Country Profile: United Kingdom

Country profiles are simply overviews of how to get into a country and some obstacles you'll face. They are not intended to be in-depth discussions of the country.

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BBC, Wikipedia and CIA World Factbook articles on United Kingdom.


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Languages

Official: English.

There are many regional languages spoken, such as Welsh, Gaelic, Scots, and others. However, English is universal. That being said, having lived in the United Kingdom a number of years, you may find the the further north you go, the more difficult the accents are to follow. In fact, many Americans (and even British!) find some Scottish accents inpenetrable to the point where there's been controversy over the BBC's decision to offer subtitles for one show filmed in Scotland.

Work permits

If you are an EEA citizen or legally recognized partner of an EEA citizen, you generally have the right to live and work in the UK. That being said, the UK has been expressing concerns about immigration. I had to turn down a position which would have doubled my salary because the UK government hadn't yet recognized my legal right to work there without a permit, despite my wife being French. Unfortunately, the UK is notorious for being rather slow resolve these matters.

For those outside the EU, it's getting harder to get into Britain. Your author lived there for years and watched the government flip-flop routinely on matters of immigration law and while most British people are very tolerant and open-minded, there's a strong sense that immigration to the UK should be limited. This is due in part to English being the most popular geographically diverse¹ language and thus the UK is a tempting target in Europe. Unfortunately, there's another "anti-immigration" mood impacting voting and the government is again limiting the hiring of skilled and highly skilled workers from outside the UK. As of this writing, no more Tier One visa applications are being accepted, though they will open up again soon.

The UK Home Office Website has very good information about the entire process, but you must check this regularly as I've noticed that the UK immigration process seems to change (relatively) frequently and they do not always grandfather in people who emigrated under the old rules. You will note that there are currently several categories of workers. I'll explain some of the basics, but I will not go into details due to the frequency of legal changes (and there are currently legal challenges to some of this). There is also a limit being imposed as of April 2011.

• Tier 1: these are highly skilled workers (currently not permitted to apply) who can work without a permit, investors, entrepreneurs, and post-study workers (you graduated from a UK university with desired skills). None of these require work permits, but they require plenty of experience, money or studying in the UK.
• Tier 2: these are immigration routes for those who have a job offer. The organization behind said offer will generally need to apply for a permit on your behalf. These are for skilled workers, ministers of religion, sportspeople and company transfers (say, from a US to UK office).
• Ancestry: there is a common belief that if one of your grandparents was born in the UK, you have the right to live and work there. Sadly, this is not usually true. It only applies if you are from a Commonwealth country.

There are a number of other categories, but again, check out the Home Office Web site. It's actually pretty good.

My first kitchen when I moved to the UK.
I know it's silly, but I loved that flat.

Residency

Being legally allowed to permanantly reside in the UK is referred to as settlement or "indefinite leave to remain". The procedures vary, but if you're going a traditional work permit route, it basically means you have to live and work (legally!) in the UK for five years, at which time you can apply. This is one bit of immigration law which is fairly straightforward.

Citizenship

Applying for British citizenship isn't terribly hard, but you have to legally get there first. You must be of sound mind and character and if you're over 18 and have been living in the UK for five years, you're pretty much good to go (it's only three years if you're married or the civil partner of a British citizenship — and yes, that means that gay people have options here too).

Retirement

No.

At the end of 2008, the UK government decided to no longer allow persons of independent means to retire to the UK. Unless you are an EEA or Swiss citizen, it would be very difficult to retire here ...

... unless you're rich, in which case, the UK government is happy to allow you to move there as an investor. They'll even waive the English language requirement for settlement. However, this route generally involves having £2,000,000 net worth (currently around $3.2 million US), or £1,000,000 which you intend to spend in the UK. Amusingly, there doesn't appear to be any actual requirement that you invest this money, only that you have it.

And even then this visa is only good for three years, though you can contact them for advice on how to extend your stay. I'm sure that if you have enough money, they'll come up with something.

