees past HS diploma, but very skilled knowledge of a field that is not US exclusive.

In addition to my field of study and queerness, I am also AFAB, which I fear could also become an increasingly large barrier for me to find work, even if it was not conservation work. I am very worried about my potential job options (most US conservation jobs are federal/state or receive government funding), and I am a queer AFAB person in a STEM field.

I have been learning French for around 9 years now, and am relatively conversational (although I would not consider myself fluent, probably around B2-C1 depending on the topic of conversation), and based on a lot of other recommendations I've read through here, I think that it would be best to move somewhere that speaks French in some capacity, so we are looking at France (or maybe Belgium). For added context, I have been to France multiple times and do not think that it is going to be like Ratatouille or Emily in Paris and do not think that life will be perfect. Also, I am aware that France and Belgium do not legally recognize non-binary people, however I think that I would rather live in a country that could see that happen at some point than a country that has recently removed my status as a person and seems to be sliding in a bad direction.

Questions: Main questions I have, outside of any other help that anyone wants to give are:

1. Are there any conservation (wildlife, nature, etc.) companies that you know of that operate within any of these countries and are open to hiring non-citizens? I have seen plenty of job openings I would be qualified for, but all of them require citizenship of the respective country as a qualification. Not very interested in internships because they are usually only 6-12 months long.

2. Are there any keywords related to conservation/sustainability used in French that would not be intuitive to an English speaker? For example, I know that if I search for "Park Ranger" it will bring up US state and national parks jobs only, because "park ranger" is only used for those roles, but I imagine that searching for the equivalent position in French would not just be a direct translation of "park ranger" and instead be a completely different title. Not actually looking to be a park ranger in France, just trying to clarify what I mean.

3. Would it be possible for my partner to be eligible for a skilled worker visa even if they are currently freelance? They have more savings than me, however I have more formal education, so I don't know who would have a better shot at getting a visa approved.

4. Would it be possible for us to relocate together even if we were not married and only one of us gets a visa?

5. Should I get my French language skills tested (CERF / DELF / etc.) now to have my language level officially recorded? I don't know how useful it would be on a CV, but if that has made a difference for anyone here, I will do it!

6. Would enrolling in a university in one of these countries increase my chances of employment, even if it was a similar degree to the ones I already have?

7. Of France and Belgium, is one "better" for conservation/wildlife work compared to the other? Mainly looking for non-government jobs (I think I would not be competitive as an immigrant compared to an equally qualified citizen) but don't know how strong private conservation groups are by each country.

*This is my first post ever on reddit, so sorry if I didn't do something right with tags, title, etc. Sorry for so many questions, thank you for replying if you do even if it is only to one of them!

I am a US citizen and an OCI and am in a same-sex marriage to a US citizen. We are new parents of an infant and I want to file the infant’s OCI. I am stressed by the fact that the application on the Indian government application (https://ociservices.gov.in/submitAppDetails) has mandatory fields for “mother” and “father”. My baby is eligible for OCI and this would have been a non-issue if we the parents were in a heterosexual marriage. Could someone please advise? Thank you.

I'm a 24yo male from Chile. I've decided to move abroad due to a lot of reasons, many of that related with my professional future objectives that in my current country I cannot reach and the current state of it when I have to live in a country with rising crime, gangs and violence and economical stagnation.

Due to personal reasons and the Covid pandemic, I decided to postpone studying in the university and I preferred to work, finally in 2024 I started to prepare my application to university on which recently I was notified that I was accepted in the best University here to study a degree.

The problem is what I mentioned before was the original plan, right now I don't know if continue with it because I don't know if I can live 4 more years here. Last year I was robbed two times with a gun, situation that provokes to me mental health problems like extreme paranoia and panic when I'm in the street. Also Chile is having a lot of problems that are making this country a shithole without any intention to solve it and unless you can pay for a privileged neighborhood, you are submitted to situations like I mentioned before.

I have to say this too, this is not a bad country and I know that I'm in a better position than the rest of the developed world, but it have its serious problems and realities that I don't want to live forever and in which I don't want to raise a family.

So, what can I do? In both cases my idea is move to France or Germany with the difference that if I move right now I would apply to a Working Holiday visa and then to a University in one of that countries.

TL:DR: I want to move out, the problem is I don't if do it right now or 4 more year because I was acepted in the best University of my country.

Im 18M living in the US. My (paternal) Great-grandmother was born in the Azores before immigrating to the US. Is it possible for me to claim citizenship by decent?

