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The European Union member states subscribe to multiple fundamental ideas, one of which is the principle of solidarity. This means that there is a strong social

The European Union member states subscribe to multiple fundamental ideas, one of which is the principle of solidarity. This means that there is a strong social safety net, and we take care of the vulnerable. I do not have to worry about the cost of my medical care or other social needs. I pay my taxes, do my part as a citizen, and I know I will be taken care of. Essentially, because of this I do not have to live in fear. I basically chose my field of work due to the need for health insurance, as an American. When I was at university, some semesters I was basically going to university just to keep and maintain health insurance, when I was sick beyond belief. It was unbelievably stressful. I never would have needed to do this if I was a Croatian citizen at that time. I also do not have to accumulate huge amounts of wealth to ensure I am cared for, like I would in America. I do not have to be on a hamster wheel that never stops spinning, due to the principle of solidarity. I simply get to be free. I do not have to work a job just for benefits or for pay. I do not have to work long grueling hours. Anyways, the best country to get EU citizenship in, usually for people on here is Republic of Ireland, which permits dual citizenship. You can get citizenship there in 5 years. Besides getting Freedom of Movement rights to live/work/retire in the EU/EFTA (minus Lichtenstein), you also get rights to live/work/retire in the UK, due to treaties and historical ties. Also, most people here are skilled workers in tech. In Ireland, for many people here on this site, you can get a job visa to Ireland relatively easily, without a skilled worker test (which means that the Irish employer has to demonstrate that they are not taking a job from an EU citizen by hiring you--the documentation required can be harsh for the employer), as there is an exemption: https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Employment-Permit-Eligibility/Highly-Skilled-Eligible-Occupations-List/ https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills...

vecinu 6y ago
Thanks for sharing. I spent some time in Europe albeit that was a long time ago and I feel like I was too young to experience the hardships of life I'm facing in the US. I know the safety nets you're referring to, they're there for health care, unemployment and worker rights. Things that don't really exist for most people in the US if they're unemployed or in a regular job. I'm lucky to be in a well paid, high lucrative job even if I have to pay the highest taxes in the US (Which let's be real, are little compared to the EU). I have a Romanian passport so it's easy to jump over the pond but I'd love my US residency and all the years I put in to be able to start switching jobs more easily. I don't want a ridiculous amount of wealth but I'd love to have a head start and secure financial freedom for my family. One of my friends just left Munich for Colorado, he said houses are still too expensive in major German cities and salaries too low. He was working remote for a SV company and making big bucks for EU standards. I keep hearing how I'll just have to swallow a tiny salary compared to SV wages if I move to any EU country, Switzerland included. I guess I have to get to the point where I'm ready to leave the consumerism behind, be happy with extra vacation / free time and "unprogram" every bad habit I learned while living in the US.
- ChuckNorris89 6y ago
  >One of my friends just left Munich for Colorado, he said houses are still too expensive in major German cities and salaries too low. Thanks for pointing this out as it is very important information to have vs. everything we hear about Germany being "the best place in the world" and "you don't need to buy property as everyone here rents".
  - blackbear_ 6y ago
    If you need another data point, my partner and I only pay about 25% of our combined after-tax salary in rent, living in a "major German city" (both employed in STEM). Factor in an additional 10/15% for living costs and we are left with significant disposable income, in my eyes.
    - ChuckNorris89 6y ago
      Thanks for sharing. I'm curious how much do you and your spouse make as that's the main factor.
      - blackbear_ 6y ago
        55k and 75k yearly pre-tax, but as a PhD student and recent graduate we expect to get a significant increase in a few years as I also join the industry and we both level up. But, as said by others, comparing raw numbers is pointless. Even if we spent the 2/3k that are left each month, we'd still have health insurance and pension paid for by our taxes. We aren't forced to build so much wealth to weather bad times because proper insurance is built in the system.
        ChuckNorris89 6y ago
        So you're making those numbers as PhD students instead of workers? Where do I sign up? ;) What domain are you in if you don't mind me asking?
josephg 6y ago
Can you talk more about what it’s like in the tech sector in Ireland? Is pay decent? Is there a lot of work? I’m eligible to work anywhere in the EU but the pay in continental Europe seems much worse than what I could earn working remotely for a US company.
- ploika 6y ago
  The pandemic has thrown everything up in the air but there's still plenty of work in tech, mostly but by no means exclusively in Dublin. You've got recognisable names like Microsoft, Amazon, Stripe etc, but also a large amount of tech jobs in staid banks and insurance companies, as well as a fairly healthy amount of startups and other small and medium sized enterprises. Pay is good. Assuming your housing situation is ok, you can have a decent career and a stereotypical comfortable middle class existence - mortgage, car, a foreign holiday every year (with 20-something days of annual leave per year) and the possibility of putting your kids through college without either loans or maintenance grants. Beyond pay, and not getting too far into social safety nets and GINI coefficients etc, it appears to be common to get fired with no notice in the USA. That level of insecurity is rare in Ireland, and pretty much unheard of in any office job.
balfirevic 6y ago
> This means that there is a strong social safety net, and we take care of the vulnerable. I do not have to worry about the cost of my medical care or other social needs. I pay my taxes, do my part as a citizen, and I know I will be taken care of. Are you sure you're in the same Croatia as the rest of us?

