Immigration is for some a dream, for some a forced necessity, and for some an integral and essential part of life. Not everyone is successful, and it is not socially acceptable to talk about their negative experiences, but if it were possible to collect objective statistics on immigrants around the world, there would likely be many more negative stories than positive ones. That is why in this article, I want to share my thoughts and personal experience on why immigration will not suit everyone and what are the most popular mistakes of people in immigration, which, unfortunately, very often lead to dramatic consequences.
Immigration as a lifestyle
When I was 24 years old, I came to Portugal alone, with two suitcases and a tourist visa, as an illegal immigrant, hoping to find a job as an employee here. This was my second immigration experience because when I was 20 years old, I studied at a university in Germany for about a year. It is difficult even to put this German experience into the category of immigration - I won a scholarship to study as one of the best students, the university provided me with accommodation in the dormitory, and every month I received a considerable sum in my account as a scholarship for academic success. Yes, I learned the language and adapted to my new country, but compared to moving to Portugal, this experience of studying in Germany was more like a summer camp than actual immigration for me. That's why when you hear positive stories about immigration to a country, you need to start by figuring out what kind of person he is and what kind of history he has.
There are absolutely different scenarios: for example, a student whose parents pay for his studies in a foreign university, an illegal immigrant who came to the country without documents to work in construction, or a successful businessman who has millions and can immigrate to a new country at least every month without any problems. It's important to remember that every situation is unique, and if there's anyone to look up to, it should only be people whose budget and situation are similar to yours.
As for me, I can say that people like me have the most manageable situation for immigration. Why?
First, I love learning foreign languages, and I must start learning a language long before I immigrate. This allows me to communicate freely with locals and successfully compete with them (in the labor market). So I have never felt any limitations in terms of language.
Second, I am very flexible and pragmatic. I don't stick to the country I was born in, I don't eat the foods I ate back home, and I don't stick to the old lifestyle that many immigrants do. I remember and honor my roots, my parents, and the city where I was born, but after arriving in another country, I live by its rules.
Judge for yourself - for 8 years of life in Portugal, I only once closely communicated with my compatriots. Just 1 time during 8 years! The rest of the time, I communicated and made friends only with the Portuguese and only in Portuguese. I followed the same strategy when I studied in Germany and actively communicated with the locals.
For me, this is important, and yes, this is not the most straightforward way because the easiest way would be to get off the plane in a new country and immediately start looking for my compatriots and a store with native products, but I don't choose this way for myself. Finally, I am the primary author of WithPortugal, and for almost three years now, I have been able to write hundreds of diverse and exciting articles about Portugal for 90% only because all these 8 years I have lived in Portugal, communicated only with the Portuguese and was able to integrate into the local society.
I know that many will disagree with me in this regard, but I talk about my personal experience and don't agitate anyone to anything, but I see it this way for myself. If you are a great patriot and fan of your country, then you should continue to live in it and be happy, and if you are already deciding on immigration, then be kind to learn a new language, integrate into a new society and live by the rules of the country where you arrived.
Imagine a person living in a foreign land for decades, never adapting to society and constantly dreaming for his native country. I don't know what's good about that and why torture yourself so much, living 10, 20, 30 years away from the place you love. But, again, within the framework of this article, I am not talking about forced but only about voluntary and meaningful immigration.
If you feel that love for your native country is the maximum priority for you and if you don't want to learn foreign languages and adapt to a new country and culture, then most likely, immigration will make you unhappy, and it will end badly. And this is the first and foremost mistake when planning immigration to a new country.
Personally, having experience living in Portugal and Germany, I have already planned 2 more immigrations to other countries for the next 10-15 years. Indeed, for me, immigration is a lifestyle. It is positive emotions from learning a new language and integrating into a new culture. It is an instrument for achieving personal and professional objectives and a new and exciting experience, not pain, drama, and tragedy. If you are like me, you will also be interested in immigration, despite the difficulties.
Any country is a combination of advantages and disadvantages
Rose-colored glasses and a super positive image of any country are other grave mistakes in immigration. I will never get tired of saying that any country has both its advantages and serious disadvantages, but many people stubbornly ignore this fact and put the country chosen for immigration on a pedestal.
For example, when writing articles on immigration in Portugal, I always keep a balance. I ensure that the article contains positive and negative information about the country. It is significant for me that after reading the material I have written, the readers won't develop an ideal picture like "This is the best country in the world, with palm trees and sun all year round!", And a terrifying picture like "This is a terrible country with unemployment, where people barely make ends meet!" I always balance advantages and disadvantages and try to make the broadest possible overview of certain aspects of life in the country, but I strongly feel that many people ignore the disadvantages and want to notice only the advantages. The consequences of this are the most horrific, and after arriving in rose-colored glasses, such immigrants are overtaken by a cruel reality that makes them see the disadvantages they previously ignored.
