Hey everyone. I'm a Pharmacy Technician in the US and I would like to know if my credentials would transfer to the UK. I keep seeing different results, some saying that I would need to take more training (like the 2 years Pharmacy Technicians in the UK have to do) and some saying I would have to go to School for Pharm Tech there. One source said the two years of Pharmacy work could be waived if I met the requirements of the US (National Certification, which I'm about to take the test for).

Does anyone know anything? Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Akiya Japan

Anyone have experience buying and living in an akiya in Japan? If you aren't familiar, its cheap houses that typically have been abandoned and sometimes need repair.

I've seen them for a few thousand dollars for basic homes up to higher prices for really nice places.

Seems like a challenge but also a fun thing to try.

I imagine building a community of multiple homes if others find interest.

I'm 30 years old, I've been working for 6 years, first in market research consulting, and then in a software startup in a mix of product marketing, sales, and strategy roles. I've got an MBA from a very reputable uni in India (though Europeans won't know the brand much).

My girlfriend is a Belgian citizen (in Brussels right now), and we're planning for me to move there so we can be together. We've been dating for a year, we've met twice for a few weeks each.

There's 2 paths:

Path 1 --> I apply directly from India to either Belgium or Netherlands, hopefully find a job in any sort of corporate setup (ideally B2B SaaS marketing or sales, though I understand it'll be very difficult with the language), and the job sponsors my work permit.

NL would just be a stepping stone to Belgium, I'm thinking about it because I hear there's more tech jobs and it's more English friendly.

How viable is this? How difficult is visa sponsorshio in non-technical jobs (like IT, product management) with the language/cultural barrier. Is Netherlands possible, if not Belgium. What kind of jobs can I go for?

2. We marry, I move there with her, obtain the residency and work permit, and use that to find a job.

How long would it take me to find a job once I'm there and have a work permit? Again, what sort of jobs can I go for? How much would they pay?

I've started learning Dutch (since Flanders in Belgium has more jobs than wallonia), and because it's easier to learn for English speakers than french. But it'll take me at least 6-12 months to become even somewhat proficient.

Any thoughts, inputs, resources (like job boards) would be appreciated?

Finally - how's it like culturally and socially, for an English speaker to integrate into society? How friendly is it for outsiders? How's the expat scene, is it accessible to Indians? I'll have my girlfriend and her network for support, but just want to know what it'll be like I want to build an independent social network.

Hi all,

I’m currently sick of life in the UK and fancy a change. Given the current political state of the country and personal circumstances I fancy a change.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in computer security and forensic and have completed 3 years in the telecommunications field.

I was wondering if anyone had any similar experience in getting sponsorship from an employer.

I was just wanting to get a feel before making any commitments

Hi everyone,

I’m a 25M with a couple of years of experience in tech and an okayish level of Japanese (JLPT N3). I’ve moved to the UK from the Netherlands in 2006 when I was still a kid.

I’m planning to move to Japan next summer to experience living there and immerse myself in the culture. My two main options are:

1. Working Holiday Visa: This seems ideal, but I currently don’t have an address in the Netherlands, which is a requirement for applying.
2. Visa Sponsorship via Tech Jobs: I could try applying for jobs from the UK and aim for visa sponsorship, more of a long shot.

I’d really appreciate advice on which path might be better or how to overcome the obstacles for the Working Holiday Visa. Any tips for job hunting in Japan’s tech industry or alternative approaches are also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone. I'm 25 years old. I lived in Taiwan for the past 6 years and I got my Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Engineering there. I have experience in Customer Service/QA, Sales and Teaching (Was my part time during my time in Taiwan). I'm proficient in Spanish, English and Mandarin.

I'm moving to Ireland next month to study English(Mostly to get used to the accent, culture and overall environment). However my real goal is to find a legal way (like a visa sponsorship) to live/work there indefinitely. Also I have some friends that recommended getting another bachelor's degree (or a Master's) in an Irish College/University and then look for a job.

Is it likely for me to get a job without having to get another degree now? (it's not that I don't want, I just hoped to get some experience in my field first).

Myself and my girlfriend are looking to move overseas from the US to Western or Northern Europe. With recent events and the threat to our safety and security we are looking to get out, along with the previous yearn to seek a new kind of lifestyle. Timeline is within the next 2-5 years.

I am a registered nurse with a BSN and 2yrs experience in nursing with 5yrs total in healthcare. My girlfriend will be graduating with her PhD in microbiology in approx 2 years. We will both be looking for jobs, she will be looking for a post-doc position and I would be happy to take anything, healthcare or not. I would also be interested in going back to school for a Master’s if need be.

We are both willing/planning to start learning a new language while still living in the US, specifically Dutch. I have special interest in the Netherlands considering I have good friends I would consider family over there, and I have also visited many parts of the Netherlands and really enjoyed it.

The end goal is working towards citizenship and eventually the ability to homestead (I understand this is going to take lots of time and hard work).

Any advice or suggestions are welcomed.

Hi everyone, I’m a 21-year-old graduate with a degree in Business Administration and about one year of professional experience. I’ve been wanting to work in places like Singapore, Malaysia, and Cape Town since they’re some of my favorite locations, but I’m unsure how to apply or where to start. I’m new to everything and would really appreciate any advice or insights from those who have managed to work in these places. Much love!

I am 26F currently studying abroad in Japan and I know I'm going to be so sad once I have to go back home in February.

