The best way to get into a foreign country is to find a job with international locations. It’s a lot easier to have a job in America then take a job with the same company in another location.
I tried this before and still found it difficult. Canada refused me twice, even though my company wanted to transfer me to Toronto and Edmonton. Canada basically said, “Don’t send us Americans till every last Canadian has turned you down.”
I have friends in New Zealand that were happy to sponsor me and still that was a no go. I even lived in NZ as a youth but that don’t cut no mustard with them now
It’s tough to immigrate even shortly to Westernized nations. I suppose you could always try for a refugee status
How does taxation work? If I am not in a foreign country for the full year I don’t get the Physical Presence or Bona-Fide Resident exclusions so do you get double-taxed on the money you earn overseas the first partial year?
For me, I’m employed by a US organization that deducts my social security, state of residence tax and federal income tax. If I stay out 330 days a year, I then qualify as exempt and get the tax I paid on the first $80k of salary back. If I don’t stay out 330 days a year, I pay US taxes like everyone else. I don’t know how it would work if I was employed directly by a host country organization.
I think it’s closer to $90k now. In any case, that should be offset against the local taxes you’re supposed to be paying, if any. In some countries I have to pay local taxes, but not in others, and in the latter countries, it’s like having a really, really big pay raise.
