Easiest Countries to Move – if not too old

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One of my goals is an extended stay in another country in hopes of maybe, just a little, catching up on the experiences in life that most 20-somethings have.

But getting an extended stay visa for an older person is impossible in many, if not most countries, particularly if you are “too old”.

New Zealand is a popular destination for immigration mainly because of its Skilled Migration Program. However, to qualify for this program, there are several criteria that you have to meet. For starters, you have to be under 55, be highly skilled in your field, and have work experience. But, if you meet these criteria, you can live in New Zealand for two years and then apply for a resident visa.

However, similarly to New Zealand, [for Australia] you have to be under 50 (for most visas), have the required skills, relevant experience, and usually score enough points in the scoring system- if you are applying for a points-based visa.

Source: Easiest Countries to Immigrate to in 2022 – Best Countries to Move to

Canada’s immigration is points-based. As you get older, points are subtracted for every year of age!

There are, as best I can tell, perhaps a couple of dozen countries where retirees are accepted – such as Belize, Ecuador, Paraguay, etc. – and if you have enough money, you may qualify for an investment visa.

Most places provide extended visas for

  • study abroad programs
  • workers, although sometimes restricted to specific job categories, such as health care
  • sometimes for marriage or family ancestry (Ireland, Italy, for example).

Those options apply primarily to those who are younger. Study abroad makes little sense now, since I already have two Masters degrees, and at my age there is no financial return for my investing in another degree.

As I researched this topic, I concluded that it is de facto impossible for me to stay in European countries for more than 90 days. Wow, kind of a surprise.

I might qualify for residency in Canada because my wife’s Dad was born there, and she qualifies for Right of Descent citizenship (but she is not interested in pursuing that). Marriage does not provide automatic residency, either. But if I am married to a Canadian citizen and provide proof of financial resources so as not to be a drain on Canada, then I too could receive residency there.

It’s sad that countries that promote diversity actively discriminate by age, making a mockery of their desire to be viewed as modern and hip.