Other info:

1. Languages:

I don’t speak Portuguese. I do speak some Spanish if that helps, but, more importantly I will learn Portuguese if there is a chance I could claim citizenship, I am a quick learner and have plenty of free time and resources. I could probably become at least conversational within a few months.

2. School:

I’ve applied to colleges all in the US, I considered applying abroad to Portugal or Spain but again, I’m not yet fluent in either Portuguese or Spanish which is why I didn’t. This being said would It benefit me to apply to a university in Portugal and have a student visa? (After studying Portuguese)

3. Family:

As I said my fathers grandmother (deceased) was born in the Azores. My Grandfather (deceased) and my father and I were all born in the US. My father doesn’t speak any Portuguese and doesn’t have the same resources or time as me. It’s unlikely he could study the language enough to become fluent though he could still learn some. where I’m getting at with this: could my father apply for citizenship and then I apply through him?

I am aware this would be a very hard process and is probably unlikely for me, but I still want to know if there’s a chance. Something else I didn’t mention is that I do have some savings if that would help. Thank you for reading, and possibly responding, it’s appreciated.

This is a throwaway account for safety reasons. I am going to be vague to try to mitigate the sharing of personal opinions not related to what I am asking. We are relocating to Mexico. My husband was born and raised in Mexico. Because of this, I am eligible for a visa. I include this because this is often the main obstacle for those making the move. By the time we move I will have my Master of Science in Human Resources Management. I know my options are to work for a US based company for work or work in Mexico. My Spanish is upper intermediate level. I am fluent in conversation settings and am able to speak pretty easily with my husband's family who only speak Spanish. However, I have more learning to do especially with business related Spanish as those are words I don't use on a day-to-day. If I get a job based in Mexico, at least for now, I will need to work an English-speaking job. I am confident in my ability to establish fluency, it's just not realistic right now as I am still both working and in grad school. My question is about the job hunt. How do I find companies based in Mexico that hire English speakers in my field? Or what are the tips and tricks about working for a US based company remotely in Mexico? Are companies open to that arrangement, or will I need to keep a US mailing address? Any information especially job sites would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

Hello everyone! Let me explain myself first.

I am a 31 years old Project Leader for an Industrial Automation Company in Belgium. I worked for them for the last 11 years as an Industrial Electrician first. We went abroad to other European countries and even Canada and USA to construct a whole product handling installation. On a quote, meaning that the foreign company paid our Belgian company a big amount to do the work there. Another foreign company installed the machinery and we did all the wiring, connecting electrical components and everything in that area.

This doesn’t add to the Experience done in Canada due to doing all the work on a quote and being paid by the Belgian company.

The last 5 years consisted of wanting to move to Canada but now deciding that’s really what we want to do. We missed our chance of going on an IEC by being over 31 years old now.

Doing my research resulted (correct me if I'm wrong) by going there on an ETA to get my Canadian electrician certificate (not sure how).

Then do the full Journeyman Apprenticeship 4 years and the Red Seal Cross. Not sure how to get started on both of them because I’ll probably still need something like an employer-specific work permit. So that my employer can get me a positive labour market impact assessment (LMIA) After that an Express Entry and then a PR?

This is all that I have found out but feels a bit overwhelming and sometimes confusion because I’m not so sure if I could pass all those criteria. My fiance (32F) works self-employed as a freelancer for a Dutch company and we haven't really looked into her possibilities.

Thanks in advance for any feedback. I know that the Canadian Dream for immigrants is fading due to cost of living and what not. But it’s really the place we want to be.

Hi , im a 25 f doctor

as some of you might know, war just started again in Syria – ISIS Daesh) and Al-Qaeda (terrorist muslim extremists) are now in control in Syria , and I’m looking for a way out of this country for me and my family. Me and my sister are general doctors(we finished six years of medical school )and I want to travel to Australia, and specialize there ((because I can’t wait anymore to specialize here in Syria, as the living conditions are really really bad here right now, for example, there are no salaries, no money, killings , kidnappings , literally no government . anyone could do any crime, and no one will be punished))

I just want anyway to travel to Australia whether it be immigration (which I know is really hard) or as refugees it doesn’t matter, because we just can’t live here anymore as we are from the minorities , the minorities that are being killed left and right . So is there anyway to travel to Australia as a family to live there?

And another problem even if there is a way to go, there ,from what I read, as a doctor , specializing in Australia, is almost impossible , any idea about it? are there websites or universities that I could reach out to in order to know more about this?

