Most people have considered relocating to a different country, whether temporarily or for good. It can be a great chance for adventurous travel, finding better employment and quality of life, or just starting over as self-discovery.
The important question would be when the right time is to consider going overseas. Different stages of life play an important role in this decision, as well as visa and migration policies of various countries. Fortunately, there are ways to discern the ages and situations that make it most suitable to move.
Here’s how to determine when the right age to travel abroad is:
Late Teens To Early 20s
Moving abroad by yourself at a young age is possible and offers many advantages at this age. Being young presents the opportunity for better cultural immersion and integration. This is because teens and new adults are still forming their identities and can be shaped and molded by the new country’s experience. A drawback of this is missing out on the social development necessary to stay connected to their native culture.
It’s also easier to learn a new language the younger you start as the brain has a higher capability to absorb information. Youth often have an easier time immigrating because visas often have less strict requirements. According to UPakWeShip EU, they’re seen as less burdensome to accommodate as they have fewer possessions to ship abroad.
Most teens move abroad with homestay programs and live with a host family from high school age. People in their early 20s often live abroad for higher education. This then gives them a longer time to qualify for citizenship later.
Young Adulthood And Into Late 20s
The young yet maturing adulthood years of mid to late 20s are undoubtedly the most common and popular age for people to move abroad. At this point, many are single young professionals with some level of work experience, are tech savvy, adaptable, and have critical or specialist skills. These are attractive qualities for countries looking for immigrants to fill skills gaps missing in their native population’s workforce. This is a great time to start looking for property abroad, such as buying an apartment in Dubai – hugely popular with the 20s skilled workforce right now – or wherever it is you’re looking at moving. Websites like Zoom Property can help you find property all around the world, click here to know more.
The drawback to this could be a highly competitive visa qualification process if the country sees many yearly applicants. Furthermore, it’s often easier for 20-somethings to move abroad because they’re less likely to have financial obligations such as property ownership and legal contracts that need to be transferred overseas. Having said this, moving abroad might start becoming challenging after turning 30.
Moving Abroad In Your 30s, 40s, And 50s
After age 29, it may become slightly more difficult to move abroad, depending on your destination country’s entry requirements and individual life circumstances. Most people in this age group are often settled down and have financial and family obligations that make it more complex to move or may take a longer time, which could stretch into years.
These are mainly having children or dependents, being married, owning a business, as well as having pension funds, home loans, taxes, insurance contracts, and debt that need to be transferred to the new country, among other reasons. In relation to this, most finances and budgets are tied up in these financial obligations, making it harder to find a flexible budget to move abroad.
Many of these can make the visa qualification process more complex, which is why many countries start implementing age limitations on visas beginning around age 35 and above. Having said this, there are situations that make relocating simpler after turning 30. These are being affluent, having relationship connections abroad, getting job offerings, and having sought-after skills.
Older Adulthood In Your 60s And Beyond
Retirement age is known as one of the best times to move abroad for self-rediscovery and adventure. Many older adults become expats during this age because they’re free from employment and have more freedom to travel as their children become independent adults. Most often, seniors will move abroad using extended holiday visa programs and live in popular retirement villages.
There are some paid work programs for people moving abroad after retirement, mainly in teaching, religious institutions, and hospitality. However, these can be difficult to find and qualify for due to foreign language requirements. The biggest challenge to going overseas as a senior is upkeeping health while adapting to new cultures and accessing healthcare without relatives present to provide help and care.
Conclusion
While it might be easier to move abroad before turning 30, the best time to move is at any age when there are enough resources to sustain a good quality of life in the new country. Furthermore, successful applications are weighed more on an individual skill than actual age.
Thus, the best way to find out the best time or age to move abroad is by examining what each person can offer their host country at that stage in their life and how easy it’ll be to transition into a new way of life.
No Comments