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Author Topic: Expatriate Life: Resources & Visa info  (Read 97828 times)

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Offline dbneeley

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Expatriate Life: Resources & Visa info
« on: May 09, 2010, 10:55:09 AM »
Perhaps you are involved with a lady from the former Soviet Union, or would like to be. Maybe you are looking for a place where the cost of living is less than in the West and you want a place to retire. Or maybe you are simply looking for a major change of pace, and are considering seeking your future in Eastern Europe. Perhaps you are simply intrigued by what life in the FSU seems like through Western eyes and how it contrasts with life in the West.

You are not alone! There are others who may be considering such a move as well as some who already have done it. This topic is for anyone either already living as an expatriate in the FSU or who may be considering it now or in the future.

Obviously, there is a large difference between visiting and living in a place. There are challenges that may not be so easy to deal with for a stranger in such a different environment. Whether it's how to get adequate health care or simply things to remember to bring or have shipped that may be unavailable in your new home--there is a myriad of such details that often may be overlooked if you don't think of them before your move.

This is a place for sharing the experiences of those who have gone before you, and to ask questions or to make suggestions both for Western people already in country as well as those considering it.

Just as with any other topic, this one will be only as good as those who take part make it. So come on in and stay a while and let's discuss the challenges and rewards of the expatriate life!

Offline Jinx

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2010, 11:47:26 AM »
 Ok I'll bite....I have thought of this many times...Nataly and I living in Kiev for a year or two.

 What has been the best thing about living "in country" and what has been the worst?

 If you could make a list of "must have" items to bring with you, what would they be?

Offline TwoBitBandit

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2010, 11:53:32 AM »
I've also thought about going.  I've been lining up some consulting and freelance jobs I could do that don't tie me to living in the United States.

One of the biggest problems that seems to face people, particularly in Russia, is getting permission to stay in the country.  The one-year business visas that everyone used to use are now only good for 90 days out of every 180.  You have to find a way around this by getting a work visa or student visa of some type.


Offline Donhollio

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2010, 12:01:30 PM »
  I couldn't do it. I stuck it out as long as I could before feeling like I was going to be driven bonkers  :drunk:   It's a neat place to visit, but unless you're living a charmed lifestyle the daily grind can take a toll on ones mind.

Offline dbneeley

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2010, 12:17:34 PM »
Ok I'll bite....I have thought of this many times...Nataly and I living in Kiev for a year or two.

 What has been the best thing about living "in country" and what has been the worst?

 If you could make a list of "must have" items to bring with you, what would they be?

For one thing, it is fairly common for women to have a far larger "support system" of family and friends than men tend to have. Thus, if the lady is living in her home country she has that still in place.

Next, those who contemplate living in country " for a year or two" have the advantage of the Western spouse learning far more about the other spouse's culture and all the things that go with it. They also gain insights into what the other spouse either has gone through or will go through upon living in the West. This kind of mutual appreciation is, I believe, an incredible advantage for the long-term health of the relationship in many cases.

Obviously, it gives you an opportunity to increase your language fluency. You get to know your spouse's family and friends at a much deeper level as well.

As for the "worst" things--if you have business to conduct "back home" it can be a royal pain. Day-to-day things can be challenging, too--the bureaucratic hassles here can be unbelievable, for example. Medical care can be a challenge, too, although there are some good strategies for dealing with that.

As for "things to be sure to bring"--If your computer is older, consider replacing it before you move, as computers can be far more expensive than in the U.S. (same is true for most of Europe, in fact, as I understand it).

If you take food supplements--vitamins and minerals, enzymes, etc.--consider taking a considerable supply. They are far less plentiful here with much less variety.

Consider taking some of our favorite spices if you are fond of dishes using them. Some are available here, many are not easily found. When a friend brought me some chunky and spicy salsa recently, I enjoyed it far more than you can imagine. As you are probably aware, the majority of food here is somewhat bland--at least for a Texan used to frequent doses of spicy foods!

If you're American, I'd try to be sure that all your electrical devices are dual voltage if possible. While most computers are already dual voltage, there are peripherals that are not. In my case, I bought a new electric razor some months before coming here, for example, and I made sure to get one that is a dual voltage device. In fact, I have nothing that is not except my cell phone that I picked up here--I'll use a cheap prepaid during my visit back to Texas this Summer. When I replace this phone, though, I'll likely get a quad band from a major manufacturer so power supplies will be cheap and readily available when I visit the States again.