I've always wanted to move to Japan because I have always loved the culture, nature and enjoy learning the language. I have never really liked America. While others see the fun profitable America like they depict in movies and dramas, I know the dark side of America. I grew up with an addict father and most of my life, including ALL of my developmental years (1yr-13yrs) and was in the lower class and my immediate family (mother, sister and I) often had to rely on grandparents or other family friends in order to get by. I know about the struggles when it comes to drugs, poverty, crime and other not so great things about America... so I've always thought about leaving the country. I feel much, much safer in Japan and I'm not looking forward to losing that sense of safety.

The things that are holding me back are the USD - YEN currency exchange rate right now. I would like to make some money while in America, save up then move to Japan shortly after. But the state of America isn't great right now and it's really looking like we might be living in a dystopian society soon. So, I am not only not looking forward to returning home but I am scared. I feel like in America right now if you are a woman, it is necessary to take a self-defense class or get a pow pow for self-defense.

Another thing that is holding me back is wanting to make sure my family is safe and happy. My sister, mother and I have always been extremely close because of our struggles growing up so poor, without a father and dealing with many family addicts. If America was in a better state right now, I would be more comfortable living in Japan but because things have the potential to get really really bad in America, I want us all to stay together. We have been supporting each other financially for a long time, and I feel a responsibility to stay with them and help them financially like we have been for the past 10 years. But if things do get really bad in America it would be good to have a home that is safe that they can escape to if it comes to the point that they need to leave America. (i.e. a peaceful, safe home in Japan that I can buy for as little as 10K USD.)

I am worried about moving my 10-year-old cat to Japan. I recently lost my 15-year-old dog who passed away shortly after I moved to Japan to study abroad for 6 months. So, if I end up being able to move to Japan, I definitely need to be able to bring my cat with me. He's the only responsibility I have, and I would feel like I'm abandoning him if I just left him in America. I know the process to get your pets into Japan is long. Around 6 months or longer to get the vaccines and shots they need then quarantining the pet for 6 months. But this is something I absolutely will need to do if I plan to extend my study abroad or plan to move to Japan for school or work.

I am about a year away from getting my associate's degree in environmental science (goal is to become an Environmental Manager for larger companies,) but I don't know if it would be best to just work full time to save up and escape as soon as possible. I also know that the work pipeline from college to a career is absolutely terrible right now and I know many people with master's degrees that are struggling to find jobs. So, is it even worth it to work towards an associate or bachelor's degree? (Especially if they get rid of the department of education in America.)

In the end, I'm looking for advice regarding if I should take a year to finish getting my associate's degree, if I should stay in America for two more years on top of that and get a bachelor's degree, or if I should just work my butt off and save as much as possible so i can get an apartment or even buy a cheap house in Japan. I'm looking for opinions or advice from other people who have moved to Japan, or other countries, that were in similar situations.

Thanks for reading this far sorry if I rambled a bit, I'm looking forward to your comments. Thank you!! -OP

I am currently a student studying law at UK. I am in my final year so that means it's the job hunt season for me. Due to the nature of the course itself, I only studied my first 2 year in Malaysia, and then I transferred to here to complete my final year, which means this is my first year in the UK.

I am aware that in order for me to stay at here, securing a visa sponsorship is essential to me. I am also aware that how difficult it is to secure a job which the employer is willing to sponsor a SWV for international student. Despite the difficulties, I am also actively applying for jobs and graduate schemes.

Reason why I'm staying here is because being a member of LGBTQ+ community, it is not easy for me to stay in my home country, which is Malaysia, due to it's complicated restrictions and low acceptance to LGBTQ members, particularly homosexual in my case. Another reason why I want to stay here, which is one of the main reason I want to stay here, is because I met someone who i can see to have a future and build our life in here with. I am currently living at Wales as well, and I really enjoy the lifestyle in here, and how the general working culture here in the UK is like. Work life balance, social benefits, more cultural connection, etc.

Financial support plays a big setback for me in this situation. I am currently funded by my parents, and it feels bad to rely on them financially to stay in here because they have paid most of my tuition fees of my university and some of my living expenses here. Hence, my plan is, if all goes well (which seems difficult), I secure a job that sponsors me a SWV, graduate, and then loan some money from my parents for the initial stage of settling (then later pay them back).

Therefore, I want to hear some advice on,

1. What should I do now in order for me to move out
2. Any advice on the financial support for me to out myself and stay at here

Thank you.

I'm a 25/F from Turkey with a degree in tourism and hospitality. My sister is moving to the Netherlands for work, and I'm considering learning Dutch to improve my chances of finding a job there. I have had internship in guest relations and reception, but I'm also open to other opportunities that match my skills. acommodation is no problem. Do you think my sister could find a link there for me as well. (she says its hard)

Any advice or insights would be appreciated!

Hello everyone,

I am a 22 yo Aussie who is born, raised and works here in the aviation industry since December 2022. Lately I've been really wanting to move across the world to somewhere in the EU (preferably Germany) and continue working in this industry, if possible.

My plan isn't to move any time soon, possibly a while, so I thought to try gather some opinions firstly from people in Germany themselves.

I'm still a bit unsure as to what I want to study. I really love the aviation industry and hope to stay there for a while. I did study engineering (mechanical and mechatronic) for a year until I figured out it wasn't for me at the moment, so I've decided to take a little break from study and pick back up soon.

What would my options look like if I'm looking to move in the future?

29M Australia -> USA

29M currently working as a doctor in Australia as a psychiatry resident. I have Australian, UK and Hong Kong SAR citizenships, wanting to move to the USA eventually and settle.

