emigration tips/advices needed

[freckles]

Hi,

I've been thinking about moving abroad a lot recently, and besides reading random opinions on the net, I was thinking about asking you what your opinion is as a lot of people from different countries from all over the world come here.

The thing is that I'll be turning 21 this year and I'm studying university, economics. In three years, when I'm 24, I'll (hopefully) have a master's degree. I live in the Czech republic, where the life isn't that bad like somewhere else, but I'd like to try living somewhere else anyway.

So me and my boyfriend were thinking about moving abroad - and my question is - what's your opinion about this and have you got any tips or advices for me? For example some countries that aren't completely hostile at immigrants? Or do you or someone you know have some experience with moving abroad?

I'd appreciate anything that you have to tell me.

Thanks a lot!

[Ms Magpie]

Hey M!

If you move to an English-speaking country, I suggest you do the IELTS or CAE/CPE test because it'll be easier to find a good job with it, I think. You won't need a visa for the EU, that's a plus. However, I've heard that the Scandinavian countries aren't really happy about immigrants but I might be wrong.

[freckles]

Thanks for you answer! Doing the CAE/CPE exam is what I'm planning to do in the future. I did FCE exam three years ago and I want to wait a year or two and study hard and then go and try the CPE exam.

Agree, I've been thinking about going to the UK. And I also heard that for example in Norway, they don't accept any more immigrants now. But I don't know if it's 100% true. But a friend of mine is studying in Sweden now and he told me that he was surprised how many foreigners there are in Sweden. But Sweden is incredibly expensive for the Czechs. (But maybe for people from other countries as well. )

And what about the UK - I think I'll try going there for a year or so and I'll see. I wanted to ask you - my boyfriend is a cabinetmaker and also a specialist in furniture repairing and conservating - do you think there's a chance that he'll be able to find a job there?

[Petit Prince]

I moved to the UK five years ago. Would I recommend it? I'm not sure. I'd say if it's something you really want to do, go for it.

Personally, I'm glad that I moved there but it certainly hasn't been easy. It's really tough to find work, even more so if you're foreign (although London employers are a bit more open-minded when it comes to this). The longer you stay here, the easier it will get but most people don't stay long enough. Most Europeans I know moved back at some point because they felt that they had more opportunities back home. I don't think that's necessarily a UK thing, it's probably the same everywhere but the high unemployment certainly doesn't help.

If you're serious about it, I'd do it as soon as possible. It's so much easier to move to another country as a student.

I wouldn't bother with the Cambridge Certificates by way, I think they're a bit of a waste of time and money. No one ever asked for mine.

[freckles]

Thanks for the reaction.

I know that it won't be easy, but I'd like to try it at least. First, I'd like to go there for a year or so and see.

Why do you think that it's easier to move to another country as a student? The problem is that I'll have to stay here until I finish the university. I don't know if it's possible to finish it in another country.

[Petit Prince]

Because you don't have to find a job straight away. Many British people can't find graduate jobs, I don't think you've got much of a chance if your English isn't fluent (and by that I mean at a near-native level).

[freckles]

Yes, I get it. And I don't think that I'll find a good job straight away - at the beginning I'm counting with some jobs like at a farm or somewhere. My aim at the beginning will be to have SOME job. Not a really good one, hope I would eventually get there.

Anyway, my boyfriend is a really skillful cabinetmaker and very good with wood, and all the manual work in fact. And that's a plus for him, in my opinion, because not many people nowadays can do this.