Job Search Abroad: Digest of useful materials for potential IT expats

The question of finding a job abroad in the current unstable economic situation in Russia is facing many IT specialists quite sharply. A recent survey by the municipality of Innopolis and the HeadHunter recruitment portal showed that about 13% of Russian IT specialists are ready to become “labor migrants”. But is it so easy to find a job abroad and is it so much “there” that is better than “here” - in order to deal with this, I studied a lot of interesting materials. I will not advertise my opinion; I'd rather share useful digest materials about job search in different countries and solving problems and questions arising along the way.

Which country to choose?

The results of the survey by Innopolis and HeadHunter identified the TOP of the “dream countries”. Leading the list are USA, Germany and Canada. The most common reasons for relocation are the desire to get more wages and grow in the service, as well as the desire to improve their own standard of living or social conditions of the family.
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IT specialists from Russia and the CIS countries often make up their own ratings of the most attractive countries for relocation. If thoughts about moving appear more and more often, but there are no specific ideas about where exactly to emigrate, you can look at the following countries:

Germany

One of the most popular areas of labor migration for IT professionals is Germany. The reason for the increased attention of those who are moving to this country is the high demand for IT specialists and the simplified system for obtaining a residence permit for highly qualified specialists.

Here are a few guides for moving to this country:

• “ Is it worth it for a developer to look for a job in Germany: Pros and Cons ” - here you can find out about the conditions for obtaining a residence permit under the program for highly skilled migrants (Blue Card EU) and the “economic” aspects of moving (the material was originally published on VC.ru, but then it was supplemented with information from the comments on the site of this publication).
• " Moving to permanent residence in Germany " - the main ways of obtaining a residence permit and a list of documents required for moving
• It is also useful to have a look at expat blogs: “ How an IT person should go to Germany ” , “ Moving an IT person to Germany from A to Z ” to get the most complete picture of the moving procedure and social and social characteristics of the country.

With the support of the German government, a useful site “ Make It Germany ” was launched with general recommendations for those moving.

Canada

IT migrant workers formally ceased to be in demand in Canada: IT specialties were excluded from the Qualified Specialist state migration program list. However, despite the difficulties in finding a job, domestic IT professionals choose to move Canada, seeking to increase income and improve their standard of living.

Learn about the features of the IT labor market in the country of the maple leaf on Konstantin Izmestyev ’s blog “ How to live in Canada? " . A lot of useful information can be found in the blog of domestic expatriates Leaveforcanada .

A detailed guide to preparing to enter the country, " How to move to live in Canada " is on wikiHow - this material will be useful to all who came to the stage of collecting documents.

Netherlands

Over the past ten years, the demand for qualified IT professionals in the Netherlands remains one of the highest in Europe. Expats note a huge number of current vacancies for IT people in the labor market in the Netherlands. Those who value everyday comfort, urban livability and rich cultural life (and no, we are not talking not only about the red light district and coffee shops) move here.

• A detailed guide on moving to the Netherlands from the authors of a similar guide to migration to Germany - “ Why would a developer move to the Netherlands: income, taxes, residence permit ” will help to get acquainted with the price level, features of the Dutch mentality and the procedure for obtaining a residence permit under the Kennismigrant program .
• A lot of useful information about finding a job and collecting documents can be found in the blogs of those who moved:
• “ Moving through the eyes of an IT person ” , “ Invitada ” (everything about life in the Netherlands), “ Taste of Holland ” , “ Holland is a country where you want to live and work ” .
• Those who are interested in moving to this country should look at the site of the Russian-speaking migrant center in Holland “ Rassvet ”, where you can ask experienced expats any question related to relocation, search for work and housing in the Netherlands.

Norway

Norway regularly tops the ratings of the countries with the best conditions for living thanks to the economic well-being and successful social policy of the government. Labor immigration to Norway is not an easy task, but IT specialists are in great demand in the local labor market.

Useful resources for those who are thinking about labor emigration to the Scandinavian kingdom:

• “ IT Norway ” - a story by an Opera Software employee about the reasons and advantages of moving to Norway on roem.ru.
• Guides “ Emigration and relocation to permanent residence in Norway ” and “ How to leave for permanent residence in Norway ” will help in finding a job and collecting documents for obtaining a residence permit.
• The blog of the expat who has successfully established himself in the country, recommending the move - “ How IT professionals work in Norway ”.

USA

The United States leads the list of countries most attractive to IT specialists from the CIS. Domestic IT specialists are attracted by a decent standard of living and one of the highest wage levels in the world. So, "managers of computer and information systems" are in the TOP-25 of the highest paid specialists in the United States. However, most companies provide jobs only to those who have already managed to acquire a permit to work in the country. Employment in the United States can be a very difficult task even for a highly skilled migrant.

Some useful resources for those who decide to follow the "American dream":

• Guide to obtaining a work permit and the subsequent search for vacancies " How to move to the United States if you are an IT specialist . "
• Life hacking from an emigrant working for a Russian IT company remotely, living in America “ How an IT person should move to America: 6 life hacks from Alexander Patsay from Parallels ” .
• Tips on finding and getting a job in the USA “ How to get to America? (USA for IT) " , " Work for a programmer in the USA: 5 simple steps . "