8 Easiest Developed Countries to Immigrate to

With all the current turmoil in the world, it is no wonder people seek easiest developed countries to immigrate to. The good news is that mostly because of the need for additional labor – wealthy countries are constantly looking for quality global workforce. Of course, every country has its own conservatives, but they are usually a minority in free democratic societies. Needless to say, most developed countries are highly democratic and offer freedom of speech, together with other personal freedoms. Take a look at this list of 10 easiest countries to immigrate to in general, and you’ll see that most of them are highly developed.

Immigration is definitely a buzzword like very few others are. Browsing through world’s news, you probably won’t fail to notice at least one immigration-related topic on a daily basis. Migrations have been man’s defensive mechanism since the dawn of time. If our ancestors weren’t as versatile as they were, and if they have failed to adapt to ever-changing conditions on the planet – you probably wouldn’t be reading this article right now. To be fair – I probably wouldn’t have written it as well. Without searching for greener pastures and regions with more game, our ancestors wouldn’t have survived. All these ancient movements were nothing else than migrations of the time. Modern-day migrations are somewhat different, but basics have remained more or less the same. Man is generally happy to remain in one place and wouldn’t have wanted to leave his house, town or country if there wasn’t a genuine need for that. While modern movements don’t necessarily have to be driven by the instinct for survival, some of them certainly are. Others are motivated by job opportunities, curiosity, affinity to different culture, higher quality or even dignity of life, education; you name it. What’s common for all these reasons is that decision for moving away doesn’t come easy. Furthermore, all world’s immigrants have their work cut out for them as no country in the world is just going to open their doors for them without asking questions. Some places are easy, while others are almost impossible to immigrate to.

In order to compile this list, we have consulted HSBC’s Expat Explorer Survey for 2015. It combines the results gathered from almost 22,000 expats and is divided into three main categories: economics, experience and family, with every single one of them being pretty much self-explanatory. All three are further divided into 3 subcategories with every one of them having additional 3 subcategories of its own. Economics are divided into personal finance, local economics and careers, experience is watered down into subcategories like lifestyle, people and setting up, while family category can be looked upon through relationship, education and childcare, and raising children subcategories. Of course, This will only bring you so far. HSBC’s Expat Explorer Survey is a great tool to compare your own country with another based on personal experience of people with different profiles. It can even help you choose the country to which you’d like to emigrate base on your own criteria, but it can’t really help you get there – can it? This largely depends on respective country’s immigration policy, and while country on HSBC’s list might be perfect for you in ways of living conditions – you might not be able to move there for number of reasons. Maybe you don’t possess the required level of education, proper papers, or you simply come from a nation which is on respective country’s black list. This is why we had to consult additional sources (respective countries immigration office web pages) in order to determine which of these countries belongs to the list of 8 easiest developed countries to immigrate to. Results can’t be globally adjusted, however. Reasons for that are simple. For instance, EU countries are way easier to immigrate to if you already possess another EU country’s passport. We’ll strive to highlight the main prerequisites so that you don’t get the wrong impression, though. Note also that emigrating doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically be given country’s citizenship. Best you can hope for is permanent residency or work permit. After defined period of time, however, most countries in the world offer the opportunity to finally apply for their citizenship.

8. United Arab Emirates

Ever growing and ever changing Emirates require more labor force than they can muster. In fact, most of the country’s population is comprised of international labor immigrants, half of which are from South Asia. Just shy of 20% of people are Emiratis and have the country’s citizenship. This is both because of the mentioned labor force situation, and because of very strict laws on citizenship grants. If you’re not a GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) citizen, you’ll have to reside in one of seven Emirates for no less than 30 years before becoming eligible for citizenship. Even then, you won’t be allowed to stand for elections. If you’re from Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain, however, you’ll only have to wait 7 years, and you’ll be granted the opportunity to stand for elections as well. Citizenship, however, isn’t necessary, and you only need to find (low-paid, quite unsafe and often criticized) work opportunity which you would be willing to take. There are other means as well, but only skilled workers will get the chance to experience the bright and usually presented side of the Emirates. Clean cities, skyscrapers, Persian Gulf, expensive cars, smart shops, warm weather, modern infrastructure, and many more perks await those who have something to offer to UAE. In turn, Emirates offer both the mentioned perks, and lucrative salaries.

