Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with Abroad

How can I get a programming job abroad?

Cogito — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:21:42 -0800

Help a computer scientist find an interesting job abroad, preferably in Japan I have an MSE in CS and 5 years professional experience and I'm interested in living someplace new before I get too old. I'm open to working most anywhere, as long as the work is computer science and interesting. I'd most like to work in Japan, as I've done an internship there before and have several years of Japanese study that I'd like to hone into real fluency.

What are some resources, or specific companies that I should investigate to help me find work as an expatriate geek? American companies with expatriate programs would be especially good.

Buying a cell phone abroad & using it in other countries later

gottabefunky — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:23:24 -0800

If I buy a cheap, pay-as-you-go cell phone in Guatemala to use while I'm traveling there, can I then use it in other countries I visit later - and which ones? Is it as simple as replacing a SIM card every time? Basically, how does the whole multi-country cell phone thing work? I'm thinking more calling locally, but calling back home would be nice too. (I'm a Verizon customer, ignorant of these mysteries.)

Becoming an RN abroad?

wordsmith — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:10:48 -0800

Are there any opportunities to attend nursing school (to become an RN) abroad as a U.S. American? What with the nursing shortages, is there any opportunities for an American to travel somewhere (anywhere) abroad and become an RN? Further, if you become an RN in, say, Sweden (for instance), does that restrict you to working only in Sweden? Or would you be able to take that back to the U.S. and be an RN there as well?

Something kinda like the Peace Corps, but not?

carpyful — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:00:34 -0800

Alternatives to the Peace Corps for a non-US Citizen (Permanent Resident) living in the US? I am a recent college grad who wants to go abroad and hopefully work/volunteer for a good cause. I was looking into the Peace Corps, but two issues came up:

1. 27 months is a long time :x I am ideally looking to commit 12-18 months.
2. I live in the US, but I am not an American Citizen. I am a US Permanent Resident with a Brazilian passport.

I like the fact that the Peace Corps does good for the world and the fact that they provide you with living expenses, student loan deferment, and other benefits.

I was wondering if there are any programs that I can look into that fit what I am looking for.

I've been looking into the Americorps and I am interested in their program, I was just wondering if the hive mind could perhaps suggest programs I've never heard of.

So is there a program that's right for me, or am I SOL?

Proxy/VPN services for watching Hulu outside of US

sdis — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:57:27 -0800

Proxy/VPN recommendations for using Hulu outside of the US? (Non-free options welcome) Hotspot Shield is cool, but is awfully slow for streaming video. Any recommendations on a fast proxy or VPN service?

Heard good things about WiTopia, but figured I'd try and get a few other recommendations before jumping for that one.

Get me out of here!

piedmont — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:30:08 -0800

Help this undereducated twenty-something get abroad! I'm 23 and until recently thanks to my parents and older girlfriends found myself surrounded by bright, educated, creative people. The one thing that enthralled me about most of these people from the starving artists to the wealthy business-folk was their stories of living abroad in their twenties, often without a degree (like me!). I've tried for the last couple of years to convince myself that I can have great experiences here while working on my degree and move away once I've got that sheepskin.
It's become apparent to me that this itch to live overseas for at least a year or two isn't going away, and is a non-insignificant distraction to my education and current tech-job.
So my question is this: what's the swiftest way to get out of here with no savings, but no significant debt (~6k)? I'd rather help people, but it seems most volunteer opportunities charge these days. I've looked into TEFL/TESOL but there are so many programs out there I don't know which ones to trust. My current job experience is limited to waiting tables/ my current job which involves old Unix and AS/400 systems which seems to under-qualify me for Geek Corps. I'm all for working, but I've no idea what to look for.

Please don't suggest the military, ain't gonna happen.
Bonus points if I can take my dog (although my dad loves him and has offered to watch him for an extended period).

Learning Language Through Osmosis!

andoatnp — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:31:09 -0800

Does anyone have any tips or strategies to help in learning a new language when living in a foreign country but not doing a formal study program? While this is a general question that I imagine could apply to people in a variety of different countries attempting to learn different languages, I'll use my specific information in case that can help people give advice.

I am in Israel for the year trying to get much better at speaking Hebrew. I came here with zero Hebrew knowledge and did a 5 week immersion program, and now I am here for the rest of the year.