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1. Though the exact figures are disputed, Mandarin is the most widely spoken language and has more speakers than English and Spanish combined. However, it is mainly spoken in China and other Asian countries. Spanish has slightly more speakers than English, but its use is primarily in Spain, Central and South America and parts of the Southwest US (though it's spreading rapidly). English dominates in terms of geographic diversity and, perhaps due to the economic prowess of associated nations, is the most popular second language in the world. This is why teaching English is a viable way to leave the country for many native English speakers.

Photo Collection: Senegal

Another reminder that the world is round. Today I thought photos from Senegal would be lovely. Despite high poverty and low employment, it has one of the most stable economies and democracies in Africa.

Dakar, Senegal
Photo by Jeff Attaway

Dakar, Senegal
Photo by Jeff Attaway

Senegal Rivert Delta
Photo by eutrophication&hypoxia

Dunas Loumpoul, Senegal
Photo by jose pereira

Dakar, Senegal
Photo by Radio Nederland Wereldomroep

Senegal Girl
Photo by Jeff Attaway

Country Profile: Thailand

Country profiles are simply overviews of how to get into a country and some obstacles you'll face. They are not intended to be in-depth discussions of the country.
BBC, Wikipedia and CIA World Factbook articles on Thailand.



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Languages

Official: Thai.

Multiple languages are spoken in Thailand, with Thai being the most prominent. English is spoken in the cities and it's a required subject in school, but fluency levels remain low. Without basic knowledge of the Thai language, you'll probably struggle.

Work permits

Thailand is a very popular destination for expats. It's friendly people and low cost of living make it very attractive.

Due to the Thai Amity Treaty of 1966, Americans are allowed to start a business there with few restrictions, making Thailand a bit easier to get into than other countries (other nationalities may have businesses there, but it's not as easy). As this is a treaty and not laws passed by the Thai legislature, it's fairly stable, legally, and thus gives Americans a something solid in a country which otherwise has had a troubled political history.

Aside from the Amity treaty, entry into Thailand via work permit is pretty standard. An employer must offer you a job and you must have apply for a non-immigrant work visa. The BSA Law Web site seems to have better coverage of the requirements than most.

Residency

Acquiring residency in Thailand is fairly straightforward, though it sounds like the bureaucracy is painful and multiple readings of blogs on the topic indicate that local officials may have a lot of leeway in how they interpret the law. In short: don't piss them off.

To qualify for residency you must:

• Have held a non-immigrant visa for at least 3 consecutive years before application (this is shorter than most countries!)
• Have a personal qualification for staying, such as being an investor, having a business, a relationship with a Thai national or an alien with a residence permit.

Bangkok, Thailand
Photo by Bruno Ideriha

Unfortunately, as a foreign national, you won't be permitted to own property in this lovely country without marrying a native, so this is a disincentive for some. Also, you can lose your residency if you commit a crime or if they think you have knowledge of an illegal alien and didn't say anything (so be careful of your friends). To top it off, they only allow 100 immigrants of each nationality and you may not leave the country without notifying the Immigration Division.

There is a dedicated Web site, Thai Visa, which will cover all of this in depth for you.

Citizenship

Citizenship is possible, but they do not recognzie dual citizenship (except in rare cases which you won't qualify for). To qualify, you must meet the following requirements:

• Not be in trouble with the law.
• Have a job.
• Lived there for five years.
• Be able to speak Thai.

There are other considerations, but those are the major ones. Yaiban.com has a good summary of the requirements, but sums up the general issue with Thailand:

"Last year 48 people applied for Thai nationality. Ten received approval from the Minister of Interior."
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Pol Lt Col Somdej Khanthawong, Special Branch, Royal Thai Police, Bangkok

Retirement

Thailand is a popular retirement destination. There is a multi-step process that you have to go through. First, you must apply for the non-immigrant "O-A" retirement visa. There are several requirements:

• You must be at least 50 years of age.
• Not barred from entering Thailand
• Have no major criminal convictions/contagious diseases
• Have 12 months left on your passport
• Apply from your country of nationality or permanent residence
• Have 800,000 baht in the bank or a guaranteed income of 65,000 baht per month. A combination of savings plus monthly income times twelve equaling 800,000 baht will also suffice.