I don’t think working as a doctor in the USA is a feasible option given the multiple hurdles. I will be completing a Masters of Business Administrations in Europe next year (INSEAD) so I am willing to start in an alternative career path that will allow me to come to the US. Please recommend any guidance thanks.

Hi there, I'm an IT worker from Romania with 10+ years of experience and for quite some time I've been eying out New Zealand as a potential new home. On the surface, from the searches I did online, it seems great in all aspects: climate, nature, culture, not to mention the geopolitical location in these troubling times.

Then I checked the immigration process and I gotta be honest: it feels like a scam. 6k+ just so they take a look at your application for a skilled worker visa? Really?

To be clear, I can stomach this expense and have enough money for the plane ride there and back, and to support myself for quite some time. Not a freeloader, fully expect to pull my own weight and as you can see English is a given.

But there's another catch: none of the NZ employers I could find online seem to be open to offer you a job if you don't already have a work visa. So you're sol: can't get work because no visa, can't get visa because no job.

As friendly and great NZ is advertised, the process to actually go there is, to me at least, downright hostile. Am I missing something or is there a better way to approach this? Thanks in advance!

Hello!

I'm a 28 year old American with ancestry in and a strong cultural fondness for Ireland, and as I am becoming increasingly disillusioned with American life as well, I believe it's high time I start getting to work on my longstanding dream of relocating to Ireland.

Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to gain citizenship from a grandparent by a couple of generations, and so a work visa seems to be a better bet. I understand that, as an EU country, Ireland has strict immigration rules around professions, and as such I was looking at their "critical skills" list. I do understand that there is demand for programmers, and I do have experience in that field, primarily around data engineering and data science, especially automation engineering. With that background, where should I start? Am I likely to qualify for the critical skills and occupations? Thank you in advance!

I have an advanced knowledge in English, I speak Turkish natively. I also know Russian a little bit, but the knowledge I have is around A1 level.

I can do any job that's offered, but if I were to choose, I would choose to work with computers. Talking about computers I almost know anything about computers. I can do anything on windows and I also have wide range of knowledge on computer hardwares. So I would say I'm an advanced PC user.

I have clear communication skills, and I'm a polite person.

I don't know Finnish yet, but I'm sure that I can learn it.

I'm currently studying translation and interpretation at a university. I like people, and people like me.

I'm thinking about first going to Finland, and find a job, and then going back to my country and getting a residence permit, and finally going back to Finland and start working there until I fully learn Finnish, and become a citizen of Finland.

So what are your thoughts on this? What should I do? I have the money to support me in this journey by the way.

I am a Chinese citizen and want to immigrate to Europe or the USA. I MUST get out of China.

Immigration >>> Work (salaries, etc ...)

My preferred career:

Research scientist/engineer/programmer in CFD/CAE/CAD/3D printing (anything related to computational & applied math & engineering) >> Graphics programmer in games/VFX... >> Other careers relevant to math/cs >> Others

My background:

• Bachelor's in computer science with a GPA of 90.7/100 (reference: my university's QS & US News ranking: 200-400)
• TOEFL 102 (Speaking 23 Writing 24); GRE 331 + 3.5
• Just started learning German and don't know other languages except Chinese and English
• NO industry job/intern experience; One academic research internship (remote in the USA) & NO publication
• My parents will support me financially during my studies. I wish the total costs (fee + tuition + living) could be under ~60,000 EUR. Up to ~110,000 EUR may be acceptable, but I am unsure because of the bad economic conditions.
• I am a transgender man who has done part surgeries and changed my legal gender in China, so the availability of medical care is also important.

Currently, I have these plans:

1. Direct PhD in computer science in the USA, and then find an industrial job in the USA or Europe
2. English-taught Master's in computational & applied mathematics/computational science/computational engineering/computer science in Germany/Sweden, and then:
   1. find local work
   2. continue a PhD in Europe, then find industry work
3. English-taught Bachelor's in mathematics/physics in Germany/France/Netherlands/Sweden/...

During my studies, I want to try my best to learn local languages (in the USA PhD case I may learn German/French) + find industrial interns.

FOR 1: Since I am a Chinese citizen, immigrating to the USA seems to be hard and takes an extremely long time if not impossible (unless I can pass EB1A, but I am not so confident in research + my area is not AI/ML/... even my prospective professor has only 200+ citations). And, now there is only one chance for me (a new assistant professor in one Ivy school).

However, if I could (maybe nowadays it is not easy as well) take several internships during PhD in the USA, I may save a lot of money + learn another language during PhD -> seek new immigration opportunities in Canada/Europe (but I don't have local experiences/connections, maybe it is not easy as well).

FOR 2: I heard that nowadays you must have at least C1 proficiency in German/Swedish to find a job as an international student ... I don't know if I can self-study to C1 level as a total beginner + do sufficient internships within just two years (maybe three years for Germany), not to mention I have to take courses as well.

This is why I am also considering applying for a PhD after this (or restarting a new bachelor's) since I think I can have more time to master the local language + PhD is counted in the work and residence period, but I don't know the possibility of landing an industrial job or being accepted to a PhD program.

I don't want to go back to China after completing the degree!

FOR 3: I think redoing a bachelor's gives me more time to learn the language and do internships + I like math/physics and want to do relevant jobs, but it takes more time and money. Besides, there are fewer choices of English-taught bachelors in Europe. The only one in Germany I found is International Physics at the University of Leipzig. The Netherlands has more, but they are more expensive unless I can get the scholarships (same for France/Sweden/...). Another choice is to first study the local language for one year to C1 level and study with the local language, but studying in the country costs a lot of money as well + takes more time.