I made a fascinating observation - as soon as some personal interview with a negative experience of immigrating to Portugal is released on the WithPortugal website, it continuously collects a lot of negative comments, like other videos with titles such as "Don't come to Portugal", "Top reasons why you should not immigrate to Portugal", etc. People really prefer to avoid taking a clearheaded look at the advantages and disadvantages of the country where they plan to move or have already moved.
It is imperative to get acquainted with stories and soberly analyze the advantages and disadvantages of a new country because romanticizing a place while completely ignoring its shortcomings is the second most serious mistake when planning immigration.
Quick test: Have you already chosen a country for immigration? Congratulations! What are the 3 main difficulties you will face in a new country after moving? Also, name 3 main reasons that make residents leave this country and move to other states for a better life. If you cannot do this, then most likely, you are not ready to immigrate at the moment.
Information preparation is your guarantee of security
The third major mistake in immigration planning is the lack of necessary information preparation. It would seem that today the Internet gives us access to unlimited information on immigration. But why then do dozens or even hundreds of messages appear every day on Facebook like: "How to find a job in Portugal?", "How to get a certain visa?", "How much do groceries cost in Portugal?" etc.
All the answers to these questions are already on the Internet, in the public domain, for example, on the WithPortugal website, where most of the articles are stitched with links to laws, official sources, store websites, etc. But for some reason, people prefer to relieve themselves of all responsibility and ask the first person they meet. And that person can answer anything.
If you aren't ready to invest in informational preparation for immigration, you should not think about moving for your own good. Instead, you can invest 2 types of resources: money or time. I'll talk about each of these options.
Free preparation for immigration by investing time
Prepare for immigration to Portugal at a very high level using the WithPortugal portal. All materials on this resource are free and freely available.
Read all articles related to your type of visa/immigration and all articles about life in Portugal. In addition, watch all video interviews with people whose situation is more or less similar to yours and all videos about life in the country. Yes, it will take you tens or even hundreds of hours. You may spend one or more months on this, but investing time, in this case, is very necessary. So, you can get the most reliable and complete information about life in the country and its advantages and disadvantages for free.
Paid preparation for immigration
If you don't want to spend so much time reading articles and watching videos, you can optimize your efforts by contacting immigration specialists.
Don't be afraid that the services of such specialists cost thousands of euros because the available options for immigration assistance on the WithPortugal website start from 50 euros.
You have the following options:
- Contact a personal assistant in Lisbon. Luda will accompany you in the initial stages after immigration, as well as provide comprehensive services based on your situation and needs. Of course, given that you will be treated individually, the cost of services, in this case, will be appropriate, but for many people, it is important that they are accompanied by an experienced person who understands the local culture and knows the language. In this case, the services of a personal assistant in Portugal will be an excellent option for you.
- Another option is to contact a professional lawyer or accountant. An accountant in Portugal will help you deal with tax nuances, advise you on starting your own business or sole proprietorship, or help you obtain a preferential tax regime in Portugal. In this case, the cost of an accountant's services will start from 120 euros for 1 hour of consultation.
You can also contact a licensed lawyer in Portugal for various issues, ranging from assistance in obtaining different types of visas and residence permits to questions related to "Golden visa in Portugal" and other legal areas.
Yes, the services of a lawyer in Portugal are pretty expensive, but Irina Akhmetova is a licensed lawyer with a relevant legal education and a mandatory internship at the Portuguese Bar Association. Therefore, you can be sure that everything will comply with the norms of legislation and immigration law when turning to her for advice. Such high-quality services cannot be obtained from immigration consultants without specialized education and relevant legal practice.
As you can see, there are various options for informational preparation for immigration, both paid and free. The most important thing is understanding why this preparation is so important and necessary.
What happens if you make all the mistakes at once?
I hope that after reading this article, you will be able to reflect and soberly assess whether you are ready to immigrate or not yet. The best mistakes are the ones we never make, so I want to believe that this article, with my personal experience and thoughts, will help you avoid drama after immigrating to Portugal.
I don't want to talk about the bad things, but I will briefly note that during 8 years of my life in Portugal, I have met different stories of immigrants for whom the move ended badly and dramatically.
For example, a person illegally got a job at a construction site without insurance and any guarantees. He obtained a serious injury that made it impossible for this person to work in the future.
After moving to a new country, people who sold everything they had could not survive the difficulties and wanted to leave, but could not do it because all acquired property was sold and invested in a tiny studio apartment in Portugal.
Or a family that immediately moved to Portugal, where a working family member could not pass the probationary period and was fired, and the family didn't have money to pay the bills.
Injuries, cheating at illegal work, disappointments, divorces, nervous breakdowns - these are just some of the negative consequences that are possible with wrong immigration planning or in case of the absence of planning.
Still, it is worth determining that immigration is not suitable for everyone, and this is not a toy or a tourist trip on a vacation package. On the contrary, this is a severe test that not everyone passes successfully.
I hope you will spend a considerable amount of time and effort to plan your immigration to Portugal or any country in a quality way, and everything will be successful for you and without drama.
I wish you good luck and see you in Portugal!
