A Girl's Guide to Defecting
As many of you may know from my recent blog post here, I am moving to Canada in just a couple weeks now! While I've moved WAY too many times in the last few years, moving to another country comes with a whole set of different challenges that you normally don't have to worry about when you're moving within one country. I love the idea of living abroad, and although Canada isn't exactly as exotic as I'd like, it is still a foreign country and a new set of logistics need to be considered. So if you're the same as me and are considering, or have considered living abroad, here are some things you should take into account:
THE LAW. I know, I know, this one is obvious. But it is worth repeating here because each country has its own immigration laws and regulations, and you should become intensely familiar with those rules to avoid any mishaps. Common ways to live abroad include getting work or student visas that provide you with the correct documentation to live in a country that is not your own. If you're a U.S. citizen, the Federal Secretary of State website is the place to start for this info. For me, I'm in a unique situation since I work from home for an American company. For this first year at least, I won't claim that I live in Canada, and I will make sure I go back to the states at least every few months to prevent violating immigration law. If I live with my boyfriend in Canada for a year or longer, he can actually sponsor me for permanent residency and things become a whole lot easier.
TAXES. The only certainties in life right? Death and taxes. Just because you move away does not mean you are free of paying your government money. In fact, it gets even more complicated because you will have to file in both countries. I make money through an American firm, but will be using Canada's resources so I have to file twice. I'll be honest, taxes are already complicated enough as it is, so I've decided to hire an accountant for this. It's expensive but I will definitely need the help and peace of mind of putting this burden on a professional who can make sure I don't lose too much money.
HEALTH INSURANCE. Maybe you're on your parent's policy still, or maybe you have insurance through your work. Either way, chances are, your policy doesn't really apply abroad. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield and they do have emergency insurance for if I were to break my leg or something abroad, but as far as getting checkups or other appointments, I have to come back down to the states if I want coverage. There are ways you can extend your coverage abroad, or buy a separate policy for extended trips, but you will have to make sure you contact your health insurance providers for more details.
CELLPHONE. Ideally, you would simply buy a Sim card in whatever country you moved to and get a new plan with one of their providers. However, because I will be constantly going back and forth between the states and Canada for work, I 1.) Don't want to commit to a Canadian plan and 2.) Don't want to change my number. I have Verizon and they have quite a few options for people traveling abroad. For now, I have added Canadian Access to my phone at a limited capacity for an extra charge, and will add more as I need it.
MAILING. If you leave the country there are still going to be some important documents that you might not want to forward across oceans and continents. I know I will change all my subscriptions and official document addresses to my parent's address. Make sure you obtain a PO box or an address for a person you trust for official documents and tax purposes. Figure out how to forward your mail with your current postal service or call/email all your subscription services and change your address manually.
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There are obviously a billion other little things to consider when moving period, but when moving abroad, the most important thing is to make sure all your legal affairs are in order. Moving to another country is honestly a logistical nightmare and for me, I really had to do my research and talk to people that had done something similar to me to figure out how they handled all this. Information online can be vague or misleading so it is best to find forums for expats or official government instructions to get a better handle on the things you need to know. Wish me luck!