Best Countries to immigrate to for webmasters

[vik_c]

I'm thinking, one should immigrate to a country with

(not in any particular order)

good infrastructure

scenic beauty

low cost of living

pleasant weather (no extreme climates)

low or average taxes

fast internet access

political stability (no dictators and preferably non-nuclear)

easy entry for immigrants

friendly people (no racism)

a stable currency

little or no red tape

business friendly atmosphere

access to free or low-cost healthcare

Any ideas?

[caribguy]

Besides, how many does one need anyway? :)

We have a lot of timeshare resorts here. It's a blessing, as long as you're not into relationships...

[HuskyPup]

Canary Islands - I actually went there some 20+ years ago with the idea of moving there however they really are not that big if you fancy travelling about a bit plus they're several hours flight from mainland Europe.

Other islands maybe worth considering and are beautiful with excellent food...Sardinia and Corsica, however I'm not sure what their broadband speeds are right now.

You could probably buy a Greek island fairly cheaply at the moment! I know lots people who like living in Malta and it should tick most of your requirements...I think.

[Whitey]

1. New Zealand
2. Australia

For quality of life , infrastructure and access to expertise. I came to Australia 25 years ago for a brief working holiday and ended out migrating from Europe. Never found a better place to work in on all of my frequent travels around the globe - except New Zealand.

[vik_c]

Who said anything about NEEDs? I thought the whole thread was about WANTs. :)

True! I meant that in the smallest of countries you can attract beautiful, friendly women without having the whole country full of them.

[anshul]

Wherever is nice employer, nice job or nice business.. one can migrate to.

Stay for long term, and make lot of money and name there.
Manytimes, I feel hiring should be contract based, assignment based or project based or some R&D based.. not like just hire and fire by managers and firm, without any actual reason.

Any place may be boring.. may be always nice, if person keeps moving and travelling on.

India is cheap and Bangalore has lots of jobs.
Howeever, perfect employer who can make you rich, out of your skills, talent and work is rare anywhere.

[stuartmcdonald]

I've been based out of Thailand, then Cambodia and now Indonesia for the last 13 odd years and really rate it. Internet isn't as fast as it could be, but otherwise all good. Cost of living very low, lifestyle excellent. If you're self employed it isn't too difficult to base yourself in any one of the three. Great for kids too.

[iJeep]

After receiving our latest health insurnace renewal rates, my wife and myself were having this same discussion earlier in the week.

What about some of the smaller carribean islands? We honeymooned in Antigua and I know that is a very on-line business friendly island.

[walkman]

After receiving our latest health insurnace renewal rates, my wife and myself were having this same discussion earlier in the week.

With the average ins rate alone you can probably live decently somewhere in South America or Eastern Europe. It's getting scary here in USA

[charlier]

Thanks for the replies on Ireland and the Canary Islands, since someone mentioned Malta I will say a bit about it. I lived there for a year programming website back ends for a company in the UK. I just had a tourist visa and had to pop out of the country for a day every 3 months. The pluses are that the people are very friendly and most speak English, in an EU poll a couple years ago Malta was rated the happiest country in the EU. The infrastructure is good, I had DSL which seem pretty fast, however, it is quite a small island (40x80 mi) so don't expect any huge shopping malls, there are pretty good sized grocery stores. Wine is very cheap and very good (locally made) around $2 a liter. You don't need a car, and that is a good thing, the law abiding drivers in Malta are the ones that slow down at stop signs. It is very hot in the summer in the daytime but you always get a nice breeze off the sea at night. People stay out till late at night on the sea front sitting on public benches and on outside seating at cafes etc. If you like fireworks then you'll love Malta as you have them every night in one village or another. All in all I very much enjoyed my year there. The big negative for me is how small, dry and rocky it was, I am from rural western PA and I love the rivers and the green fields and trees. That's probably what attracts me to Ireland.

[gamiziuk]

It seems like you could get a big, new house with an indoor pool with a waterfall for a fraction of what the same house would cost in any of the major metro areas of California.