Here are some of the master's programs I am considering. I am not sure about the admission chances because of course matching.

• Computational sciences@FU Berlin
• Computational engineering@FAU
• Math in Data and Tech@Freiburg
• Applied CS@Gottingen
• CS@Passau
• Simulation Sciences@RWTH
• Computer Simulations for Science and Engineering@KTH

Hi everyone! I'm a Data Science and Spanish first year Dual Degree student in the US and I'm planning on pursuing a career in soccer analytics. I'm hoping to work an internship this summer in the industry at a tier two or three (one if I can lol) team in Italy and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for applying to roles like this in Italy since I've had a difficult time finding info about internships. Also just want to add that I do speak Italian so that's not an issue for me.

Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Ali Esnaashari, and I’m an immigration lawyer at Esna Law Professional Corporation. I represent clients with complex immigration matters, including visa refusals and litigation before the Federal Court and IRB. This guide will cover what happens after a refusal, your options to challenge it, and a detailed look at the Judicial Review (JR) process. Let’s dive in!

DISCLAIMER: This guide is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by through this Guide or using the materials provided. The content is general in nature and may not reflect the most current legal developments, laws, or regulations. You should not act or refrain from acting based on any liability with respect to information provided in this guide without seeking independent legal advice from a qualified professional in your jurisdiction. The presenter and any affiliated organizations expressly disclaim any and all actions taken or not taken based on the content of this presentation.

Step 1: What Happens After a Visa Refusal

When a visa is refused, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides a letter outlining the reasons for the decision. While these reasons are often generic, they give a basic idea of why the application was unsuccessful.

To fully understand the refusal, you can request GCMS Notes (Global Case Management System). These detailed notes from the visa officer explain the reasoning behind the decision. You can request GCMS Notes, through the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Online Request.

Step 2: Your Options After a Refusal

After a visa refusal, you generally have three main options:

1. Request for Reconsideration

This involves asking the visa office to review their decision. While it’s not a formal right, it can sometimes work if there’s clear evidence the officer made a mistake (e.g., overlooked documents). It’s typically a faster and less expensive option, but success depends on the specific circumstances and the visa office’s willingness to reconsider. Please note, the Officer has no legal obligation to reconsider their decision, and there's no specific timelines for processing reconsideration request (You could get an answer within a day, or your request may even go unanswered).

Typically, reconsideration is a good tool for the most egregious errors (such as those involving breach of procedural fairness and natural justice - legal concepts you can read more about), and it's not really designed to have "try your luck again", by re-arguing your case. With that said, I know some poeple have had success with it, even where the error was not very egregious. Overall, I personally do not like reocnsideraiont requests because there's no legal right to reconsideration, no specific timelines are provided, and your are at the mercy of the Officer's discretion, who had just refused the application.

2. Submit a New Application

Instead of challenging the decision, you can file a new application. This approach works well if your circumstances have changed or if the original application was missing key evidence. It would be prudent to address the reasons for the refusal in the new application to strengthen your case (Get the GCMS notes).

The positives with this approach, is that you get to prepare a new application with hopefully clear guidance from the prior decision-maker. You have a better idea what aspects of your applicaiton was lacking, and you can directly address those concerns.

The negatives, are that your file has been "flagged" (not necessary literally, but the prior refusal is on record), which might impact the Officer's approach. Also, the reasons might be generic and not provide you with enough insight as to what went wrong previously. Lastly, if you get another refusal, now you have two refusals on your record, which might make it even more difficult for subsequent applications.

3. Judicial Review (JR)

Judicial Review is a legal process where you ask the Federal Court of Canada to review the decision. This is not an appeal, meaning the court doesn’t substitute its decision for the visa officer’s. Instead, it looks at whether the officer’s decision was reasonable and made fairly. Therefore, if you succeed at the Federal Court, the visa application is sent back for re-determination.

Let’s focus on Judicial Review for the rest of this guide.

Step 3: Judicial Review Process

When Should You Consider JR?

Judicial Review is appropriate when you believe the refusal was unfair, unreasonable, or made without considering all the evidence. Common examples include:

• A refusal based on incorrect facts or misunderstanding of the evidence.
• A refusal without consideration of pertinent evidence that directly contradict the Officer's conclusion.
• A refusal where the reasons are simply inadequate to understand the Officer's "rational chained of analysis"
• A decision that didn’t follow immigration law or policy.
• A refusal based on adverse credibility findings (i.e. questioning the genuineness or legitimacy of an Applicant) without affording a reasonable opportunity to respond
• Etc.

The above are simply some of the common issues that I see, but of course, there are numerous other grounds upon which a decision can be challenged.

Important: You must act quickly. Judicial Review has strict deadlines:

• 15 days for decisions made on inside-Canada applications.
• 60 days for decisions made on outside-Canada applications.

To explain the overall process, I've created a flow-chart.

https://imgur.com/a/YCAUaTL

Please note, this chart is to just demonstrate the typical process of visa refusal judicial review application, for your better understanding. I've explained each step in more details below.

Parties Involved in a Judicial Review

Before diving into the process, it’s important to understand the key parties involved in a Judicial Review (JR):

1. The Applicant

The person challenging the visa refusal, typically represented by a lawyer who prepares and argues the case.

2. The Department of Justice (DOJ)

Represents the Canadian government, defending Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) decision as fair and reasonable.

3. The Judge

Federal Court judges oversee the process in two stages:

• Leave Judge: Reviews the application to decide if it should proceed.
• Decision-Making Judge: Handles the full hearing and issues the final decision if leave is granted.

