European Union is known as a region of the world that is ethnically diverse, rich in history, and balanced when it comes to work and family life. Still offering a relatively firm social care, it is a good destination for families and for any professional who wants to live relatively comfortable, stable life without worrying about tomorrow.

General Rules.

European Union is rather uniform when it comes to labor law. Therefore, when deliberating which member state of the EU to choose, you should think of the Income Per Capita, the climate, and the average happiness level in various member states, and choose the option best for you.

In general, European Union is highly protective of its own employees. In all the member states of the European Union, it is disincentivized to hire employees from outside of the EU.

This regulation is formulated as follows:

“As an employer, you must first do everything within your power to hire someone from within the EU, the EEA or Switzerland and the vacancy should be reported to the local Employee Insurance Agency in your member state first.”

This means that employers are legally required to first create a vacancy and give the chance for European professionals to apply for the position. Only in the absence of suitable candidates, they are allowed to look for external talent. And in that case, it is a slow and costly process!

If a European employer is planning to bring on board an employee from outside the EU, the EEA, and Switzerland for longer than a period of 3 months, they must recognize themselves as a sponsor. And this requires quite some investment and paperwork! The application necessary to be recognized as a sponsor costs thousands of dollars.

Moreover, for every sponsored employee, the employer needs to cooperate with the employee and apply for a combined residence and work permit, the so-called single permit, for them. This is a residence permit with an additional document stating for which employer they are permitted to work and under which conditions. The permit can be obtained from the local Immigration and Naturalization Service and is costly as well.

The employer also needs to obtain a provisional residence permit. This is a special type of visa with which the employee can enter the European Union in the first place. Sponsors need to apply for this permit at the local Immigration and Naturalization Service as well.

Is There a Shortcut?

Yes! In the European Union, certain groups of workers do not need to find a sponsor and a work permit (although other conditions do apply), especially:

a) Highly skilled migrants.

If you have high education, you can apply for a European Blue Card (which was created as a response to the American “Green Card”). It not only allows you to live and work in the EU, but it’s also a path toward permanent residence and EU citizenship.

To receive the Blue Card, you need to have higher education or professional experience as well as employment contract or binding employment offer — without the necessity to be employed by a sponsor — and evidence of having applied for health insurance if this is not covered in the contract.

Mind that these categories are objective: as long as you fulfill the criteria, namely, you have a valid degree or employment contracts to justify your application, you will be assigned with the Blue Card — it is not a matter of any committee’s interpretation.

b) Trainees.

Interns are employees who follow an internship in a company as part of their training.

An internship is usually a mandatory part of education that allows the student to gain work experience in a company. The internship focuses on learning. Students at universities, higher professional education, senior secondary vocational education, or pre-vocational secondary education can follow an internship.

As opposed to an internship, work placement (or, apprenticeship) combines a higher professional education or senior secondary work-based learning pathway with working for a company. Generally, students attend school 1 day per week. The remaining days they work in your company and receive on-the-job training.

If the employer looks for an intern but without work placement, they can accept interns from outside the EU without sponsorship. Otherwise, sponsorship and the combined work and living permit are necessary.

2. USA.

The U.S. still attracts professionals from all around the world with its American myth of “from zero to a millionaire.” Who wouldn’t like to go viral and become world-famous for their message and talents?

Well, despite this legend has little to do with the truth, in reality, American job market is attractive. Hard work and innovation are valued here, and if you are willing to put heart and effort into what you do, you might indeed find yourself on a fast track to wealth.

General Rules.

For Americans, there is only the U.S. and the rest of the world. Namely, they tend to treat all foreigners as intruders in their local job market, regardless if they come from Europe, Bangladesh, or Mars.

Immigrants living in the United States and foreign nationals who want to come to the United States must receive permission known as an Employment Authorization Document (or, EAD) from the U.S. government to be able to legally work in the U.S.

The working permit is not a type of visa! — which often confuses foreigners. The difference is as follows. A work visa allows you to live in the U.S. and work for a specific employer. When you lose this employer, you also lose your visa.

Unlike a work visa, a work permit is not pegged to any specific employer. Once you get a work permit, you can work for any employer in the US. Your work permit can be renewed for as long as your immigration status allows you to keep working.

Eligible immigrants include for instance: K-1 Fiancee Visa holders, asylees, immigrants with pending adjustments of green card status, immigrants with extraordinary abilities and achievements in sciences, education, business, or athletics, spouses of some visa holders, approved temporary workers, F-1 students who are experiencing financial hardship who want to apply for optional practical training, and many others.

You can find a complete list of immigration statuses that allow you to obtain the work permit on the USCIS Form I-765 instructions.

To apply for the work permit, you need to fill in the USCIS Form I-765: Application for Employment Authorization. The form is simple and includes your name, contact information, and information about your eligibility. In most cases, the application costs $410 and the waiting time is typically between 2 and 7 months.