What should I be doing over the course of the next year to improve my Hebrew? I try to talk to people as much as possible, but I don't really know past or future tense yet and my vocabulary is weak so people usually try to switch to English?

I have the textbook from the course I took that I can continue to work through on my own, but I want to get as much benefit as possible from actually being in Israel. What should someone do when in a foreign country (where most people speak English) to aid in learning the local language?

Can I live in Australia?

Rufus T. Firefly — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:16:03 -0800

Ozfilter: I'm a 35 year old UK resident. My 27 year old girl and I would like to move to Australia for at least the medium term future...therefore visa related enquiries inside... The situation as it stands is this...my lady is away on a year working visa at the present. I've just graduated my batchelor's in Environmental Biology and would like to join her and am therefore looking at the possibility of post-grad (Masters, PhD) in Melbourne possibly. I have family (Uncle and Aunt) who are Australian nationals and also we have friends who could offer us work in Northern territory on a temporary basis. So the questions- Is my age an issue, what are the possible visas I can apply for and should I organise the academic part from the UK or wait until I'm there on another visa? Thanks hivemind.

отпуск в России

mammary16 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:58:33 -0800

I'm planning on moving to Russia for 4-5 months - Moscow or St. Petersburg? My plan is to take courses in advanced Russian at either Moscow State or St. Petersburg State from November 2008 to February/March 2009.

I've originally been thinking about Moscow, but I've heard some horror stories about the cost of living. How expensive is Moscow? And how does St. Petersburg compare?

I'll be doing a bit of freelance work, but will not be steadily earning during that time. That said, I've saved up about $15,000 US, which I hope to not completely spend (especially since I plan to travel through the Caucases in May/April).

I'm also curious to hear about other people's experiences studying Russian at either university, and comparative thoughts about St. Petersburg and Moscow as places to live. And hell, if you think there's a better place to live than either of these, feel free to chirp in.

Thanks!

Telecommuting internationally?

inactivist — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:15:58 -0800

I want to keep my American job but live abroad (in Argentina)-- what does this mean for taxes and visas? I'm a graphic designer who works from home and my company has let me know they'd be OK with me telecommuting from abroad. I'd like to move to Buenos Aires for several months, or longer... I'll see as it goes, and might even move from city to city if I like it as much as I think I will.

What does this mean for taxation? Will I still have to pay the same amount of American taxes that I do now, and will I have to pay any taxes in Argentina?

And does anyone know what kind of visa I would need? I don't need work in Buenos Aires so I don't need a working visa, but I would like the chance to stay longer than the 90 days that tourist visas allow.

stretching a nickel abroad

D-ten — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:54:35 -0800

I've got this ongoing fantasy about living cheaply abroad. Is it doable to live for $500 a month or so in some foreign locale? I read about people choosing to retire to inexpensive places. I've read of people finding homes in Mexican pueblitos, on the beach in Belize, or in Malaysia and living on not much per month, as in $500 or so in expenses and having decent lives, perhaps not full of consumer goods but still finding a place to live with all expenses covered.

I'm wondering if anyone has personal experience of this type of lifestyle, or where you could find more places that potentially could fill the bill?

Call it a midlife crisis. I''ve been wondering where I could stay for a substantial period on savings and spend $500 per month to get by reasonably. I know of people doing this in Mexico, for example. Where else might qualify?

Help me find an internship, internationally.

913 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:36:02 -0800

I'm a 21 year old Canadian university student. I have 6 months free come January and I want to do an internship abroad. I love advertising and marketing. Multinationals are fun, so are random countries. Any tips or opportunities? I will be in the middle of my third year and I'll be using this internship toward my program's co-op requirement. I've spent a good amount of time in China and definitely wouldn't mind returning. Europe and the Middle East are also high up there. I would prefer not to work in the US, only because it's too close to my own surroundings.

Thanks!

Voting from abroad

glip — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:32:47 -0800

I have U.S. citizenship but have never resided in the states. My mother was from Illinois. Is it possible for me to vote in the presidential election? I checked Absentee Voting Assistance page on Illinois, and I didn't see anything that really pertained to my specific situation, only that of people that had resided in Illinois before. Obviously I've never registered to vote or anything, nor do I have any kind of address in the U.S.