You also get mosquitoes, little lizards and palmetto bugs (flying roaches) everywhere plus hurricanes, sinkholes [dep.state.fl.us], spontaneous rain all the time followed by blistering humid heat, A/C bills, tons of tourists, timeshares, snowbirds (people) from Canada, and the hazardous driving conditions caused by little tufts of blue hair that can't see over the dashboard.

All reasons why they're giving away houses at rates way below California prices.

Florida also has NO STATE INCOME TAX and no earthquake zones.

[workingNOMAD]

As you can probably tell from my name I have been traveling around the World for a number of years looking at places to work from and call home. I am actually settled back in the UK now (perhaps that proves there is no where better for me, in terms of friends, family, familiar culture etc).

Anywhere here is my opinion on countries to emigrate to for webmasters..

SOUTH EAST ASIA

GENERAL:

Very cheap, lots of fun, frendly people, great weather. Corruption is bad but this can sometimes work in your favour!


THAILAND

Great if you are a single guy, hedonistic kind of place but lots of political instability and many foreigners have become unstuck there. Its still cheap and broadband improving. Great food too and great healthcare, although you have to pay for it!

CAMBODIA

Like Thailand was, very cheap food and alcohol imports of western food, never seen a place like it. 3G infrastructure too which was sufficient for me. Very poor but friendly people, poorly educated in many cases. Dangerous? Well I always felt safe but you need to keep your wits about you!

Best thing: Business visas for $20 a month, and no time limits!

INDONESIA / BALI

Going to talk mainly about Bali as I have most experience there. Biggest minus straight off is the visa situation, having to leave every month or attmepting to get a six month social visa, which is not easy to get unless you have connections.

Bali is very cheap, great cuisines, all the home comforts and great surf too if you are into that. Good 3G infrastructure too. Friendliest people on the planet, non muslim, and like Thailand people do end up in trouble here, particularly anything to do with drugs!


AUSTRALIA / NZ

GENERAL:
English speaking, great infrastructure, increasingly expensive.

AUSTRALIA

It is very expensive these days, many British immigrants complain it costs more than home. Visa situation is not good for webmasters. Easier if you are a Nurse or Trades person to get a visa than an independent professional.

I think Aus is a great country but a very bad choice for webmasters.

NZ

Great climate (North of North Island) not too expensive if you avoid imports, friendly people, long term business visa doable but you have to employ locals, not sure why some said you don't!

Biggest issue is the isolation and sense of being a long way from everywhere, there is also a surprisingly high crime rate, bad road death figures and if you are from a vibrant place then you might find the cities too boring and relaxed. I would say better to retire or take a family.

Just a few other observations...

Canada has an extreme climate! If its boiling in summer and freezing in winter it is extreme! The southern part of the UK on the other hand has anything but an extreme climate, av. temps rarely more than 20C (sorry not sure of F) apart from winter and summer.

Having said that the UK is cloudy and dull a lot which makes it depressing, especially with short days in winter.

I would say most of Latin America can be dangerous, even places like Ecuador, Mexico and even Costa Rica can be dangrous. I would say the only places like Chile are more safe, but there again you have increased costs.

To sum up I am not sure the OP will ever find somewhere that ticks all the boxes, but if they do I would love to hear about it!

[Visit Thailand]

Bali is very cheap, great cuisines, all the home comforts and great surf too if you are into that. Good 3G infrastructure too. Friendliest people on the planet, non muslim

I am not entirely sure I agree with all of that. Bali is great, but its population is extremely mixed with a lot of people from Java - who can be extremely agressive around the Kuta area. As long as you stay away from the touristy places it can be a great place to live.

A lot of the success in living abroad however is not the place you choose to stay, nor how friendly the people are but yourself and your attitude.

If you have, and maintain, the right attitude and outlook on life, don't be to set in your ways and properly submerse yourself into the culture and customs without imposing any of your beliefs on others then you are likely to have a great time where you are.

Japan has to be one of the best places to live, super high speed internet, and some amazing islands, food and hot springs.

[workingNOMAD]

I meant by and large non-muslim, having said that people on Java (muslim) were also incredibly friendly too.

