My 10 reasons to move abroad is from the perspective of a young black woman who lived in Lagos, Nigeria and 2 countries later, I am living and thriving. 

As I constantly mention, moving overseas impacted my life, and I want it to change yours as well. Moving abroad is a constant reminder that there is so much to see and do in the world. I’m hoping at some point in my life, I will move to Australia (yeah! I am speaking it to the Universe ). Until then, I’m making the most of my time in Canada.

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Here are 10 reasons to move abroad this year :

 

1. Job opportunity

It is common knowledge that job chances in another country are often better to those in your native country. I was just researching family medical doctor salaries in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, and was astounded by the disparity. Doctors in the United Kingdom earn around £88,744 per year, while their colleagues in the United States earn around $234,000. Isn’t it shocking?

 

2. Independence

Every young adult desires to be self-sufficient and independent. Independence means getting a job, finding your way around to do things your own way. 

The United Kingdom gave me the opportunity to explore and travel as I had never done before. As you may imagine, when I returned home, I felt trapped and unable to pursue my goals. Living in Nigeria meant I had to live in my parents’ house – Their House, Their Rules. To regain my independence, I knew I needed to relocate again.

Of course, being independent comes with its challenges and responsibilities so you have to be prepared for that.

 

3. Location privilege

As someone from a third-world country, I value location privilege, which Canada and the United Kingdom provided. I require a visa for practically every country I travel to, and applying for one required prayer and fasting (If you know, you know *wink*). My experience applying for a US visa in the UK vs Canada was seamless in comparison to applying from Nigeria.

The advantage of applying for visas in your temporary home is that you will not be subjected to the same level of scrutiny as someone applying in another nation.

 

4. Possibility of becoming a Dual citizen

One of the perks of moving abroad is that eventually if you stay long enough you will become a citizen as long as you follow the due process – of course! You eventually get to hold 2 citizenships. Canada’s Citizenship pathway is one of the most straightforward processes in the world.

Some countries don’t allow you have dual citizenship so you may be asked to denounce one for the other.

 

5. Career Growth

I mentioned earlier about Job opportunities but it is not just any opportunity but the one that will yield career growth. In my home country, I felt stuck in my Tech career & I knew staying there longer would not give me the success & career growth I desired.  As a result of relocating to Canada, I was able to find a new career in Tech and advance through the ranks.

The key to success when moving to a specific country is to determine the job prospect in your field for the destination you are considering.

 

6. Experience multiculturalism

In comparison to Nigeria, both places I’ve lived in are more multicultural. I’ve made friends with folks from all over the world, including places I’d never heard of before. 

There isn’t a single place in the world that I can think of that wouldn’t be. You are exposed to a new environment and individuals that you would not encounter if you were still living in your home country. 

Countries like Dubai, the USA, Germany are very multicultural because they attract a large number of expats & international students.

 

7. Better standard of living

Third-world countries face their own plethora of challenges that make life a little more challenging. Everyday obstacles include limited access to health care, clean water, transportation, and other necessities. All of these become more accessible after I relocated to another country.

 

8. Accessible healthcare

In third-world countries, the healthcare system can be difficult to navigate, limiting access to only the affluent. This makes receiving medical treatment difficult for the impoverished. Even if you are not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, basic healthcare is free. You only have to pay for your medications. Of course, you must have adequate insurance to cover your medications.

 

9. Learn another language

Living abroad brings an opportunity to learn a new language especially if you are in a bilingual country or city. Learning a new language can be challenging initially but once you get a hang of it, you will start to speak fluently in no time.

 

10. Explore the world

Taking advantage of your location privilege presents an opportunity to travel and explore the world. There is so much to see in the world for you to be confined in one place. We were born to move if not we will be trees with our roots stuck to the ground.

Conclusion 

After reading all these reasons, I know you will be feeling motivated to move abroad. There are so many different way to move abroad you can explore. What country will you consider moving to?