Any ideas appreciated.

Need help with WWOOF and other stay-with-a-stranger programs

theiconoclast31 — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:45:57 -0800

Summer just started, and I'd like to either WWOOF or helpx.net for 3-4 weeks. I've seen the previous AskMefi literature regarding those two sites and read their respective FAQs, but I have a couple worries.

How long from the first contact till the actual visit begins? August 25th is when my summer ends. This seems like enough time, but I'm not sure because WWOOF likes to communicate via snail mail.

I would like to go to the city (by bus, if necessary) at least every weekend, if possible. My guess is that most WWOOF hosts are pretty far from the city, so helpexchange might be the better choice. However, WWOOF seems like a much better established organization. And many listings on helpexchange seem geared towards skilled workers or females. Are these assumptions correct?

Couchsurfing also seemed like a viable way to travel, but I want to travel for upwards of 3 weeks and I don't really have transportation from one couch to the next.

Perhaps relevant: 19, college freshman. Speaks English and decent high school Spanish. Unskilled, unless you happen to need a web developer. Interested in someplace outside of the US and Asia (except maybe Tokyo).

And I'm always interested in reading about positive and negative experiences.

How can I work in economic development in Latin America?

Ashley801 — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:25:46 -0800

How can I work in economic development in Latin America? Background: I just graduated with a BA in economics, my Spanish is somewhere between an intermediate and advanced level, and I'm a U.S. citizen.

I am interested in working in any Spanish-speaking, South American city.

I'm also interested in working in any kind of industry as long as my job directly created or supported economic development. This could range from working in real estate or finance to providing support to small business entrepreneurs.

I do have preferences though- I would prefer to work in real estate development or to attract businesses to areas with high unemployment rates.

I am also interested in working for any kind of organization with any kind of mission, whether a completely for-profit, huge multinational, a non-profit/NGO, or anything in between.

I know there must be organizations out there with jobs like these that could make use of someone like me. How can I find them?

I appreciate any information at all.

I should also note that I spoke to the career services office at my college about this, and they were completely unhelpful.

Death Abroad

bobduckles — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:08:29 -0800

Has anyone had any experience with using a US Consul "Report of US Citizen Death Abroad" in lieu of a Death Certificate? My Mom died in Mexico City. We will be getting a death certificate in Spanish, which is the basis for the above mentioned "Report." Wondering if the report is going to be enough. Any experiences? We are wondering if it will be accepted at banks, insurance companies, etc. where they usually require a death certificate.

Teaching English in japan/germany

thekak — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:28:43 -0800

Looking for information about teaching English abroad, specifically in Japan and Germany. I applied to the JET program but was unfortunately turned down. Now I'm looking for alternatives. I will graduate with a B.A. in English this May along with minors in German and Japanese. I'm considering TEFL/TESOL certification, but only if it will help me to further my goal of teaching English abroad.

Any advice on programs, jobs, websites to search on would be wonderful. Anecdotes are of course also welcome.

Thanks!

Any reason to renew my driver's license if I plan to move abroad?

beautiful — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:30:12 -0800

Any reason to renew my driver's license if I plan to move abroad? I've lived in NYC for the past two years and have a Texas driver's license, expiring August 2008. By Aug, I plan to be living in Germany, for at least one year, if not indefinitely. I don't plan on driving in Germany, but it could happen for a road trip here or there.

1. Is there any reason I should renew my license? I hear that insurance rates might rise if I let my license lapse, but I'm not sure if I'll be driving once/if I move back to the US.

2. If I renew, should I renew in Texas or NY? And why? I don't plan to ever live in Texas, but my parents live there and take care of admin paperwork for me (mail collections, etc).

The most COMPLEAT working abroad thread EVAR. Or, help me get out of Jersey already!

twins named Lugubrious and Salubrious — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:17:53 -0800

I'm looking for resources on doing paid farm work (preferably in Scandinavia, but anywhere else in Europe is fine, too). I want to work on a farm in Scandinavia for a couple of months. From what I can tell, it's incredibly hard for non-EU people (I'm American) to get working papers to go there, so my options are these (in order of most to least wanted):

1) Drill through the process and end up on a farm in Scandinavia for a couple of months. Anyone have any experience with this? How can I make this process easier?

