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Ask HN: What was your path toward expat?

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Ask HN: What was your path toward expat?

#1

Post by camhayes »

I'm an American software engineer, but currently looking at graduate school in Europe. I'm about 18 months out from when I could reasonably start school. I've been hoping to find a pathway toward residence in one of the countries where those schools are before then. My hope is this would give me time to lay some foundations to make the grad school journey a bit easier (established living situation, EU financial foundation, better understanding of the language, etc.)

For any expats, I was curious what your pathway was to getting overseas? While I am EU Blue Card eligible, the straightforward method of applying to companies abroad hasn't netted any results, and I wonder if I'm missing any opportunities.

Re: Ask HN: What was your path toward expat?

#3

Post by camhayes »

elros wrote: post #2

What do you mean with expat? You'd like to get an employer in the US that sends you to work in the EU on their behalf?

Expat to mean residence in a non-US country. So it would mean an offer from an EU-based company to either sponsor a residence visa or one that qualifies for Blue Card. Either way, an offer is needed in the EU.

Re: Ask HN: What was your path toward expat?

#4

Post by whatevermom »

Sorry, English isn’t my native language, but do you want to start studying again in EU? In that case, you can apply for an education VISA. I don’t know what is a blue card, but I’d suggest looking at the country you want specifically rather than looking at Europe as a whole. The procedures will be similar between EU countries but in the end, you’re going to be talking to one specific embassy in America. Each countries have different levels of strictness.

Re: Ask HN: What was your path toward expat?

#5

Post by camhayes »

whatevermom wrote: post #4

Sorry, English isn’t my native language, but do you want to start studying again in EU? In that case, you can apply for an education VISA. I don’t know what is a blue card, but I’d suggest looking at the country you want specifically rather than looking at Europe as a whole. The procedures will be similar between EU countries but in the end, you’re going to be talking to one specific embassy in America. Each countrie…

My goal is to study in EU (particularly Germany or France), but to first try to find employment there. Where I am having difficulty is finding a reliable method for setting up interviews with German/French software companies, and I was hoping for advice on what others may have done to succeed in that.

Re: Ask HN: What was your path toward expat?

#6

Post by michpoch »

> For any expats, I was curious what your pathway was to getting overseas?

So... any expats? Or Americans moving overseas? Or people from the USA moving to EU countries? These will be wildly different scenarios.

For me it was signing a work contract in Switzerland and moving there from an EU country. The path to get that job was by finishing a good uni and having some work experience already while studying. Not sure this helps you much...

Re: Ask HN: What was your path toward expat?

#9

Post by whatevermom »

camhayes wrote: post #5
whatevermom wrote: post #4

Sorry, English isn’t my native language, but do you want to start studying again in EU? In that case, you can apply for an education VISA. I don’t know what is a blue card, but I’d suggest looking at the country you want specifically rather than looking at Europe as a whole. The procedures will be similar between EU countries but in the end, you’re going to be talking to one specific embassy in America. Each countrie…

My goal is to study in EU (particularly Germany or France), but to first try to find employment there. Where I am having difficulty is finding a reliable method for setting up interviews with German/French software companies, and I was hoping for advice on what others may have done to succeed in that.

Why do you want to find employment first? I don’t mean to tell you to change course but curious if going to a school first wouldn’t be a better option.

I can’t prove it but I think that it’ll be hard getting a job here without speaking the language unless you’re extra qualified. At least, that’s my perspective in France but I might be 100% wrong since I actually never held an office job here.

Not sure about Germany, but I would say that they speak better English than us French on average so that’s where I would try my luck first if I was you.

… except that German will be useless if you ever want to transition to Spain / Italy. Learning French would allow you to learn Spanish or Italian fast, but German wont.

(This message is definitely a nothing burger concerning finding employment, but I hope it gave you some ideas to consider)

Re: Ask HN: What was your path toward expat?

#10

Post by msgodel »

q3k wrote: post #8
elros wrote: post #2

What do you mean with expat? You'd like to get an employer in the US that sends you to work in the EU on their behalf?

"expat" means "immigrant" but it's used by people who believe they are somehow above others

One country's immigrant is another country's emigrant.
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