The JR Process:

1. Filing a Notice of Application: The first step is filing a Notice of Application for Leave and Judicial Review (the "Notice") with the Federal Court. This document sets out the decision you’re challenging and the legal grounds you are relying on. You can find more information regarding the Notice on the Federal Court's website.
   1. If you already have the reasons (i.e. the Officer's notes, not just refusal letter), when you file the Notice, that need to be indicated there. You will then have 30 days to "Perfect" your application, by filing the Application Record. More on that later.
   2. If you DO NOT have reasons, at the time of filing, that needs to be indicated on the Notice. The Court will then directly request the reasons from the tribunal (IRCC in this case), and provide them to the parties upon receipt. This is referred to as the "Rule 9 reasons". If you do not have the reasons at the time of filing the Notice, the 30 days runs from the date you receive the "Rule 9 reasons".
2. Application Record: The Application Record typically consists of all the evidence that were before the decision-maker (i.e. the visa Officer), and the written legal arguments explaining to the Court why the decision should be overturned. Of course, the Application Record has very specific and intricate content and filing requirements. Again, you can find out more on the Federal Court's website.
3. Respondent's Memorandum: After receiving the Application Record, the Respondent (i.e. Department of Justice, who represents IRCC at the Federal Court), will have 30 days to file their response. Typically, as expected, the Department of Justice will be seeking to defend their Officer's decision.
4. Settlement: This typically refers to when the Department of Justice offers to set aside the Officer's refusal, remit the matter back for redetermination by a different Officer, and provide you with a chance to provide updated submissions, in exchange for you discontinuing your litigation at the Federal Court (Basically, the same remedy you were trying to seek through the Federal Court). I want to make a couple of points on this:
   1. No Obligation: The Department of Justice is under no obligation to offer settlement. It is up to their discretion, according to the instructions they receive from their client.
   2. No Guarantee: No one can guarantee settlements. Of course, the stronger a case is on judicial review, the more likely it is for it to be settled. However, that's for the DOJ and their client to determine - not you and your representative.
   3. Anytime: Settlement can occur at any point in litigation. However, typically, we see it most often after the Applicant has filed their Application Record, and prior to the DOJ filing their response. This is usually the first time the DOJ lawyer is reviewing the file, and if they believe it is appropriate, they might approach their client to offer settlement. However, this is not the only time that settlement might be offerred.
   4. Terms of Settlement: I discussed the typical terms above. I usually get asked whether we could request DOJ to commit to a certain outcome or even processing time for the redetermination. However, in almost all cases the terms are those discussed above, and DOJ is unlikely to offer more favorable terms. Of course, there's always the exceptions.
5. Reply: After receiving the Department of Justice's response, the Applicant will have 10 day to file their Reply. As the name implies, this is the opportunity for Applicany to reply to the Respondent's arguments. This is not just another document for Applicant to repeat everything they've already said in their Application Record.
6. Leave Stage: After receiving the Reply, the matter is then send to a judge for a decision on leave. The leave stage is the first step in the Judicial Review process, where a Federal Court judge decides if the case has enough merit to proceed. This is based solely on written submissions from both parties (Applicant and DOJ). The judge looks for an arguable case that the visa refusal was unreasonable or unfair. If leave is denied, the case ends, and the refusal stands. If leave is granted, the matter moves to a full hearing. It can take several weeks (but usually months), for the Leave decision to be made. After Leave is granted, the DOJ might again change their position and offer settlement. Again, as noted above, settlement can be offerred at any point, but
7. Hearing: If leave is granted, a different judge conducts the hearing to decide whether the visa officer’s decision was reasonable and lawful. The hearing is typically held 90 days after the Leave decision. Lawyers for both sides present arguments, but no new evidence is introduced; the court focuses only on the original decision and its reasoning (Again, there are exceptions). The judge may dismiss the case, upholding the refusal, or set aside the decision, sending it back to IRCC for reconsideration. The court does not issue a visa but ensures the decision was made fairly. The decision is rarely made the same day, and could typically take several more weeks to be issued.

Pros and Cons of Judicial Review:

Here's a list of pros and cons of pursuing a judicial review application. Please note, this is my personal take and others may have a different opinion about this.

Pros

1. Overturning Refusals: If successful on JR, the visa refusal on your record is basically set aside and cannot be relied by future officers.
2. Opportunity to build on your application: If the visa has been refused on specific grounds, after the file is sent back for redetermination, you can directly address the specific issues the previous offer raised.
3. New Officer can see the judicial history: The new officer will be able to see that you successfully challenged the prior refusal in Court (either set aside by a Federal Court judge, or by their own lawyer). If the Court renders a positive decision, you can even rely on Court's comments regarding the unreasonableness of the previous decision to your advantage.
4. No New Application Needed: Judicial Review challenges the existing refusal, potentially saving time and effort compared to reapplying.
5. Saving time: The time issue can be both a pro and a con. If the matter is settled at early stages, it could give you a chance to have the decision redetermine withing 3 to 4 months.
6. Clear timeline: The Court has clear timelines that parties must adhere to.
7. High chances of success at Court: In my experience, and according to statics obtained from the Federal Court, judicial review of visa refusals typically have a high success rate (through settlement and final decision by the Court). For files at our firm, our settlement/win rate for visa refusal JRs is well above 80% for applications we perfect. Please note, this by no way suggests that all applications have an 80% chances of success. Each application is of course different, and must be assessed for merits. We often discontinue application, if after receiving the reasons believe the judicial review doesn't have sufficient merits. With that said, this is a much higher success rate than JR of any other decisions (PR applications, refugees etc). My personal believe is that visa Officer's are under tremendous pressure to have high outputs, leading to poor quality decisions.
8. Higher chance of success on redetermination: Our experience also shows us that Applicants who challenge decisions at Court, are more likely to ultimate get their visas approved. This is of course dependent on numerous factors, including whether the person provide a comprehensive and responsive update, whether they actually have a meritful case to being with, and finally, it depends on the decision-maker. At the same time, we've also had cases that have been refused again following successful judicial review, even after two successful judicial review.