By the way, I was not suggesting that being a non-muslim Islands was a positive, it just means that things we take for granted in the West, e.g. beer, showing affection in public, wearing beachwear etc are tolerated more on Bali as it's mainly Hindu.

Many of the aggressive hawkers in Kuta (lots from Sumatra (Christians, Catholics etc)) are really not that bad, you can choose to ignore them, have a laugh with them and if you actually walk less than one mile from the main strip you won't even see them, or any other tourists too!

Seminyak and Ubud would be better as a longer term base.

[edited by: lawman at 2:36 pm (utc) on Aug 30, 2010]
[edit reason] speeling [/edit]

[fearlessrick]

One country that hasn't been mentioned is Panama. There is an interesting site, search for "retirement wave" and you'll find it. Lots of information. The currency is US dollar and the weather compares favorably to Costa Rica, its neighbor. Politically, very safe, protected by US and military patrolling the Canal Zone.

Worth a look, IMO.

[workingNOMAD]

I have read that Panama is one of the most expensive countries in the region. I found Costa Rica expensive, even with £££, in fact any country that has been americanised tends to be expensive eventually.

In terms of the key indicators of cheap cost of living and safety then Southeast Asia takes a lot of beating - most other regions can usually offer only one of these and not the other.

[David_M]

My experience in singapore:

# good infrastructure - yes, modern subway, clean drinking water. They plan everything out years in advance. Think sim city. English is an official language, used in business and politics. All signs, govt paperwork, banks etc.. have english. Most people speak it well. They spray for mosquitoes frequently to prevent malaria, dengue fever outbreaks.

# scenic beauty - they made the island "green" with lots of trees, some nice parks, but most people travel to relax. Thailand is about a $100 RT ticket.

# low cost of living - food can be cheap or expensive. eat at local places and its less than $5 a meal. Eat at expat places and it'll run you $30. Beers similar $4 at local center, $10 at expat area. Housing is what is expensive- my flat in a condo (pool,gym) is a 2br+1study thats about $2300 a month. Most people share. Subway and buses are cheap. Taxis are pretty cheap too.

# pleasant weather (no extreme climates) - hot, rains a few times a week for a few hours. Tropics.

# low or average taxes - 0%-20% on corp, 4%-20% on personal. No capital gains tax. They make up for this with VAT of 7%, sin taxes on beer/tobacco, and hidden taxes like TV license.

# fast internet access - generally decent internet, i have a 15mbs plan, although i seldom get that speed, sometimes drops to 2. They are working on getting islandwide wifi, right now its in many hotspots.

# political stability (no dictators and preferably non-nuclear) - very stable, not much decent... Surrounded by countries with less stability.

# easy entry for immigrants - goes through cycles. When i came it wasn't difficult to get a visa for starting a business. They've tightened up since then.

# friendly people (no racism) - yes, multi-cultural society. Very used to foreigners. I'm sure there's some animosity towards foreigners taking jobs etc.. but not common.

# a stable currency - yes, has gained a lot of strength over the past year. Went from 1.55 to 1.35 in about 18 mos.

# little or no red tape - very straight forward visa and business start up procedures, all in english. Banks are a little bit of a hassle but not too bad. I found the govt better than the banks!

# business friendly atmosphere - yes. Main group is chinese decedents, very business focused. Lots of people in IT. Its the asia HQ for many multinationals. Local businesses level of service could use a little improvement.

# access to free or low-cost healthcare - low cost relative to the US. They also have medical tourism if you wanna spend more.

[graeme_p]

One thing that does make a difference is whether you are looking for a place to settle down in permanently (a new home) or somewhere pleasant to work for a few years.

I assume that if you care about political stability beyond the "will stuff happen that affects me" level (vik seems to, both in the original question and his reply to my earlier comment), then you must be settling permanently. Immigration rules can be very different for the two scenarios (visas to work or run a business, vs citizenship).

The other thing is the low cost of living criterion. Are you planning to get work in the country you go to? Then what you are concerned about is the ratio of cost of living to earnings. In this case you want a developed country.