vecinu 6y ago

Thanks for sharing. I spent some time in Europe albeit that was a long time ago and I feel like I was too young to experience the hardships of life I'm facing in the US. I know the safety nets you're referring to, they're there for health care, unemployment and worker rights. Things that don't really exist for most people in the US if they're unemployed or in a regular job. I'm lucky to be in a well paid, high lucrative job even if I have to pay the highest taxes in the US (Which let's be real, are little compared to the EU). I have a Romanian passport so it's easy to jump over the pond but I'd love my US residency and all the years I put in to be able to start switching jobs more easily. I don't want a ridiculous amount of wealth but I'd love to have a head start and secure financial freedom for my family. One of my friends just left Munich for Colorado, he said houses are still too expensive in major German cities and salaries too low. He was working remote for a SV company and making big bucks for EU standards. I keep hearing how I'll just have to swallow a tiny salary compared to SV wages if I move to any EU country, Switzerland included. I guess I have to get to the point where I'm ready to leave the consumerism behind, be happy with extra vacation / free time and "unprogram" every bad habit I learned while living in the US.

ChuckNorris89 6y ago
>One of my friends just left Munich for Colorado, he said houses are still too expensive in major German cities and salaries too low. Thanks for pointing this out as it is very important information to have vs. everything we hear about Germany being "the best place in the world" and "you don't need to buy property as everyone here rents".
- blackbear_ 6y ago
  If you need another data point, my partner and I only pay about 25% of our combined after-tax salary in rent, living in a "major German city" (both employed in STEM). Factor in an additional 10/15% for living costs and we are left with significant disposable income, in my eyes.
  - ChuckNorris89 6y ago
    Thanks for sharing. I'm curious how much do you and your spouse make as that's the main factor.
    - blackbear_ 6y ago
      55k and 75k yearly pre-tax, but as a PhD student and recent graduate we expect to get a significant increase in a few years as I also join the industry and we both level up. But, as said by others, comparing raw numbers is pointless. Even if we spent the 2/3k that are left each month, we'd still have health insurance and pension paid for by our taxes. We aren't forced to build so much wealth to weather bad times because proper insurance is built in the system.
      - ChuckNorris89 6y ago
        So you're making those numbers as PhD students instead of workers? Where do I sign up? ;) What domain are you in if you don't mind me asking?

josephg 6y ago

Can you talk more about what it’s like in the tech sector in Ireland? Is pay decent? Is there a lot of work? I’m eligible to work anywhere in the EU but the pay in continental Europe seems much worse than what I could earn working remotely for a US company.

ploika 6y ago
The pandemic has thrown everything up in the air but there's still plenty of work in tech, mostly but by no means exclusively in Dublin. You've got recognisable names like Microsoft, Amazon, Stripe etc, but also a large amount of tech jobs in staid banks and insurance companies, as well as a fairly healthy amount of startups and other small and medium sized enterprises. Pay is good. Assuming your housing situation is ok, you can have a decent career and a stereotypical comfortable middle class existence - mortgage, car, a foreign holiday every year (with 20-something days of annual leave per year) and the possibility of putting your kids through college without either loans or maintenance grants. Beyond pay, and not getting too far into social safety nets and GINI coefficients etc, it appears to be common to get fired with no notice in the USA. That level of insecurity is rare in Ireland, and pretty much unheard of in any office job.

balfirevic 6y ago

> This means that there is a strong social safety net, and we take care of the vulnerable. I do not have to worry about the cost of my medical care or other social needs. I pay my taxes, do my part as a citizen, and I know I will be taken care of. Are you sure you're in the same Croatia as the rest of us?