(no subject)

[nny]

Really general question because I want as many and as wide a variety of answers as I can get.

If you're emigrating, how much money would you need behind you? What would you need to take into consideration - what factors would affect it?

Just curious.

Comments

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

To the States? Make sure you've got a nice little nest egg put by, because unless you have a credit record you may have problems getting things like, oh, mobile phones and stuff, and it's hard to get a first-time credit card unless you're a) a student in a US university (in which case the banks will fall over themselves to offer you credit cards) or b) you can prove you've enough earning/saving power to pay off at least some of the debts you might run up on a credit card.

And no, US banks won't take into account that you might already have had a decent credit record in the UK.

[gramarye1971]

Bear in mind that I am ridiculously risk-averse, but if I was leaping blindly into the unknown -- no job lined up, no friends nearby, no knowledge of the area or the cost of living -- then I would not feel comfortable until I had at least enough to support myself in my chosen location for a year.

If I had a firm offer or a very good prospect of a full-time job, a solid network of friends nearby (i.e., close enough to call upon if I suddenly ran into difficulties), and some basic idea of how much it would cost to support myself over time, I might be able to take the chance with only six months of funds.

Anything in between the two would vary based on the particulars of the situation.

Should I keep going?

[liz666.livejournal.com]

IF YOU EMIGRATE I WILL LOSE ALL MY HAIR AND BECOME A NUN.

(nothing useful in this comment, just thought you should know)

[chkc.livejournal.com]

I asked my mom. She says that when our family moved, we had enough money for 10 years. This is because my mom is very careful, and she had in her care two kids and a spouse, none of whom spoke English or had more than elementary/middle school education.

Most expensive things are: A) house (associated costs: tax, utilities/cable/etc bills, appliances/furniture), B) car (associated costs: driver's license, insurance, parking), C) usual survival costs (food, clothes, health-related stuff)

She says it's a good idea to have a job first, and that the amount of money you need depends on where you live and how you will live (obviously if you live by yourself in an apartment downtown will cost more than living with friends with family support).

Going to the immigration website of the appropriate country might help? *points to Canada's (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/before.asp)*

[darthrami.livejournal.com]

Depends on the country, and there are other restrictions. In the US, it's about impossible to get here unless you've got a job offer (which is just about impossible unless you're already here on a visa), a school offer, or an opposite-sex partner (they're working on fixing that for same-sex couples, but I'm not holding my breath). Money is another issue, though, and it really depends on how comfortable you are taking risks.

I know that when I've looked into going to Canada, they require that, if you don't have a job offer, you have $10k in the bank, so as to show that you won't be living off the gov't if you can't find a job right away.

[cow.livejournal.com]

Re Canada: correct on the $10k thing/that still applies--they estimate it as "six months of living expenses" (which is kind of hilarious in Vancouver, but).

[cow.livejournal.com]

Depends on where to and what your situation is! When I emigrated, I already had a job and an apartment lined up, so I didn't need much. I took about $3,000 with me, mostly to pay for my visa, my apartment deposit, the moving truck, that kind of stuff, and to hold me over until my first paycheque.

I was also leaving a weird third-world country for a place with socialism, medical care, and good transit, so I didn't have to worry about cars or other such expenses. So that helped. (I also knew I had more money--my life savings, etc.--and could access it if need be, so that helped in terms of the "feeling good".)

Should you ever consider moving to your country's strange nephew (Canada), let me know and I'll be of help where I can. I'm ... far too familiar with CIC and the immigration system here. :)

[villainny.livejournal.com]

That's actually where I'm thinking of moving. We're talking a few years down the line, because I have absolutely no capital and I need to get practical teaching experience and suchlike, but I've wanted to move to Canada since I was ever so wee. Gonna have to have a scout around for where I want to move within Canada because I've only been to Toronto.

[cow.livejournal.com]

Yay! It's a great place to move to. :D I, too have wanted to move here since I was really tiny; we used to go to Ontario for family vacations and I loved it so.

I have a book on moving to Canada that goes through each province, as well as the major and minor cities, and talks about their advantages and disadvantages. I don't really know how good any of the information is, though, since by the time I was given it I was already moving to Vancouver (already had the job, already had decided, etc.)

I'm happy to answer questions about Vancouver and Victoria, as well as immigration-related stuff. Also next April I am doing a crazy trans-Canada trip (from Newfoundland all the way to BC) so perhaps my journal will be helpful then. :D

Practical teaching experience is good. Capital is good, too. In BC, at least, teachers (even at the elementary and secondary level) are so in demand that they're eligible for the Provincial Nomination Program--which is this lovely thing where, if you find a job, they basically bypass the bureaucracy and get you your work visa and work towards permanent residency super-fast. (I went from zero to PR in about seven months on this program.) You can see the full list here (http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/provincialnominee/strategicoccupations/documents/Skilled_Workers-Occupations.pdf); 4141 and 4142 are the relevant codes. All provinces have PN programs but each determines which occupations qualify so you'll want to look into that once you are ready.

Oh one more thing while I am rambling! If you are considering Quebec, the immigration system there is completely different, so nothing I say applies. (You'll need to know French, and pretty well, as I understand it.)

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

Depends where you're going to and from. In some countries you need a lot of bribe money whether you're entering or leaving. In some countries you need a hefty savings back-up and in some countries you'll find a job the day after yuou land. In some migrations the conversion rate is your friend and in some it is not. Actually the city-of-destination is probably relevant too, you want to know how much your accomodation will cost.

[maggiebloome.livejournal.com]

I mean I haven't migrated anywhere since I was three, and that was from the USSR to australia so IDK if it is relevant :P the main story I remember is my parents converting all their rubles into foreign currency and then taping it to my dad's ass so the million bureaucrats between Odessa and the Moscow plane wouldn't steal it. This backfired slightly when he got food poisoning :P

Oh, another thing that reminds me of that probably is relevant to you is what kind of friends you have in destination country. We stayed in my grandma's flat for like eight months when we arrived here. If you have a couch to crash on until you get settled you'll have a lot less expense and stress.

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

Depending whether or not you have a job and or are bringing your own things; three to six months living expenses and then add 25% or as much as you can because something will get fucked up for sure.

[tacittype.livejournal.com]

I'd want to have either a job lined up and 2 months worth of living costs, or no job but 6 months of living costs. And then I'd probably get fed up of saving and go when I was halfway there, and be stressed out, but it's always fine in the end.