Sonic2k
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^^^ this. Its all on the INZ website...
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Emigration....... Are people serious
- Thread starter zahadoom
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^^^ this. Its all on the INZ website...
diabolus
Executive Member
Fixed my post, but here is the NZ survey https://www.immigration.govt.nz/pointsindicator/
I expect most countries in the world will most likely operate exactly the same with very similar skill shortages/requirements.
Europe does not have a points system but if you have money then you are welcome. The amount differs and Portugal will give you citizenship for an investment of R7m. This, I understand is the cheapest in the EU. Malta, I think is R10m.
The UK works on a Tier system for highly skilled people in disciplines in which there is a shortage.
Having family members in the UK only helps if you are dependant on them health wise or monetary wise.
Alternatively, you can marry an EU passport holder. My wife did.
Central America will be the easiest. Panama and Belize are popular with Americans and the cost of living is cheap. They welcome immigrants with some money.
The UK works on a Tier system for highly skilled people in disciplines in which there is a shortage.
Having family members in the UK only helps if you are dependant on them health wise or monetary wise.
Alternatively, you can marry an EU passport holder. My wife did.
Central America will be the easiest. Panama and Belize are popular with Americans and the cost of living is cheap. They welcome immigrants with some money.
Malta has now changed, so long as you pay minimum 15K tax a year (even if you're not earning a cent!), and buy/rent a house of a certain value there, you can stay.
Dave
Honorary Master
That is probably very conservative as well, I know of many people who just sold up, bought an air ticket and left the country and just didn't go back. Maybe because a lot of people (like me) already had an alternative passport so no paperwork was needed.
Edit to add
Definitely conservative, Australia 2011 Census shows 254 638 people as being SA born or SA ancestry, UK Office of Statistics shows 221 000 South Africans resident in the UK in 2013 (I don't think UK passport holders born in SA would be included in that either), so that's 475 638 just in 2 countries and is at least 2 years out of date.
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You quite correct Jay. I started my research 2 years ago and would have preferred NZ but it is too expensive. I settled for Portugal as the cost of living is cheap and the weather is the same as Cape Town. Been here for over a year now and we are very happy especially due to the fact that we are exempt from tax for 10 years.
Brontosaurus
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A few questions if you don't mind:
- How did you get into Portugal? EU passport?
- Do you speak Portugese?
- What work do you do?
- Can you do your job if you don't speak Portugese?
I'm just trying to get an idea of what it might be like as a professional to move to a non-English native country.
Yup, definitely conservative. Even if you have to apply for a visa to go to another country, if you just leave (vs formal emigration) SA has no accounting of it unl as they monitor passport entry and exits.
1. I have an EU member state passport. My wife is South African.
2. I have less than a basic understanding of Portuguese. Most people under 35 speak English since it became a compulsory second language after dumping French a few years back.
3. I am on early retirement and earn my income from stocks on the JSE.
4. It is extremely difficult to get work here if you cannot speak Portuguese. I would rather go to Ireland. The Scandinavian countries would accept English workers as they are rather fluent in English.
What do you mean with formal emigration? I wasn't aware of such a procedure. I thought you just get a visa or residence permit for the destination country and board the airplane.
The rule of thumb is that almost any country will give you residency if you can invest 1Mil in the local currency. This goes even for the USA.
^^vampire^^
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If you formally emigrate you close all your financial commitments, bank account etc, cash out your retirement annuities and stop being a registered tax payer and leave. Many people don't know about this and are still eligible to submit tax returns etc which winds up getting them into **** if they come back and are flagged.
At half that, Portugal would be the cheapest. You only need to invest for 5 years and can then move the money anywhere. You don't even need to live here to get a Residency Card and citizenship. The Residency Card can be used instead of a passport to enter any other member state.
We formally emigrated but still have a FNB account albeit a Blocked ZAR Account. All my SA money MUST move via this account for SARB surveillance purposes.
Once you are settled in your new country you must apply for an International Certificate of Residency from your local tax office. This is proof that you have registered for tax in that country. This must be forwarded to SARS who will then close your file.
If you owe SARS money, most DTA's allow your new country to recover this money from you and send it off to SARS.
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I don't think this is quite true. You are only required to submit a tax return if you are a tax resident (or possibly if you generate income in SA - not sure, since I don't). Being a tax resident is based on some simple presence tests (I've spent about 3 months in SA in nearly 15 years), and not formal emigration, and not an International Cerificate of Residency (which as I understand it, is used for tax treaty purposes in the transition year). From SARS perspective, my taxable income has essentially gone to 0, which means I am not required to file returns anymore. Of course this also means I can't take out large amounts of cash, but that's fine with me.
That is valuable information, thank you. The retirement annuity bit scares me, but I don't see much point in leaving the money here.
Generally it's something you can do if you want to take your money with you. Aside frind that there are few benefits and it makes it more complex to return.
An article on it: https://www.sanlam.com/mediacentre/media-category/media-releases/Leaving%20SA%20-%20Should%20You%20Emigrate%20Or%20Just%20Relocate
Well that didn't take too long. I've been offered a job in the Netherlands. Only a month after I applied and the first job I applied for. Almost unbelievable really. I suppose now I have to start planning and selling stuff.
F1ve_Claw
Expert Member
Want to do a write-up of the process etc?