If you have an employment visa, you don’t need to apply for a separate work permit to be able to legally work. This rule applies to immigrants with visas such as H-1B, L-1, E-3, and E Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor visas.

Of course, you also don’t need to apply for a work permit once you become a U.S. citizen. If your employer asks for proof that you can work in the United States, you can just show them your American passport or naturalization certificate.

Is There a Shortcut?

Is there a way to come and work in the US without being a famous person, or without marrying an American? Yes! You can become a Green Card holder. Green card holders are lawful permanent residents in the U.S. and do not need to apply for a work permit.

Your green card authorizes you to work in the U.S. for as long as it is valid! Regardless if who your employer is. U.S. immigration laws offer a variety of ways for people to apply for a Green Card (please check the Green Card Eligibility Categories to check all the possible categories you can apply under and the eligibility requirements, respectively.

However, the most popular way to receive a Green Card is by becoming an immigrant worker. It requires finding a sponsor (an employer) and obtaining one of the three types of visa:

a) “First preference worker (EB-1).”

A professional with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics, an outstanding professor or researcher, or a multinational manager or executive who meets certain criteria.

b) “Second preference worker (EB-2).”

A member of a profession that requires an advanced degree, a professional with exceptional ability in the sciences, arts, or business, or seeking a national interest waiver,

c) “Third preference worker (EB-3).”

A skilled worker (meaning your job requires a minimum of 2 years training or work experience), or a professional (meaning your job requires at least a U.S. Bachelor’s degree or a foreign equivalent), or an unskilled worker (meaning you will perform unskilled labor requiring less than 2 years training or experience).

And now a million dollar question: how to prove that you have “extraordinary ability” or that you are a “skilled worker”? At the end of the day, these categories sound subjective — and they are! Well, most green card applicants reach out to specialized private law firms. The application process can take even as much as 2 years, and cost more than $10,000 but eventually, given the buying power in the US, your investment will probably pay itself back within a year.

It is also possible to obtain a Green Card as an Immigrant Investor — if you have invested or are in the process of investing at least $1,050,000 (or $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project) in a new business in the U.S. which aims to create full-time positions for at least 10 employees, you are eligible for a Green Card. Well, realistically, this is not an option for most of us though!

Is There a Shortcut To a Shortcut?

Yes! Technically, there is. Namely, you can take part in the Electronic Diversity Visa Program, also known as the Green Card Lottery. It is a yearly draw of a number of wild cards for professionals from all around the world, representing nations that are currently underrepresented among new immigrants who came to the US within the last 5 years. 

The application only takes a few minutes and is free of charge. Watch out — this year’s edition of the lottery closes for applicants on November 8th!

3. China.

Traditionally, because of hierarchical structures, low wages, and long working hours, China hasn’t been an attractive job market for foreigners.

However, these days, it is slowly changing. From a second-league player following the innovation leaders like the US, China is slowly turning into a market leader in multiple sectors — including IT, trade, media, engineering, art, and the food and beverage industry — and has opened its doors to international talent.

Chinese scientists receive international acclaim, wages are rising, and Chinese products slowly gain public trust and prestige. Who knows, perhaps in just a few years’ time, it will become the default destination for professionals from all around the world searching for opportunities to build careers.

General Rules.

To receive permission to work in China, you will need a Z visa and an official invitation to the country from an employer. You can apply for a Z visa at your local Chinese embassy. The Z visa itself only allows a stay duration of 30 days from the date of arrival in China, during which time you and your employer must seek a Temporary Residence Permit for the duration of your contract, to a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of 5 years.

Then, after arriving in China, you must first register with the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) within 24 hours of arrival.

It is not legal to work in China if you are a student on a study visa (F visa) or a tourist on a tourist visa (L visa). So, if you find employment during your studies or travel, you’ll need to change visa types.

If you plan to stay in the country for more than half a year, you also need a residence permit, which requires proving that you have no criminal record.

Is There a Shortcut?

Not really, but you also don’t need any shortcuts — the visa system in China is rather simple, cheap, and quick. It usually takes only 4 working days for processing. 

For example, you apply on Monday and then you can pick up your visa on Thursday. An additional fee of $30 is charged for one working day of processing and US$20 for 2-3 working days of processing. If you meet all the criteria, you will automatically receive your work permit.

Conclusion: Is It Hard To Move To and Land Jobs In Developed Countries?

Well, there is some conservation law there: the more attractive the local job market, the higher the wages and the more opportunity you have, more time, effort, and sometimes also luck it takes to get there and work legally. However, it is an effort worth taking. You only have one life, and your professional future to a large extent is dependent on your environment.

On the good side of things, the percentage of foreign workers in STEM sciences in the US (and other countries) is systematically going up (see: Figure), and together with the culture of remote work, the openness to international talent is likely to further increase.