RafRaf

Hi everybody.

I'm thinking about moving to one of the caraibbean country to live in after i finish my studies but i dont know which one should I consider to choose. I will be an IT engineer (programmer).


I would like the country to be cheap and quite modern, use two official languages english and spanish if possible.
Im european so it would be nice if there are some people(girls) just like me, i mean the appearance.

In my dreams i want to live in a small home near the sea, play with the water, ride ski jet and have the life of luxury. is the programmer profession enough for that lifestyle?

blamona

Many people have that dream, the reality is much different.

All islands require work permits. This is paid annually and runs $7000-$15000 a year just for the right to work.

You have to have a skill that an islander can not offer that country. They have first rights to all jobs.

You usually have to leave the island due to Visa requirements every couple of months for a couple of days. Air is very costly.

Cost of living is amazing high. Everything is imported. Everything is highly taxed. For a decent place to live not close to the beach and definitely not modern can be $1000s a month. Food is about 3 times what you're use too.

There are already a plethora of IT in Caribbean, so getting established will be extremely hard. Most times you have to have an islander partner.

Playing in the sea won't happen much because just to makes ends meet you have to work 3 times as hard, and life gets things done slower.

There's no work for locals, the last thing they want is an outside trying to live on their island.

It is not a life of luxury, quite the opposite. They only way luxury happens, is if you're rich first and basically retire there.

Your best bet? Pick a European island, such as Martinique or St. Martin. Visit to see if possible. Spend time living away from tourist area to get a good feel. Then if if possible, then decide.

RafRaf

Than you for your post.
I thought caraibean islands would be much easier to live in than european. But doesn it change much? Do you have any experience with european islands lifestyle and costs?

suze

Can you get 1 month of and go try a place out for yourself? You need to see how you'd feel living there. Have you ever been to the Caribbean before?

I'm no expert but the basic bottomline of relocating to a new country if you need employment, is the paperwork and finding a job. Most places if locals can do what you do, they don't want to hire foreigners to take jobs from locals. If you can find an employer who wants to hire you, then they can help you thru the redtape/paperwork.

RafRaf

But which place would you suggest? ( criteria : sea, allways summer, paradise, quite cheap and modern, easy to live).

I will buy a one way ticket and save money that should last for 2 months. Lets see if i will have to get out of there.

suze

You need to do more research if you are serious about your plan. Plenty of places will not let you in with only a one-way plane ticket.

RoamsAround

Sorry, take it from someone who lives in the Caribbean - NO PLACE is cheap. The catch -22 of living/working in the Caribbean is wages are low and cost of living is high.

suze

For what you describe, I'd suggest looking to places in central or south america. It's still not going to be easy but it is more possible and less expensive than the Caribbean islands imo.

txgirlinbda

From someone who did it for 5 years - you are getting VERY good advice here. It is not cheap. It will not be easy. You will be lucky if Immigration lets you out of the airport, if you land on a one-way ticket with no job. I wasn't even allowed to show up without a return ticket, and I HAD a job before I got there.
Don't want to discourage you, but that's the reality. Good luck!

RafRaf

txgirlinbda - What place are you talking about?

I thought it would be much easier to be honest, but i wont give up, i want to live where summer lasts 12 months with a clear water and beach nearby.

So if not caraibes, then which place (city) would be easier to start?

txgirlinbda

I lived in Bermuda for 5 years.

I can't answer the 'easiest' question. What I would suggest is that you start looking at job availability on the islands you're considering. Getting hired is going to be your best bet to make this happen. But understand that most islands have restrictions in place, requiring qualified locals to be hired before immigrants. That means you need exceptional skills. Do not try to land on an island with the intention of staying and trying to find work.

I understand the desire to live where it's warm and sunny. But there are realities to island life that some of the other posters here have tried to impress upon you. It's expensive. It's isolated. It's limited. If you seriously can invest the time and money, it would be a very good idea to take a month or two and go - on a tourist visa - rent an apartment, shop in the grocery stores, find out what living there really is like.