(As of this writing, 800,000 baht is rought $26,000 US and 65,000 baht is roughly $2,100 US)

That is enough to start you on your path to a Thai retirement, but there is more work to do along with plenty of paperwork. The Siam Legal Web site has a fantastic section walking you through the process.

I've also provided a bit more information about Thailand in my Retire Overseas post.

Joining the Foreign Service

Sadly, I failed to blog yesterday as I was recovering from my father being in town for the night. He lives in Germany and he was here on business. We had a lovely meal of raclette and far too much beer.

Once again a post for folks from the US. A lesser-known option for working in other countries is becoming a Foreign Service Officer for the US Department of State. What's that? You'd be embarking on a diplomatic career as a representative of the US government. You'd be required to move to new countries every two to four years and act as a representative of US interests in a wide variety of situations. You would likely be in an uncomfortable position of supporting policies which you may strongly disagree with. The State Department has a checklist you can go through to figure out if this is the right choice for you.

Entrance is very competitive, but there are three requirements. Applicants must be:

• U.S. citizens on the date they submit their registration package
• At least 20 years old and no older than 59 years of age on the day you submit your registration
• At least 21 years old and not yet 60 on the day you are appointed as a Foreign Service Officer

You are not required to have a college degree, not do you have to be proficient in any foreign languages, though both will benefit your application chances. They detail their selection process very carefully and you will have to pay special attention to the FSOT, or "Foreign Service Officers Test". This test is what most people do not get past. You will have to know about economics, US history, foreign policy, management, US race relations, immigration issues and so on. For many of you, this will be the hardest test you've ever taken. Less than a third who take it pass, and about a third of those will be invited for an oral assessment.

Wikipedia has a nice introduction to many aspects of applying and working for the foreign service.

As a personal note, I would advise you to think carefully about this. I've had business with the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London, on a few occasions. As you're standing in line outside the embassy, staring at guards with automatic weapons patrolling the grounds, working your way through the tight security and the barricades to prevent vehicular assaults, you can look across the square to note the Canadian High Commission. There are no guards in sight. There are no barricades. You can walk right up to it. I've also had to be at the French consulate several times and it's the same: no guards or barricades. Few countries need to protect their foreign service properties quite as closely as the United States. If you're not comfortable with possibly being a target, this won't be the right position for you.

Who's Reading What?

I try to pay attention to my blog stats because I am curious, and I can provide more relevant information if I know my audience. Then I decided I could present some of those stats for you.

Who's reading me? (roughly 86% of readers)

Country	Percent
United States	58.84%
United Kingdom	9.84%
Netherlands	6.05%
Canada	3.42%
Germany	3.19%
Australia	1.75%
Russia	1.01%
France	0.94%
South Korea	0.58%
India	0.55%

What are they reading? (roughly 25% of views)

Post	Percent
Work permit 1 of 5: Introduction	5.00%
Work permit 3 of 5: Applying for Jobs	3.50%
Work permit 2 of 5: Preparing your Résumé	3.32%
Why you'll say "no" to living abroad	3.03%
Work permit 5 of 5: Salary Negotiation	2.84%
Work permit 4 of 5: Interviewing	2.23%
Do I need a college degree?	1.52%
What's up with the hookers and pot?	1.45%
Are your papers in order?	1.39%
Politics	1.16%

Make of that what you will. Most of my traffic has been driven by Reddit, but a substantial chunk has been driven by my blogs and links from the Perl community, thus skewing the numbers quite a bit.

Now I'm trying to figure out the best way of driving my readership even higher. It looks like I'm on track for about 5,000 views a month, but I want this to reach out to more people who'd like to experience other countries. SEO advice anyone?

Lisbon, Portugal

No commentary today. Just photos from a trip to Portugal where I proposed to my wife. You can click all of the photos for a larger view.

The view from our hotel

Lisbon at Night

Leïla at the castle of São Jorge

Me. I hate the photo, but Leïla said I had to upload it.

On our way to a fado bar.

A quiet side street.

Magnificent public art.

The view from the castle.

Health care: I pay for insurance

Fair warning: this is another "political" post. I just can't seem to stay out of this.