2) Work doing something else in Scandinavia for the next couple months. My options are pretty limited -- haven't finished college yet, don't really have any marketable skills as far as I'm concerned. Past jobs have included office work, temping, waitressing, cashiering. Could I actually get away with doing something like teaching English?

3) Work in another English-speaking country in Europe where it's easier to get a visa/permit. I'm ok with this, but I've never had a driving need to visit the UK, Scotland, or Ireland.

4) Volunteer to work on a farm in Scandinavia. As far as I can tell, the papers process might still be pretty complicated. Plus, my money situation is really tight; I'd really like to be compensated in some way, not just in food and board.

So the priority here is to basically a) get to Europe this summer b) get paid, although the preference is on Scandinavia, and farm work (the only widely offered job I can see myself being qualified for).

Any suggestions? Are there positions or locations that I've overlooked?

My research has basically turned up these sort-of relevant threads:

How feasible is it for me to live and work abroad?
money for living abroad?
How do I get a job outside the UK? ASAP.
How can I move to Spain for couple of years?
Summer programs
How to find jobs around the world?
Travel jobs
12181

and a handful of links basically pulled from these pages:

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/shortterm/farm_jobs_agriculture.shtml
http://www.pickyourown.org/jobsonfarms.htm

Any other suggestions? TIA.

How should I invest the money in my US bank account when I'm abroad?

destrius — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:23:58 -0800

Asking for a friend: How should I invest the money in my US bank account when I'm based abroad? I have a sum of money (a few thousand) in a bank account in the States, that I built up while I was studying there. I'm now based in Singapore, and have no intention of returning to the US anytime in the near (and possibly far) future. I don't need the money in there either, so I'm thinking it would be good to put it in some long-term investment, say 10-20 years or so.

Since the exchange rate is pretty bad at the moment, I don't want to convert the money to Singapore Dollars. Is there a good way for me to put the money into some form of investment while keeping it in USD, given that I'm not a resident in the US anymore? I know about foreign currency fixed deposits, but I was hoping for something with higher returns (e.g. funds). Any suggestions as to what would be the best long-term investment given the current market would be cool too. Thanks!

Advice about applying to graduate school while abroad

andoatnp — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:07:22 -0800

I'm looking for information for applying to grad school while abroad. (PhD programs in Political Science/International Relations). I graduated from college in spring 2006, and I'm planning on applying next year (Fall '09) to start in Fall 2010. I'm also considering going to Israel in July and staying for about 10 months, and I want to make sure this won't impact my grad school plans in any way. All I've really done so far is had 3 professors write letters of recommendations that are on file at my undergrad school. In Israel, I would have to take the GRE (which is offered regularly) and do my personal statement and applications for the schools I'm applying to.

Is there anything else about the process that I'm not realizing that would make doing an application while in a foreign country particularly difficult? I tried googling, but all the results I got were about going abroad as an undergrad to prepare for grad school or grad schools that feature an abroad component.

I would almost certainly not be able to visit any of the schools I'm applying to, which I'm ok with in terms of picking a school because getting a real physical feel of the campus isn't important to me, but is that an expected part of the process, and would it weaken my chances if I can't visit anywhere I'm applying to?

Does anyone have any experience applying to a PhD program while abroad, or receiving applications to a program from someone that was abroad? Anything that I should do in advance to make things easier for me when I'm abroad? Thanks!

What to bring for symbolic gifts for academics?

k8t — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:23:07 -0800

Symbolic academic gifts for visiting scholar? I'm leaving in 3 weeks for Armenia. I have been a number of times, but this is my first time going as an "official" scholar. Hence, I'll be meeting with tons of academics. I have no idea what to bring them for gifts. I used to bring shot glasses of my hometown/university for friends, postcards, picture books... Symbolic gifts are extremely important culturally.

But what to bring academics? I've thought of California and my university calendars for 2009 as well as university logo coffee mugs.

Anything other ideas? Pens? Landscape photos?

Also, I'll be coming back to the U.S. for a conference in May, but not to California, so "general" gifts/needs like notebooks or dictionaries can be bought then.

Legal advice for divorce while overseas?