You can do this, but having strangers suggest the perfect place for you isn't how to start. Start looking at the job markets on each island. Look at the size of the cities, the ex-pat population. Decide for yourself what sounds like a good fit. There's not point in picking an island only to find out you can't get a job there.

blamona

Central America, but cheap living there is what you get.
Caribbean is extremely expensive, even for poor citizens, much higher standard of living even than Europe, and you won't get what you pay for like in Europe. Much harder living in Caribbean.

Yes I have experience. Your post is so vague that it shows you haven't really looked into it. You have a dream and just want to pack up and go like in the movies.

It takes a year or two of research to even get started. It takes a year sometimes for paperwork for you to work, as trust me they are in no hurry to help out an outsider. By then you have to turn around and re submit papers. Immigration is not easy, you can waste days chasing around proper paperwork. No country will let you in without return airfare. No country will take you in without a named place to stay.

It's illegal in most to work even a single day without pay without the proper paperworks.

There are no cheap places to stay. Even expensive places most have no A/C and trust me, it can get hot! Things rust in the salt air so always replacing appliances and pipes. Things stay broken for a long time because it takes forever to get a part in, unless your rich!

You have to decide what island appeals to You, not just ask which one you can live the dream! Trust us if it were that easy we would be doing it.

Don't expect to live anywhere outside your country without 6-12 months worth of living expenses. Off the top of my head I would guess maybe around $30,000 US. And don't expect it to last. If your work doesn't take off (which most don't in your field, it's over saturated ) expect to have to go back to your country.

RafRaf

Thank you for the answer! Thats what i will do before trying to live there.
But btw - it doesnt have to by island. Just sunny all the time and alot of clear water and beach nearby

RoamsAround

You said you were European. Why don't you look at places in Europe along the Mediterranean - like the southern part of Italy, Sicily, Spain, France or maybe the greek isles - you'll get warmer weather and access to the sea. If you think those areas are too expensive for you than you may find the same cost of living in the Caribbean.

Honestly, I doubt someone who" just finished his studies" would be able to command the high salary necessary to live "a life of luxury". As others have pointed out, just about every Caribbean nation has laws that make it very difficult for "non-belongers" (i.e. citizens of that country) to work unless you have very unique and specific skills and your potential employer can prove there are no locals qualified to fill the position. Someone who is just starting out as an IT engineer will probably not have a skill set superior to "locals" who have the same training.

Your best bet is to work in your chosen field for several years to gain valuable experience. Once you have "paid your dues" you should consider working for the local office of an international company that has a business presence in the Caribbean. You can prove yourself to that company then request a transfer to their Caribbean office.

You other alternative would be to apply for positions with island based IT firms (again, after you've gain suitable experience). Identifying them won't be easy but I'm sure someone with your training should be able to find those companies. If you are among the top in your field the company should be willing to sponsor you for employment.

One thing to keep in mind, on most island the Work Permit is usually granted for a set amount of time (usually one year) and must be renewed periodically. There is, however, never any guarantees the Work Permit will be renewed. If it isn't you'll be asked to leave the island.

Remember, it is not easy nor is it inexpensive to live in the islands. There's an old saying that goes something like this: How do you leave the Caribbean with $1 million? Come with $2 million.

One more hint, if you are a citizen of a European Union country you can easily take up residence and work on one of the French island (St. Martin, St. Barths, Martinique, Guadalupe, Iles des Saints and Marie Gallant as they are Departments of France. Whether or not there are any IT jobs available on those islands is something you'd have to research.

Lastly, do give serious consideration to visiting the island (or country) for an extended period to see if you really do like island life. Living and working on an island is far different than visiting there on vacation.

Do your research (which should be much more extensive and "hands on" rather than just asking questions on a travel forum. You are contemplating a major lifestyle change. Know what you are getting into BEFORE you make any decisions.

RafRaf

Thank you once more for your good advices. Now I know how to approach it properlly but to be honest have nothing to loose at all. CARPE DIEM!!!
thank you guys.

girlonthego

South Florida is warm year round, has nice water, speaks english and spanish and might be able to get a job? Not an island, but has many people from all over with a large spanish population.

suze

It's a lot easier to make the money working in your chosen field, in your own home country, save up the money, then take the time off and go live somewhere sunny/tropical for 3 months (the typical length of a tourist visit limit).