A friend of mine, Damian Gryski, sent me a fascinating link comparing the US and Netherlands in several key areas that you would want to know about if you lived here. I found the following bit particularly interesting:

spend 48.19% less money on health care

Per capita public and private health expenditures combined in Netherlands are $3,481 USD while The United States spends $6,719 USD

This entry contains the per capita public and private health expenditure at purchase power parity using US Dollars. This figure combines government, personal, and employer spending on health care
Source: World Health Organization

A right or a privilege?
Photo by edenpictures

Please note that "per capita" spending doesn't mean what you and I pay, it's what is paid overall and the US is paying around twice the amount as the Netherlands. So while the US is has the most expensive health care system in the world, one which operates fabulously if and only if you have the money to participate in it, my wife and I spend only €220 a month on our health insurance. That's a bit higher than normal, but only because we spent a extra to cover any issues she might have with her pregnancy.

And the US? Back in 2009, US households were spending an average of $13,000 per year for health care. Your out-of-pocket health care costs in the Netherlands more than make up for an apparent 15% drop in income (naturally, the situation is far more complex than this facile analysis).

During the recent US debate about health care — well, no, I have to stop already. There was no "debate" in the US. There was idiocy everywhere as politicians and media were busy supporting their team rather than the American people. One argument I kept hearing over and over again was what a disaster "socialized" medicine has been for Europe. And yes, you can find individuals for whom it's been a disaster, just as you can find individuals for whom the US system has been a disaster. However, you can't look at individuals to tell if a system works or not. You have to look at the system. You have to look at its aggregate outcomes and in Europe, it's indisputable that our aggregate outcomes generally involve a better quality, coverage and cost of health care.

But do we really have socialized medicine over here? What we have varies from country to country. In the UK, there was definitely what one would call "socialized" medicine and that served the vast majority of people very well. Sometimes people would buy supplementary insurance to handle issues which the National Health Service was less likely to cover, but all in all, the health care in the UK was free and excellent.

Here in the Netherlands the health care system is different. I am required by law to have insurance. No insurance company may turn me down if I apply and they must charge me a flat rate. Children are free. Actual health care costs are subsidized by the government. Despite the widely held US belief that government intervention always makes things worse¹, the Dutch government has clearly done a better job than the US government. Of course, the same is true for most European governments in this regard.

Enjoying socialized medicine
while defending your freedom.
Photo by the US Army

Ironically, when I was a child my health care was free because I was a military dependent and the US military enjoys the finest in socialized medicine while fighting to keep our country free of socialism. I never could figure that one out. Some have been offended by my characterization of the US military's doctors, government-paid and operated hospitals and complete "cradle to grave" free health care for military personnel and dependants as "socialized", but I honestly can find no definition of socialism which doesn't cover this situation (lest anyone forget, the US military is a branch of the US government). Mind you, this is not a criticism of the excellent health care the US military provided for me and my family. I'm just pointing out that sometimes we need to step back and put things in perspective.

Compare the Dutch "everyone must have insurance" system to the mess in the United States. They have so many problems with their health care that the government has tons of public programs to try and plug the gaps:

• Medicare, generally covering citizens and long-term residents 65 years and older and the disabled.
• Medicaid, generally covering low income people in certain categories, including children, pregnant women, and the disabled. (Administered by the states.)
• State Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides health insurance for low-income children who do not qualify for Medicaid. (Administered by the states, with matching state funds.)
• Various programs for federal employees, including TRICARE for military personnel (for use in civilian facilities)
• The Veterans Administration, which provides care to veterans, their families, and survivors through medical centers and clinics.[66][67]
• National Institutes of Health treats patients who enroll in research for free.
• Government run community clinics
• Medical Corps of various branches of the military.
• Certain county and state hospitals

Before you think about moving abroad, check out the health care system of your target country, its costs (always lower than the US) and its outcomes (usually better than the US). And stop getting your news through profit-driven corporate media and find out the truth for yourself.

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1. This is a naïvety which is breathtaking, to say the least, but one which is enshrined not only in US political thought, but in astoundingly popular, yet foolish, economic theory (why the hell hasn't the Chilean disaster and the Soviet transition to "capitalism" put the lie to the Chicago School fanatics?)