If you are working on the web location may not affect your earnings in which case you probably want a developing country. You will probably get a lower cost of living if you are willing to compromise on how good the infrastructure is.

Also, cost of living depends on what you spend your money on. Here in Sri Lanka housing is cheap but cars are expensive. In the UK cars are reasonable, but housing is expensive, and so is going out. I believe that in Singapore eating out is cheap (it was last time I went there, compared to most developed countries) but both cars (still the case?) and housing are expensive. If you have (or plan to have) children you need to consider the cost of education.

My current choice compromises on infrastructure (broadband good enough to list to audio while working is enough - big downloads like video and linux ISOs can be done while I am not working, and I can live with the odd bumpy road) and political stability (it does not affect me personally, so why should I let it put me off?).

Viks list of criteria is going to require compromising on something!

[flashdash]

Morocco.

It ticks all your boxes - see below, although language could be a problem. Only French and Arabic are widely spoken throughout the country.

good infrastructure
* I recommend Tangier, Marrakesh or Agadir.

scenic beauty
* Hands down the best and of all sorts

low cost of living
* Very cheap accommodation, food...etc.

pleasant weather (no extreme climates)
* Weather is one of the main attraction there.

low or average taxes
* 2-5 years tax free if starting a business.

fast internet access
* 20mb will set you back around £25 and mobile internet is not more than £8/month

political stability (no dictators and preferably non-nuclear)
* yes

easy entry for immigrants
* Easy entry, although you have to deal with some bureaucracy to get things sorted.

friendly people (no racism)
* very warm welcoming people

a stable currency
* yes

little or no red tape
* It's a Muslim country, but it's not Dubai or Saudi Arabia. People are familiar with European and American customs, but don't go crazy.

business friendly atmosphere
* Yes, although pretty laid back

access to free or low-cost healthcare
* Basic health care is free, but you will have to pay for long term care, operations...etc.

[OddDog]

I am in the top left hand corner of Spain.

Its nice. Rains a little to much for me though.

Was in Amsterdam for 3 years, but not a place for me to bring up my 3 boys.

[vik_c]

graeme_p, I quite agree about having to compromise somewhere. Low taxes and healthcare can't usually co-exist. The money has to come from somewhere. I'm trying to avoid countries with a history of internal strife, dictatorship or ongoing conflicts with other countries.

I've looked up every country in Asia. Nothing really comes close. Sri Lanka has a lot of political trouble internally. The infrastructure isn't much and the weather is horrible.

I'm not very interested in countries with an Islamic majority. That excludes a lot of Asian countries.

Philippines seems interesting but Manila seems worse than Mumbai. Other parts may be better as someone mentioned Luzon.

Many countries seem to make it tough for self-employed people to immigrate by requiring them to employ locals. This is odd. If you don't need anyone and are going to earn foreign exchange, why shouldn't you be welcome?

Singapore requires locals to be employed. So does Chile under their new policy. NZ does (under LTBV and Investor Visas). Most of Europe is very expensive.

If some nice country that ticks most of the boxes in the original post invites self employed professionals without requiring them to create jobs they can have so many quality immigrants - professionals and freelancers of every type, people who don't need to hire others. They'll all contribute to the economy.

[workingNOMAD]

Morocco is fine unless you like beer, wine etc - nearly impossible to find bars or pubs, you end up in very expensive hotels with no atmosphere and a huge bar bill!

For some that doesn't matter but I guess most webmasters are male and in their 30/40s so I would predict it would be a factor for many.

As for employing locals, well I don't see that as a big issue, particularly if you can pay minimum wage.

[Visit Thailand]

Agree with David_M about Singapore, great place and it's getting better. Drinks are a bit too pricey, but you can't have everything right?!

[graeme_p]

@vik, I was not suggesting that the compromise that suits me,is the one that will suit you, but I have to respond to your comments.

Sri Lanka has a lot of political trouble internally.

True, but it does not affect me.

The infrastructure isn't much

As I said, its adequate, not good. That is my biggest compromise.

the weather is horrible.