And even if we go as immigrants or as refugees, we have enough money saved , so money is not an issue , we just need a way to travel there Please if anyone knows something or can help please comment

Another thing, of course immigration is preferable to seeking asylum (of course there’s nothing wrong with being refugees. We just don’t want to be refugees.)

But if it’s the only way, then seeking asylum is, of course, preferable to staying in this country😂😭💔

Overview: I am a psychology student graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Spring 2026. I was going to get a Ph.D in psychology in the US to become a clinical/counseling child and adolescent psychologist. After spending a long time figuring out what track I wanted to take in the US, now I feel that I have to move, and I'm not really sure what the equivalent would be in Europe.

Where: I have dual citizenship with France. I'm fluent in English, French, and Spanish. That's why the default place I'm considering moving to is France, but I would be open to the Netherlands or Switzerland.

Priorities:

A. The language of instruction in my graduate degree needs to be English or French.

B. The degree I pursue needs to allow me to become licensed to practice therapy on children in at least one country in Europe.

C. I am open to practicing telehealth in the US as a way of getting supplemental income. I don't know how feasible that is with children, but maybe with adolescents. I don't know how getting licensed for that works.

D. Price matters to me. I don't have money to be paying for a masters in the US or something like that. It's hard for me to name a specific budget, but ideally, I don't have to go into debt. I would appreciate guidance as to what is reasonable.

E. Aside from education, good healthcare, women's healthcare/rights, LGBTQ+ rights, religious freedoms (by this I mean freedom from religion), and a good place to raise a family (whatever that means) are important to me. Yes, I know nowhere is perfect and right-wing movements are surging in a lot of places. To me, France isn't pushing for religion as much, they protest a lot, they have "free" healthcare, and they aren't attacking women's healthcare yet. That's what makes it better than the US.

Main questions:

1. Is a Ph.D program still right for me? How do degrees relate to licensure? Are psych licensing practices similar throughout Europe or is it different for every country?

2. How do I search for specific programs? How do I decide what's a good fit for me?

3. When do I need to start applying to programs to be able to move in Summer/Fall 2026?

Thank you so much. I appreciate everyone's help. I know this isn't easy, but I can't even mentally deal with being in the US right now, much less for the rest of my life. To some people, even considering moving is ridiculous, and running away won't solve the problem. The way I look at it, the people who survive things like this are the ones that gtfo as early as possible. While the US will always have a special place in my heart, I don't feel sad at the prospect of moving to Europe. I don't have a lot of friends and most of them are already digital.

Advice and just chatting about being in a similar situation are both welcome. <3 Feel free to ask questions, and I'll try to respond and make edits. Thanks.

I’m currently in my final year for my undergrad at Uni studying Computer Science. I got a cousin who lives in Glasgow and has been a UK citizen for over a decade. I am also a Turkish citizen if that is useful information. What are some/any immediate paths I can take to immigrate? Thank you for your help.

Single guy, no dependents. I speak Spanish conversationally but would need to brush up in order to meet the expectations of working in Spanish professionally and day-to-day. Regarding work, I have been working professionally as an auditor for four years. Not a CPA, but I'm working on it. I have big 4 public accounting experience; however, I made the jump into industry a couple years ago because the 60-65 hour workweeks were getting to be overwhelming.

The "easiest" path would be to return to one of the major accounting firms and try to get transferred to an office in Spain, but I would more than likely have to build up at least a few years' worth of goodwill with the firm and make careful career maneuvers in order to sell the firm on the transfer. Ideally, I'd like to relocate within the next year or two.

Another path would be to obtain a position with an international company and then attempt to get transferred to a Spanish office, but it's unlikely that I would be able to identify a business with a need or capability for that kind of transfer from the outside. While there is a "Digital Nomad Visa" option in Spain, the company I currently work for is not likely to approve a transition to 100% remote work for my role.

I have not yet attempted to apply directly to a Spanish company from the United States but my general impression is that it's not likely that it would happen.

It is plausible that I could obtain Mexican citizenship by birthright in order to reduce the residency requirements for Spain but it would be difficult to obtain, as my relationship with my parents is heavily strained and there seems to be inconsistency on the Mexican consulate's side regarding what the requirements are; the staff at the consulate listed prerequisites and paperwork that are far more stringent than what their website says. It's possible that I would need to hire an immigration attorney in order to straighten out the process.

I don't have much in the way of savings, but am planning on reducing my rent expenses as much as possible within the coming year in order to retain more of my paycheck.

Looking for information, ideas, or potential roadblocks I haven't considered. Thanks.