Cons

1. Strict Deadlines: Applicants must act quickly (15 days for in-Canada decisions, 60 days for outside Canada).
2. No Guarantee of Visa: Even if successful, the court does not issue a visa but only orders IRCC to re-evaluate the application.
3. High Costs: Legal fees and court costs can be significant, making it less accessible for some applicants. The legal fees vary greatly (as with any other service), and typically range from $2k to $10k, depending on the lawyer you hire. Again, as with any service, I would be wary of the cheapest options. Best to ask around.
4. Lengthy Process: If the Federal Court matter proceed all the way to a hearing to conclude (i.e. settlement is not reached), it could take several months, or over a year.
5. Complexity: JR requires strong legal arguments and an experienced lawyer, making it less straightforward than reapplying or requesting reconsideration. Of course, you can self-represent, but I would highly recommend to Applicants to retain counsel. It might end up costing you more if you want to retain counsel half-way through, and they have to go back fix errors in the application.

Other issues:

- Study Permit Pilot: The Federal Court currently has a pilot of study permit refusals. This guide is already pretty lengthy, so I didn't dive into that. You can read more about it here.

- Update on redetermination: This is also a whole topic on its own. If and when an applicant is successful in judicial review, it is very important to ensure they provide a responsive update on their application for redetermination. This might require additioanl support evidence, statement(s) and legal submissions. Please note, on re-determination, the Officer is making a fresh decision. They are not bound by the prior decision-maker's findings (For example, if the prior decision-maker didn't raise any issue with your finances, it doesn't mean the new Officer can't raise it on redetermination).

- Federal Court Costs: I discussed the costs of retaining counsel under High Costs, but in addition to the lawyer fee, the Federal Court also has a filing fee of $50 per refusal that is being judicially reviewed.

- Tracking Federal Court Applications: You can track the progress of any application that is publicly available on the Federal Court's website here, and searching by surname or file number.

Conclusion:

DISCLOSURE: As mentioned, I’m a litigation lawyer (Barrister & Solicitor) at Esna Law PC, so posts like these also help us connect with potential clients. Also, I often receive personal messages with similar questions, and by sharing this guide, I can direct you to the answers and save time on repeated responses.

Thank you for reading and I hope you found the information useful!

[IWantOut] 23M Algeria -> Poland / Germany / Sweden / USA / Australia

I have a master degree in chemical engineering im currently working in the filed of oil and gaz but i love programming my goal for the future is to land a job abroad as a software engineer and immigration require you to have a degree in the same filed. do you think i should quit my job and study cs

I am planning to move to the UK within the next 2 years. I am an EU and Canadian citizen but want to move to the UK to live with my partner of 7 years. I have more or less figured out the best path for my moving, spoke to emigration services, done my research...this post isn't so much about that. The only obstacle I'm currently facing is my family who are quite against me moving there. I have visited the UK multiple times now (for 1-2 months each time) and have been thinking about it for the past couple of years so this is not a spontaneous decision and I firmly believe this is the country I want to live in (neither me nor my partner like Canada so the option of him moving here is not something we desire). I am an adult so realistically I don't need "permission" from family to move to a country, let alone one that's pretty equal in terms of living conditions. However realistically the main reasons I have given them for my decision are mostly feeling-based, very little of them are practical. I was hoping that people here that have already done the move (Canada -> UK) can provide me with some positive practical points about the UK, things you feel are better in terms of life in the UK, etc.

I hope this is an appropriate post to make to this reddit but I am quite desperate to talk to people that have done the move so really, any points would help :)

My wife (39f) and I (40m) have thought for years about moving out of the country. I'm partial to Germany, for various reasons, and we've visited multiple times.

I am a software engineer and think I could get a job under the Blue Card or even the Chancenkarte. I know I can research this, it's not a given, etc.

My big concern is our teenagers. Our oldest would be 18 or 19 by the time this happens, and my understanding is that he just couldn't come with us, other than to stay for 90 days at a time.

Our next oldest would likely be 17. If I have a residence permit, we're living in Germany, and he turns 18, does the clock start ticking for him too?

I've had a hard time finding good information about this specific scenario, and I'm just wondering if it's as bad as it seems. An I missing something? Is there a better option, still in the Shengen Area, for families dealing with older children?

Update: I get that this may be extreme. I don't think it's something we'll ultimately pursue, but I want to have all the information I can as the situation changes. I'm trying to set politics aside, but a certain person has made certain promises, and while he's likely just a liar, I'm not going to sit, do nothing, and just hope.

Also, side note, I have considered and can afford international school, so that was likely part of the plan.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently considering the possibility of moving to Denmark for work and would really appreciate any advice or insights from those who have experience living or working there. Specifically, I’m curious about:

1. The process and requirements for obtaining a work permit.
2. Industries or job roles that are in demand for international professionals.
3. Tips for adapting to life in Denmark, including cultural or social norms.

