IGOR STEPAKHIN
Interface designer, try to travel

I have been slowly studying this topic for a year now and I can summarize that there are several ways. All of them are complex. There are no cheap or fast ones. But at the same time, all, absolutely all of my friends who really wanted to leave - left and got a view.
1. Work - you need to be a valuable specialist. Write a resume, learn the language, start sending it out and have a Skype interview. Even better, get a tourist Schengen, choose a city and start going to an interview. An acquaintance came to Prague, got a stupid job, got a residence permit on the basis of a contract, then quit her job and ended up with a ready work permit and got a job at the eBay office. In almost any country there is a barrier - the employer will have to explain to the local authorities that you have no alternative among local candidates. In different countries, this barrier has a different degree of formality/rigidity.
2. Fictitious employment is when an employer, in collusion with you, hires you to work, you make a residence permit on the basis of a contract, and then every month you compensate him with real tax deductions from your virtual salary (you don’t actually work). It is expensive. For example, I calculated based on the minimum wages for a residence permit for a married couple and it turned out for Poland about 600 euros every month, for Austria about 1700 euros every month. This is a fairly large "subscription fee" just for permission to live in the country, a clumsy but iron method. The barrier to competition with local candidates is passed with the help of a specific position for which locals cannot compete with you, for example, “Trade representative for the CIS countries”. It's kind of bad and probably even illegal, but by and large it's fair - you didn't take someone's job, but at the same time you pay big taxes out of nothing.
3. Blue Card is an immigration program for high-value professionals. You don't need any contract to work. If you are valuable, they will let you in just like that, look for whatever job you want. Read more about this program online. But you need to be really useful, for example, a research assistant or a cool doctor. Different countries The EU approaches this program in different ways.
4. Financially independent without the right to work - in some countries there is such a program. You need to confirm that you have a permanent legal income (shares, business, interest from the bank, etc.) or a large amount of money in the bank. For example, for Austria, you need to show 35,000 euros per person, put them in an Austrian bank and take an extract. But in Austria, for example, such a program is subject to rigid quotas - quotas are issued on January 1 and they are already ending on January 2. This method is called the lottery. It all depends on your lawyer. It is definitely not realistic to go through this program without help, as they say.
5. Investing in a country - many countries in Western Europe allow you to simply deposit a large amount of money in their bank and receive a residence permit in return. The amounts are about 200 or 500 thousand euros. And you can't pick them up the next day, of course.
6. Opening a real business is a difficult path and it is different in every country. Often the business must be of a useful nature to the region, such as a hotel. At the same time, it is often necessary to hire a certain number of locals to work. And everything is difficult there. Open a company for your spouse, get yourself a hired manager in it, get a residence permit on this basis, and the spouse will receive her residence permit under the family restoration program.
7. Ask for asylum - also everywhere there are rules and different reasons can be valid. In fact, the ratings of countries where people come from and get asylum look very strange. Russia often comes first. But you and I know that Russia is the freest country and no one is persecuted or infringed here. But people somehow prove it and get asylum.
8. Become a student - for example, the wife enters an educational institution (often it is simple, often without exams), receives a residence permit as a student, and the husband is given a residence permit with the right to work under the family restoration program. Acquaintances so left for Germany, she studies, he works. But you really need to learn. They also say in Austria you can do the same, for a course where they teach in German and declare that you don’t know the language, then you will be sent to paid language courses from 0.5 to 2 years, for a fee, but at this time you will have student status and a residence permit, and language courses have a smaller load than a full-fledged one training course. No work or limited hours. But for freelancers, this is an interesting option. Again, you need to specify in which country and how.
I didn't remember any other options. Each of them is complex. It takes time, money and patience. I have not heard that people fit in faster than 1 year from the start of collecting documents to moving.

EVGENY MIKHAILOV

Head of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship of the International Recruitment Agency "Rospersonal"

Countries Western Europe in fact tightly closed for emigration. We must prepare for the fact that moving is very expensive and time consuming. There are methods that are difficult to apply, for example, obtaining refugee status. Almost all EU countries accept refugees, but it is very difficult to correctly prove that you are being persecuted for some reason - religion, gender, etc. Or you can try to prove your ethnic roots: Germany, for example, is ready to give citizenship to Jews and Germans. Or some consider marriage to a foreigner as a method of moving.