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:42:01 -0800

Pending Divorce Filter: What legal resources are there for a soon-to-be-single mom working abroad? I'm looking for legal help for a friend of mine who is going through a separation and a divorce abroad. Dropping a few details to keep this anonymous, so apologies if some of those details are important.

Details:
-4 y.o. daughter, mostly dependent on mother
-Marriage in States, on east coast
-First few years of marriage on west coast
-Moved to Europe
-Mother wishes to stay in Europe, as Europe offers stable employment in her profession and would allow her to stay in one city and raise her kid. (USA doesn't offer the same)
-Father wishes to move back to west coast and work there.
-Father doesn't want sole custody, but would prefer if mother lived on west coast
-Mother is somewhat concerned that if the father files for divorce on the west coast, that she will be compelled to move there at least for the duration of the divorce proceedings (which sound like in some states can take 3 years, effectively forcing her to find a new career).

Due to the complexity of multiple states/countries involved in this, where should she get legal advice? Is there even such a thing as an international divorce attorney? Especially appreciated would be cheap or free options [legal advice hotlines or what-not], but if less-cheap options are what will provide the right information, than those are the way to go.

How can I move to Spain for a couple of years?

inatizzy — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:17:27 -0800

I think I want to move to Spain for a couple of years to experience life in another country. But, as a US citizen, I don't know how I would go about supporting myself over there. Can I get a job there? Should I become a student? I traveled in Spain for 10 days at the end of last year, which was a great experience. (in no small part thanks to your advice! really, it was so helpful.) For years, I have thought about moving abroad, and now thanks to my trip, I really think I would enjoy myself in Spain, so I'm anxious to find out if it really will be possible and, if so, make a plan. (I'm not getting any younger!)

But, I'm afraid that it will be hard to find a way to support myself there, because 1) I'm a US citizen, so I will need a visa, 2) I'm not fluent in Spanish, though I do speak it and I would embrace the challenge. (And, I have already read this post.) Do you think it will be possible for me to be able to move to Spain and to live and work legally, and on a wage that is comfortable? (Not extravagant by any means. Just enough to live in a safe area, buy food, and enjoy the culture.)

I know it usually helps to have some more details about my situation, so here are what I think are the most important factors:

I don't think I am talented/experienced enough in a specialized area for a Spanish company to want to take on the cost of sponsoring me, especially given my need to improve my Spanish. (Why would they hire me when they could hire someone from the EU?) I'm only a few years out of college and have am experienced in administration for startups - maintaining and improving office facilities and services, hiring, and a little financial work too.

But, I have had the luck of having some extremely talented individuals as mentors, and I have been told through years of peer reviews at work that I have become a very valuable employee and team member. (Intelligent, thoughtful, curious, a hard worker and a fast learner...) I'm not trying to toot my own horn, here; what I mean to explain is that I have gained a lot of work and life experience and I have been very valued by my employers and coworkers, so I know that I would be an asset to whoever would hire me and I don't think they'd regret it. I just don't know how to convince them of that. :)

I am trying to get into some graphic design/desktop publishing work, though I'm still building my portfolio and am not yet confident in my skills. (though, I'm getting there :) It'd be great to combine my career ambitions with my personal growth goals by working in design while living in Spain, but I just don't know whether it is reasonable to expect someone to hire me, since I still have so much to learn. I am definitely open to going to school in Spain to get some good teaching and experience in design. This might also make it easier to get a visa. But it does make me worry a little about the money. (How would I afford school AND living moderately? would I be able to work?)

Mainly, I'm looking for a way to have an amazing, life changing experience while I am still young and single so that I can really come into my own and, whenever I am finally given the opportunity to settle down, I will feel ready to do it. I don't want to look back on my life and wish I done something more with my time.

If any of you have ever accomplished something like what I am trying to do, or just have some advice or experience to relate, I'd really appreciate it! Thank you, as always, for your insights and support.

London Calling?

troika — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:46:29 -0800

I'm a geographer looking to move abroad (UK or NZ) for a year or so. Advice? I am looking to move abroad, most likely to London or Auckland (although I am open to suggestions. I don't speak other languages very well). I am looking for advice on visas/work permits, finding a place to live, and a job. I have a Geography and GIS degree, if that helps, although I'd do pretty much anything. I can't do BUNAC, as I graduated over a year ago. Really, anything you can tell me about any aspect of this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!