An ex-pat, which is short for “expatriate,” is someone who lives in a different country than their country of citizenship for any amount of time. That may include someone who’s backpacking across a country for a few months, someone who’s lived in a new country without citizenship for a decade, and anyone in between. If you’re thinking about moving somewhere for any amount of time, here are some things to make sure you do.
1. Make Sure You Have the Right Visa
There can be an overwhelming number of visas out there. Whether you’re looking for a visitor visa, a spousal visa, a familial visa, a work visa or something else entirely, there may be a significant number of visas, and then many sub-visas based on those specific visas. If you’re planning to move for a decent amount of time, or you have a specific time limit on the visa, you might also want to talk to a lawyer.
2. Apartment-Hunt When You’re Already There
It can be extremely difficult to find an apartment overseas. You may be able to get an idea of the housing market before you move, but it’s probably not the best option to try and hunt for an apartment when you don’t have the ability to visit apartments in person. Some people schedule a short trip a few weeks before they move to their new location to apartment hunt in person, while others may rent a hotel or an Airbnb for a few weeks to give them time to find an apartment and move in.
3. Get a Job Overseas Before You Move If Possible
There are many different types of visas out there, and if you’re going on a work visa, you’ll already have a job when you get to the new country. However, not all visas work like this, and if you’re going on a different visa, you don’t necessarily have to have a job before you get there. However, finding a job before you move can be extremely helpful, as you don’t have to spend time and energy looking for it when you’re trying to settle in. Consider calling and emailing around to find a job before you move, or at least to find some leads on jobs.
4. Learn the Most Important Phrases in a New Language First
If you’re moving to a place that mostly speaks another language, you’re going to need to learn it. However, trying to learn the entirety of a new language before you move typically isn’t going to help you very much, because that can get overwhelming very quickly. A few months before your move, learn the absolute most important phrases, like “I’m a beginner,” and “Do you speak English?” Learn greetings, numbers, food and directions first, which will let you get home and get food if you get lost, and utilize immersion as much as possible to learn the rest.
5. Continue To Stay Connected With Your Family at Home
It’s important to remember to stay in touch with your family back at home. It can help ground you as you become an ex-pat, which can sometimes feel very lonely, especially if you have a lot of family. Even if you’re not connected with your blood relatives at home, the friends that you have are just as important as family. PeopleFinders can help you do that.
Sometimes, people change their phone numbers or other contact information without notifying people first, and this can be upsetting if you were trying to stay in contact with someone you don’t talk to very frequently. However, if you perform a people search on that individual, you can find their current contact information, allowing you to stay in touch more easily.
Conclusion
The choice to become an ex-pat, especially if you’re planning on doing it for a while, isn’t one you should take lightly. Shorter trips can be a bit easier to do on an impulse, but longer stays are an important choice that you make. With these five tips, including a bit of help from PeopleFinders, it can be much easier to navigate your ex-pat experience.
Image Attribution: Montri Thipsorn – stock.adobe.com