At the same time, there are more real and transparent possibilities. In Europe, in some countries there is a law or a set of laws that allows our candidates to obtain work visas. This is especially true for young professionals. Today it is, oddly enough, the UK, where the applicant can count on a paid internship in a large financial corporation (UBS Investment Bank, Thomson Reuters, Merryll Lynch, etc.). They are willing to take our candidates for an annual paid internship, providing free accommodation, and this makes them eligible for a cultural exchange visa. To get it, you must be no older than 28 years old and have the appropriate education - finance, management or IT. A year of work makes it possible to get a characterization and get a job in another company - a lower rank. A few years after receiving work visa can apply for permanent residence. The second country is Germany. In many universities, education in German is free. And in some cities, for example, in Frankfurt am Main, and in English. After receiving a diploma, the candidate receives a work visa, we employ him, and then, according to a shortened scenario, in two years he can count on permanent residence. There are formally no age limits for this program, but in fact, after 35 years of age, a student visa may be denied. The difficulty is also that in order to obtain citizenship, you must pass an exam for confident knowledge German and the loyalty of Germany (test knowledge of history, customs, laws and social amenities), as well as to refuse Russian citizenship. The third country is Greece. They need women from 18 to 45 years old to work as nurses, waitresses, saleswomen, hotel employees, etc. Language and education are not important. This makes it possible to get a job, housing, TIN and further apply for permanent residence.

If you think about emigration, then I would recommend not focusing on Europe, which is not very welcoming to migrants, but consider new countries open for migration with a higher economy, a developed social system and great prospects for well-paid work - Canada, Australia and New Zealand .

PAVEL KARPOV

Lead UI/UX Designer

I will tell you about emigration to Europe using my own example. In my case, it was Spain, Madrid.

Thoughts about the opportunity to work in another country began to appear two years ago. But I didn't take any action. I continued to work in a Moscow startup as a mobile interface designer, when one day in February I received an offer via Dribbble to become a full-time designer in a Spanish company based in Madrid. After going through all the procedures with a test task and two interviews, I received an offer. After discussing with the CEO all the conditions for the move (I was only ready to move if my wife and daughter would go with me), I began to collect documents.

First of all, for Spain it is necessary that all documents issued by the registry office should not be older than three months. Fortunately, registry offices make duplicates on the same day for 350 rubles apiece (I needed to update my marriage certificate and my daughter's birth certificate).

The next step is the legalization and affixing of apostilles to these documents at the Consulate. Since there was no time to stand in queues, I used the services of a third-party company for this procedure. Having received the documents from the registry office with apostilles, I sent them to Madrid through a courier service so that my future employer began the procedure for obtaining authorization in the Spanish Ministry of Labor for me and my family. This is the most important procedure and takes 3 to 6 weeks. In the process of considering my question, the Ministry of Labor requested confirmation that I am a highly qualified specialist in my field. Since I have no special education in the field of interfaces, I simply listed all the experience in my field, including freelance projects. In this regard, an article by Pebble designer Alexander Kirov, who emigrated to the United States, will help you more. He described all the subtleties in this matter. The article can be found on Medium.

While my application was being considered in Spain, in Russia I made a certificate of good conduct for myself and my wife. It took about 10 days (but it may take 30) + another week for legalization and apostilles.

Three weeks after the start of consideration of my application for authorization, I received approval. After waiting for the original documents from Madrid, I signed up at the consulate in Moscow to submit documents and apply for a work visa. I made the application itself through a third-party company that helps in visa matters. When applying for a visa, it is important to attach a contract to the documents that will prove your ability to pay. Also advice - make copies of all documents and in large quantities. They are asked everywhere.

10 days after the submission, a positive response came.

After moving to Madrid, the received visa was exchanged at the local police for a resident card (NIE), which in fact is a passport and gives a person all the rights of a citizen of the European Union.

Summing up, we can say that there is nothing complicated on your part, the main thing is to have an invitation from the employer and a little patience. The whole procedure from receiving an offer to moving took 2.5 months. The most important thing is to get your employer's permission for you. And how much he is ready to stand up for you in the local Ministry of Labor depends only on him. Good luck in your endeavors!

By. .

The European Union is an association of developed and economically stable states, which are characterized by a high level of quality of life and broad prospects for citizens. For many, immigration to Europe is a way to improve living and working conditions. The Eurozone includes 28 countries, so for foreigners the question is extremely important, where exactly to move and where are the most profitable programs for immigrants?

