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For anyone serious about it - and as someone who did it - you better start now.
It's expensive and all the paperwork takes months if not years. It's not something you're going to be able to just "do" once things hit some critical threshold.
Any advice on where to start, what to consider, anything for younger people who may still be in or just got out of college?
As someone who did it, my advice is, don't wait for a great work opportunity... Take whatever you can to get out and try to move up once you're already established. Of course, it depends on the country you're targeting, so ymmv.
I feel like a major issue is a lot of people feel like they want to get into another country at an equivalent level of where they would be in the US, but unless you're world-class in a high demand field, it's very hard to start above the first rung in your new country, especially if you're not fluent in the native language. You might have to put pride aside and take what you can get to start. Personally, especially for younger people, I feel like it's worth it. It's a trial by fire but the satisfaction at the other end is second to none.
Oh, also... have a long term plan. Just being in your adopted country is not enough long term. Research details of getting a permanent residence or a citizenship BEFORE you decide on a country, and when you find out the requirements, take them seriously. The last thing you want is to spend longer than you have to on a work visa, because that's a precarious position to be in. If you think having your health insurance tied to your job is a hassle, try having your very presence in the country tied to it. Some countries will have language requirements for both citizenship and permanent residency, and you should get on that right away if that's the case. Getting the permanent residence or the citizenship is, to use a metaphor, sitting at a bonfire. It gives you a beachhead and takes the pressure off. Target one and push towards it.
If you're still studying, Australia has a student visa which then also allows a couple of years to stay and work after you graduate. And if you get work you can convince your employer to sponsor you longer term. And there are paths to permanent residency and even citizenship then.
Also there are tons of videos on YouTube about young people taking the plunge and moving to the here, from both the USA and the UK. Just search around a bit.
Definitely tough for a person in that age group, although the other comments gave good advice.
In general, I'd say the options are:
- A student visa hoping you can turn it into something more permanent later
- Work visa - self-explanatory, find a job in the target country that will sponsor your visa
- Critical skills visa - some countries will offer visas to people in certain fields because they have a shortage in that industry.
- "Join Family" visa - some countries might offer visas to extended family, so if you have family somewhere else you can join them. They'll probably have to prove they can provide for you, at a minimum.
- Spousal visa - i.e. if you marry someone overseas or are married to someone who already has dual-citizenship, you should be able to get a visa to live in their country instead.
- Get citizenship via ancestry (depends on country, but usually has to be a parent or grandparent who has citizenship already)
- Apply to be some kind of refugee - almost certainly not applicable for the US yet though
Some countries might have even less restrictive options, but those are the ones I'm aware of in most western countries.