If you have recommendations for resources, communities, or organizations that could help, I’d love to hear about them. Thank you in advance for your help—it means a lot!

Looking forward to your replies! 😊

Hey everyone! I have a Bachelor's in Mechatronics engineering and have 3 years of experience as an engineering operations manager. I am confused regarding the job market in Canada. I wish to persue masters in robotics or AI, but then there would be no such jobs there. Other option i thought about was applying for masters in engineering management. My ultimate aim is Canadian PR. I would appreciate your advice about decent affordable universities, cost of living and obstacles in PR.

Let me knkw if you need more information. Thank you

Hi, I am a 24 year old working in IT consulting in Los Angeles currently. I have always wanted to make the move abroad and I finally feel that I am at a place to do it as my lease is coming to an end and I am beginning my search for a new job. Here are a few things about me:

- I have a bachelors from USC in Health and Human Sciences and a Masters from NYU in Biostatistics (graduated from both at the top of my class and have many school/ professional references)

- Im fluent in Spanish (first language) and am business level proficient in Italian

- I'm fluent in SQL, R, Python, and C and am looking to stay in the healthcare/ consulting/ IT space

- I qualify for the HPI visa in the UK but was wondering about if this is worth it/ should I apply for jobs first and then the HPI once I get a job, or the other way around? London is probably my top choice place to move.

- I qualify for citizenship by decent in Italy, but need a way to acquire my grandfathers birth certificate from Italy and am also looking for advice on this

- I threw in Ireland as my boyfriend will be pursuing his MBA there, but figured it may be hard to get a workers visa

-I currently make 6 figs but I am NOT bothered by taking a salary cut. I have been smart with my money post-grad and I am looking for new experiences in a new place, not to make a ton of money off the bat.

- I have been accepted to a few MBA programs in the UK and Ireland but will only go back to school if nothing else pans out for me and would rather get a job.

- I am looking to move by next summer/fall.

Thank you all for your advice, it is much appreciated :)

Hi.

I'm a UK national with a BSc in Computer Science but was never raised/lived in the UK. I grew up in 3 different countries. I have only spent 4 years in the UK for university before moving back overseas to live with family.

For the last 4 years I never worked a job after graduating (in 2020), but I did run/manage a successful sports business. I was advised to stay in the UK after graduation and find work, but I didn't do that due to lock down fears I wanted to be with family.

Now I really do want to move back to the UK to start a career and live away from where i grew up. My inquiry isn't around visas since I'm already a UK national. My inquiry is leaning more towards the road map of setting myself up there and how to do it.

Is it advisable to fly back, stay in a hotel and apply for jobs there? OR could I apply whilst being out the UK and find something?

I also want to know how much will I struggle to rent a place? Considering I don't have a credit score, and never worked in the UK.

Lastly, how is the current economy over there when it comes to pay and jobs? Is finding work very hard? Just an FYI even though I do have a Computer Science degree from a reputable UK university, its not something I'm passionate it nor would want to work in that field.

Im 27F. Born and raised in the US. I have 3 citizenships. One of them is Ireland.

I have family in both the UK and Ireland.

I want to move to Europe. I would like to move to Germany in the future, but until my language level is efficient enough I'm thinking about either the UK or Ireland. I'm okay with any city in the UK, though I didn't get to see all of them. And I haven't been to Dublin since I was a kid.

I want to work full time when I move. I would also like to continue my education if possible, while working.

• I only have a high school education but I'm planning on going back to school upcoming semester. I would like to pursue a mathematics degree.

• I'm also only at $9k right now, but could really start putting money away if I started grinding.

• I have two small parrots. I can't live without them. I'm concerned about finding accommodation that includes them in a market that's already on hard mode. I've always lived at home so I've never lived with roommates before, but I like the idea. I'm a social person and get depressed being alone all the time. (I tried living on my own for 4 months years ago and got very depressed). Though I don't know if that would be an option with the birds.

• Riding motorcycles is a huge part of my life. I tried getting insurance last year in the UkK and it was tough (I ended up not getting it for other reasons). If anyone has any advice there, it would be appreciated. I would like to ride around mainland Europe eventually.

Why I want to move:

• I currently live at home and if I'm going to pay rent to live somewhere, I want to be happy living there

• I can't find a decent job where I live because it is rural. So I have to move away to start my life.

• Being in a rural area makes it difficult to make friends and date. I'm starting to go a bit stir crazy.

I'm aware that we're in an international housing crisis right now. I was wondering if anyone had feedback on which cities were lesser evils (compared to London).

Hey everyone!! I’m posting this on behalf of my gf. We’ve been in a LDR for nearly 2 years and we’d like to close the distance but we’re not yet ready for marriage. I think the best way forward for us would be for my gf to move to the UK, but I realise beggars can’t be choosers and I’d consider all options available! Whether that be me moving to Japan or both of us moving to a third country.

About Us

F33, Japan passport only, family in JPN and France, 3-year Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene, 10 years experience, sidehustle teaching English online. Speaks Japanese and English.

M33, UK & EU passports, family in UK, Bachelors in Maths (2:1) from a decent Russel Group uni, Financial Risk Management (FRM) certificate too, 7 years exp in Retail Banking (Credit Risk) but not a high flyer ~ Senior Analyst/Associate level. Basic programming skills. Speak only English.

As a starting point my gf should start the process of registering as a hygienist with the GDC, and then she would be able to find a clinic to sponsor her (dental hygienists are on skills shortage list). HOWEVER I’ve heard that registration can take around 15 months… and then who knows how long it would take to find work. So this is a medium-term strategy that is too risky to rely on alone.