What? Its no hotter than any tropical country, and if it is too hot for you you can move up into the hill country (I am currently trying to persuade my wife that that is a good idea). Rain is seasonal monsoons. Its certainly a huge improvement over Manchester.

I'm not very interested in countries with an Islamic majority.

That is too sweeping. I would not want to live in Saudi Arabia, but not all Muslim countries are fundamentalist. The city I live in is about 25% Muslim and, in my experience, the better for it. The people who suggested Indonesia seem happy with living there.

Most of Europe is very expensive

That is what you compromise for good healthcare, good infrastructure, political stability and low crime rates.

If some nice country that ticks most of the boxes in the original post invites self employed professionals without requiring them to create jobs they can have so many quality immigrants - professionals and freelancers of every type, people who don't need to hire others. They'll all contribute to the economy.

The problem is that most immigration laws are not designed to just require immigrants to make a net positive contribution. They are designed to ensure that immigrants make a sufficiently large net positive contribution to compensate for upsetting bigoted natives.

It sounds to me that Singapore would suit you if you can deal with the immigration requirements and meet the cost of housing.

[Ferro9]

How do not agree with Mr Bo Jangles? :)
Even if they started building houses on 1/8 of an acre lots, Australia it's still the best place in the world.

[vik_c]

graeme_p, nothing against any religion but a strict Sharia law will severely cramp my style and I prefer not considering such countries.

True, but it does not affect me.

'First they came..'[en.wikipedia.org ]

Its no hotter than any tropical country

That's the trouble. I'm in Mumbai, India where the summer is bad. It's even worse in Northern India. Hot weather undermines productivity.

The problem is that most immigration laws are not designed to just require immigrants to make a net positive contribution.

Exactly. Canada wants millionaire immigrants. How many Canadians are millionaires?

It sounds to me that Singapore would suit you if you can deal with the immigration requirements and meet the cost of housing.

The Singapore Entrepass requires entrepreneurs to employee at least four locals. I could be open to the idea but such a requirement creates a limitation in a business plan. What if I don't find the talent I want in Singapore? The same goes for all countries that impose these local employment requirements.

[graeme_p]

nothing against any religion but a strict Sharia law will severely cramp my style and I prefer not considering such countries.

My point is that not all Muslim majority countries have strict Sharia law - I would not want to live in those that do either.

First they came..

Agree with the quote (its one of my favourites), but I would question its applicability this case - or to a good many other countries discussed in this thread.

Hot weather undermines productivity.

True. Choice of region (at least in this country), well designed out of town houses or air-conditioning all solve this problem. Also, beware of summer in some apparently cooler countries, especially if the buildings are primarily designed to stay warm in winter.

That requirement certainly rules out Dubai and a few other places that have been mentioned. Singapore is pretty hot, as does much of Australia in the summer. How well do you cope with cold weather? Its quite difficult to find places with temperatures in a comfortable range all year round.

[vik_c]

Agree with the quote (its one of my favourites), but I would question its applicability this case

What I really meant was that countries that have internal trouble due to differences with minorities or human rights violations can eventually make life difficult for immigrants.

Choice of region (at least in this country), well designed out of town houses or air-conditioning all solve this problem.

That's true. Weather is really not such a high priority on my list personally as long it's not extreme either way. The motive for starting this thread was more to throw up some interesting possibilities (than to find an utopia for me) which it has, thanks to the contribution of people like you!

[Jane_Doe]

Its quite difficult to find places with temperatures in a comfortable range all year round.

Many parts of northern California have great climates all year round and beautiful scenery but of course you pay the price for it in terms of housing costs.

[anand84]

Has anyone here explored South Africa? I assume crime must be high in some areas but otherwise how would you review the country?

[Whitey]

South Africa is a mixed bag in my opinion.

If you live there , you get used to the crime and learn to live with it. There's reasonable infrastructure and excellent business / legal governance.

Climate , low cost entertaining , low cost / quality housing are all positives. Living as an affluent amongst the many disadvantaged citizens is the counterbalance challenge for the conscience to deal with.

For migrating, there's safer places on the planet and this isn't a place to easily relax out side of secured areas.