Which country in Europe is easier to immigrate to depends on personal capabilities and preferences. All EU states offer various immigration programs and schemes. However, all applicants must meet a number of requirements and criteria:

• not have a criminal record;
• know English and official language countries for immigration;
• have a source of legal livelihood.

The presence of relatives, business and real estate in the territory of a European power is a significant advantage for the applicant. Emigrants in Europe make up a large percentage of the local population. This is due to loyal immigration rules and the interest of the governments of the EU powers in attracting foreign capital.

It is worth noting that you can immigrate to any European country and live there on the basis of a residence permit. Integration into European society allows you to enjoy visa-free regime with more than 150 countries of the world, but with high-quality European medical care and education.

Reasons for moving to Europe

Emigration to Europe must have good reasons. The most popular and effective ways to immigrate to a European country are:

• Investing in the economy. To do this, it is enough to register your business in the country and create jobs for the local population. Also, some states make it even easier to acquire a residence permit by buying real estate. To decide where to move to Europe, it is enough to analyze the real estate market in the Eurozone and choose the most suitable option for yourself.
• Getting education in European universities. Higher educational institutions in Europe are famous all over the world for their excellent information base, so students, choosing where to immigrate, often prefer the UK, France, Denmark and Germany.
• Employment. Immigration to Europe for specialists is possible on the basis of a work visa. You can draw up a document if you have an employment contract with the employer. When choosing a country where it is most profitable to move under a professional program, it is important to focus on the lists of popular specialties in this state. In Europe, there is a lack of vacancies in the field of IT-technologies, financial affairs and the service sector.
• Reunion with relatives. The easiest way to choose the country where you would like to immigrate is for those who have relatives with European citizenship. An invitation from family members is a valid reason for obtaining a visa and residence permit. It is also worth noting that the naturalization process for such foreigners is carried out according to a simplified program. Registering a marriage with a European is also a good reason to move.
• Application for political asylum. Where exactly to immigrate in this case does not matter. Any EU states are always loyal to refugees and guarantee their protection and integration into the European community.

Emigration to Europe attracts our compatriots primarily due to its territorial proximity. In addition, more high level life, social security, the possibility of visa-free travel across the EU, high-quality education and medicine, as well as well-paid work make Europe a very attractive place for emigration. Nevertheless, different people tend to go to completely different European countries guided by their personal goals, preferences and ambitions.

Czech. The Czech Republic, as a country for emigration, is very often chosen by Russian businessmen, entrepreneurs of medium and small businesses. The advantages of emigration to the Czech Republic as an individual entrepreneur are that in addition to the low cost of registering your company, you also get the opportunity to immediately transport your entire family, you have the right to receive a mortgage loan from a bank to purchase real estate, and in addition to your own business, you can also get a job as an employee. And, most importantly, learning the Czech language will not be difficult for you.

Finland. Russians take the leading positions in emigration to Finland for several reasons. First, in connection with the expansion and strengthening economic ties with Russia, Finland is in dire need of qualified specialists with knowledge of the Russian language. Secondly, in this country, along with free healthcare and education, there are many social programs for various segments of the population, including students, the unemployed, and pensioners. And thirdly, close proximity to Russia, which for many is an important factor that provides an opportunity to visit their Russian relatives and friends without difficulty and special costs.

Ireland. Unlike Great Britain, which makes rather high demands on immigrants, Ireland attracts foreigners with a more loyal attitude in matters of emigration. The main influx of foreign immigrants comes from the employment program. There is a simplified scheme for issuing a temporary work permit, which does not require mandatory and officially certified reinforcements from an Irish employer. In addition, the main advantages of Ireland's immigration policy are that this country recognizes a second citizenship, and children born in Ireland automatically receive Irish citizenship, regardless of what citizenship their parents have.

Greece. Emigration to Greece is a relatively simple process compared to other Western European countries. It is possible to obtain a residence permit in this country in just 2 months. The Greek residence permit gives all the basic privileges of any resident of the European Union: visa-free travel within Europe and all sorts of social benefits. The most popular, in addition to emigration through marriage, are such options for emigration to Greece as:

• obtaining a residence permit as a financially independent person with an “unearned” monthly income of at least 2,000 euros per applicant;
• through the purchase of residential property.

In addition, Greece is one of the few countries in Europe that grants citizenship by birth.