So… that leaves us looking for some shorter-term strategies. And where I need help from anyone with more knowledge than me:

• Does anyone know of any Japanese companies in London worth applying to?

• What would be the cheapest way of getting her a graduate visa? (Bear in mind she does not have a bachelors, which may limit her options for doing a masters)

• What are my options for moving to Japan? How much would a masters cost? Would I be able to find work without knowing Japanese? Would teaching English be a decent option for me?

• Are there any third countries we can consider? I have EU citizenship but no languages beyond English.

In the meantime I need to learn Japanese, and try to build skills that lend themselves to working remotely like programming or creating my own business. Then we would be able to spend 3-6 months in each other’s countries on tourist visas. Not an ideal solution though.

Appreciate any advice you legends can provide 🙏🏻

EDIT: I’ve since had a call with an agency to help with the GDC application. For Dental Hygienists the total process of registering can be as little as 4 months, not 15. That is 1 month to prepare the application and 3 months for the processing of it. The 15 months I’d heard about was for foreign DENTISTS registering as hygienists. The agency also provided info regarding university, and claimed she’d be able to do the last year of a Bachelors degree. The final year of a Public Health degree could be as little as £14k.

I’ve looked into the unmarried partner visa and it sounds viable for us. We will attempt this in conjunction with the GDC registration.

Current status of move: Preplanning. Doing a lot of reading at the moment.

Background: I currently live in Kansas City. I lived in Chile from '94-'96 as a mormon missionary. While I am no longer mormon, or even religious, I absolutely loved my time there. I was primarily in the Octava Región and lived everywhere from Concepción proper to Collipulli. I have maintained my ability to speak Spanish. However, I am pretty rusty so I recently enrolled in a program to get back to being effortlessly fluent. I am looking to get a DELE or SIELE certification as evidence to employers that I am actually fluent. Duolingo tells me I'm currently at the "high B1" level, for whatever that is worth (not much). I have over 20 years experience as a software engineer, currently a team lead, though that's such a nebulous term. Back end, java, big data, infrastructure (AWS and OCI), ruby, and whole bunch of other stuff. It is just me moving, I am a divorced, empty-nester. I am not absolutely dead set on Chile, but since I have familiarity with it and loved everything about the country when I was there in my early 20s, it is the obvious target country for me. It has also always been part of my retirement plan. I am planning to visit sometime soon to scout out and revisit some places I knew. I hope to maybe also use this visit to do some paperwork and start the immigration process. I'd like to make it there before winter hits, so February/March timeframe.

The entire process of immigrating appears to be a morass of paperwork and planning with no real guide. There are general guides, which are helpful, but nothing specifically for Chile. I'm aware of the types of visas that Chile has and for which I think I'm eligible. I'm looking for permanent residency. I might have enough retirement income for the retiree visa, but that is realistically 10 years out, so I'm looking to work. My current employer has a policy that I must be on payroll in the country in which I reside/work. While that's not ideal, they do have offices in Las Condes, so there is already a presence in the country. I have already spoken to my management about workplace mobility. I know I've got marketable skills, but I know the US job market, not the Chilean market. I am following a few Chilean subs and r/chileIT is one, so I'm starting to follow it. This ties into financials, and that's a whole other montón de cosas.

So, my question is really where do I start? So far, I have renewed my passport, started refreshing my Spanish fluency, and done a bunch of reading on the process. So, I've technically already started, but that's the easy stuff. I've been reading about apostille and the absolute mountain of potential papers I need to get through that process is...daunting. Divorce papers, diploma, transcripts (maybe), birth certificate, etc... Then there is banking, which I honestly haven't even looked at yet. Then there's healthcare, and taxes... I'm less worried about healthcare since Chile has universal healthcare, though I know its got some mixed reviews, but I'm just not terribly familiar with it. I've been starting to follow Chilean politics and apparently they just unanimously passed some immigration reforms to reset a few things.

I was not a fan of the rainy half of the year when I was in Chillan, Mulchén, and Collipulli in the 90s. Then again I was outside in that cold and rain all day, everyday, knocking doors back then. It would be different now. All that I really need is a good internet connection and a roof over my head. I know Pucón is a popular expat spot. Santiago is the big city, but I'm not sure if it'd suit me. Concepción is what I know, but tech jobs are in Santiago. If I decide to live more to the south I'd prefer something coastal for the ocean's natural ability to regulate weather, not to mention sunsets. If I were to live more in and around Santiago the coast isn't nearly as important.

Thank you for reading this far, and I apologize for the jumbled nature of this post. There is a lot flying through my mind right now, organizing them is a real trick. If you have any experience or advice to offer for migrating to Chile, I would be very grateful for it.

Hello everyone, I don't know how this goes but here's the situation. I'm lebanese but I live and work in Kuwait. I have a bachelors in humanities and currently work in special needs. I have my university transcripts and ielts ready because I had hopes of continuing my education abroad and eventually settling elsewhere where I can benefit the country and in return feel safe enough to live an authentic life. I won't get into too many details for safety reasons (not related to the war as I live in Kuwait) but i cannot sustain living around the middle east any longer for mental health and safety reasons. I'd rather not have to seek asylum as it's a very messy process and I have the work experience and ability to save money but need a route to go for that does not require a job opportunity as those are very difficult from abroad.I have some money saved but it's not enough to pursue a masters at the moment. What are my options to immigrate easily even if I have to save more money. Thank you for taking the time read this.