7. Norway

Quite contrary to hot UAE, Norway is mostly considered cold and not very accessible. While northern Norway certainly is cold, large part of the country (south and west) are graced with mild, but humid climate. Temperatures there don’t fall that much below 0 degrees Celsius, but they don’t exactly rise higher than 25 during the summer as well. In order to emigrate to Norway, one will have to find a job and get a residence permit – not necessarily in that order. When one gets the feel of the place, he/she can apply for Norwegian nationality. Before that, however, one will have to document certain proficiency in Norwegian or Sami language, have a permanent residence, and wait seven years among other things. Furthermore, Norway doesn’t recognize dual nationalities, but there are some exceptions to that. Apart from somewhat dull weather, Norway offers one of the highest standards of living in the world (and similarly high prices), exquisite nature and unparalleled social policies.

6. Singapore

There are a few ways to immigrate to Singapore, but most people will have to look for a job there – as is the case with most countries. Other ways are to either invest, get married or have some family ties in the country. Being one of the most developed city-states in the world, Singapore is always looking for all kinds of workforce. Apart from being open to foreign laborers, Singapore doesn’t have that high requirements when it comes to giving its citizenship. Waiting period before application possibility lasts only 2 years, and application fees aren’t higher than $100. While the city still has its traditional quarters, large parts have been highly modernized. Glass and steel dominate Singapore’s skyline, while traditional temples of many religions still manage to emerge now and again among all that concrete.

5. Australia

The land of Oz has a total area three-quarters the size of Europe and a population of only 24 million or so. This is one of the main reasons why Australia always had the open doors policy towards immigrants. You can see that just by looking at Australia’s diverse population, and needless to say, people are still emigrating there. Easiest way to emigrate to Australia is to find a job and thus, procure a visa for yourself. After 4 years of work and upstanding behavior, you’ll be eligible for citizenship. There aren’t many better places to live at than Australia, and you’d be advised to look into an opportunity to move there if you’ve already made up your mind of emigrating. The only downside is the fact that everything tends to be larger down there – everything besides McDonalds’ meals, that is.

4. New Zealand

This country might be the most isolated of them all, being at the end of the world and all, but it’s beauty is unmatched as witnessed in Peter Jackson’s films The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Apart from being perfect as Tolkien’s Middle Earth location, New Zealand is probably the perfect location for most expats and immigrants alike, and makes this list of 8 easiest developed countries to immigrate to for a good reason. In order to move there on a temporary basis, you’ll have to find work in a line which you won’t be able to change before getting the permanent visa. After 5 years of residency, everyone can apply for New Zealand’s citizenship. Upcoming citizens are expected to uphold the law of their new homeland and be upstanding citizens. In turn, they’ll be offered the opportunity to enjoy all of New Zealand’s riches – including natural and material ones.

3. Germany

Germany is a country which issues the most asylum approvals in the EU, and has a policy of accepting immigrants in general. German laws are strict but fair, and you’ll have to respect them if you’re hoping to get a permanent residence there. You’ll also have to respect the language by showcasing certain level of its knowledge. Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same as in any other country: get a visa, find a job and wait for five years before becoming eligible for citizenship. In order to get it, however, you’ll be expected to secure your own livelihood and make mandatory contributions to the statutory pension insurance  for no less than 60 months (5 years). There are some special requirements like securing sufficient space for your family, and obeying community rules. Germany is still trying to repent for its wrongdoings during the WWII, and part of that is instant citizenship for the victims of Nazi persecution. Europe’s largest economy offers high salaries (not higher than Scandinavian ones), but it also offers low prices for most goods. That’s the recipe for high-quality standard of life that most people around the globe can only wish for.

2. Sweden

Like most of highly-developed EU countries, Sweden too opens its doors to international immigrants. Letter of recommendation from someone already in Sweden works like a charm here, but only for visa. To make your move there more permanent, you’ll have to – you’ve guessed it – find a job. EU and Nordic citizens are favored here, but everyone has plenty of chances making it there with proper qualifications. Other ways of gaining residence are marriage or even having a close relative in Sweden. After 5 years time, you can apply for citizenship, and unlike most of EU countries, Sweden allows dual citizenship. Sweden is similar to Norway in many great things including the high standard, not that nice weather, social protection and picturesque nature.

1. Canada

Canada is roughly the size of Europe and it has a population of around 36 million only. To compare, Europe has a population of around 750 million. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that vast Canadian territory could benefit from a few more souls, and immigrants are Canada’s best bet for that – especially highly educated and skilled ones. This is why the country offers Express Entry to this type of individuals. If you don’t qualify for the Express Entry, you’ll have to go through similar process to those already mentioned above. The Great White North offers plenty of other opportunities for immigrants too, especially if they can be of some benefit to Canadian economy. Start-up Visa program, for instance, is aimed at immigrants with high entrepreneurial spirit, and there’s a self-employed program as well. Apart from economy similar to one of its southern neighbor (at least in per capita sense), Canada offers more quality education and much more considerate health system. Considering all of the aforementioned, it tops our list of 8 easiest developed countries to immigrate to for a reason.