Also, if you maintain a primary bank account back home, be absolutely sure before you move that the bank understands are records the fact that you'll be living here for a time. If not, it can be a total pain if their "loss prevention" department should assume your account is being accessed by someone who has stolen your identity. Believe it or not, that happened to me with my Chase account on three occasions within a month. Needless to say, another task on my list in August will be to change banks!

If you must receive important physical mail, one of your first stops over here should be to open a post office box. I have yet to see a mailbox in a residential building that actually has a lock on it that works. Also, many mail addresses are awkward to fit in standard address forms in the West. Ours is five lines long when written properly, for instance.

Finally, although surely they exist somewhere, I have yet to see really decent Russian/English dictionaries here. In Kiev you could probably find good ones at the Patrivka market--but I have not found any here that are as good as I picked up before moving here.

David  

Offline TwoBitBandit

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2010, 12:20:50 PM »
  I couldn't do it. I stuck it out as long as I could before feeling like I was going to be driven bonkers  :drunk:   It's a neat place to visit, but unless you're living a charmed lifestyle the daily grind can take a toll on ones mind.
How long did you live there and what things drove you bonkers?

Offline Olga_Mouse

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2010, 12:46:59 PM »

I have yet to see a mailbox in a residential building that actually has a lock on it that works.


Mine has, for instance  :nod:
Leaving Russia is not an emigration, rather an evacuation.

Offline dbneeley

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2010, 12:50:36 PM »

I have yet to see a mailbox in a residential building that actually has a lock on it that works.


Mine has, for instance  :nod:

So you're the one! I had heard there was at least *one* with a mailbox that actually locks. Now I know who has it!  ;D

David

Offline RG

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2010, 12:51:23 PM »
Consider taking some of our favorite spices if you are fond of dishes using them. Some are available here, many are not easily found. When a friend brought me some chunky and spicy salsa recently, I enjoyed it far more than you can imagine. As you are probably aware, the majority of food here is somewhat bland--at least for a Texan used to frequent doses of spicy foods!

I did manage to find some generic "hot sauce," but it took some time, and was certainly not available in most places.  In a more remote area, I believe it would be simply impossible to find.

Quote
If you're American, I'd try to be sure that all your electrical devices are dual voltage if possible. While most computers are already dual voltage, there are peripherals that are not. In my case, I bought a new electric razor some months before coming here, for example, and I made sure to get one that is a dual voltage device. In fact, I have nothing that is not except my cell phone that I picked up here--I'll use a cheap prepaid during my visit back to Texas this Summer. When I replace this phone, though, I'll likely get a quad band from a major manufacturer so power supplies will be cheap and readily available when I visit the States again.
I made that mistake in the opposite direction.  Phones, laptops, even a generic "charging station" and other misc electronics were all dual voltage, allowing a simple adapter to be used.  My razor, however - it holds a charge for a long time, but around day 21 of a 30 day trip, it needed charging.  I had become so used to everything being dual voltage I didn't think about it, plugged it in to charge.  Result - one instantly cooked transformer.  The new razor is indeed dual voltage. :)


Offline Olga_Mouse

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #9 on: May 09, 2010, 12:55:22 PM »

So you're the one! I had heard there was at least *one* with a mailbox that actually locks. Now I know who has it!  ;D


 :chuckle:  Well, I do receive mail from the States and UK sometimes...  :biggrin:
Leaving Russia is not an emigration, rather an evacuation.

Offline dazzer

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #10 on: May 09, 2010, 03:50:35 PM »
My wife lives in Odessa Ukraine with our daughter, within the next few months they will be living in England, subject to us successfully getting through the initial cohabitation stage, the next stage would be of course Oksana's adaption to life in England and leaving behind everything she as known, family, friends, career etc, this is something we have discussed at some length, although given we have some communication difficulties, this as meant not to the extent as would people whom speak the same language, the bottom line is that she may not be happy in England, that said, I'm not over the moon about the place anymore myself.

So it may well be that we live in Odessa Ukraine, Oksana as her job secured for 3 years during her maternity leave, but of course i must work, and at this moment i can only speak a few Russian words, this of course would be increased before we made plans for life in Ukraine, although i do find it very difficult and therefore i imagine i will speak only a little, any thoughts on what would be the prospects of me getting a job?, Oksana only earns 250 dollars a month, if i couldn't find work then i would be willing to work in England for perhaps 5 months every year, do they have any laws that may make that not possible?      tiphat
« on: January 14, 2010, 02:18:43 AM »
Would she be offended to get a text without telling her ahead of time?

Offline dbneeley

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #11 on: May 09, 2010, 10:38:23 PM »
My wife lives in Odessa Ukraine with our daughter, within the next few months they will be living in England, subject to us successfully getting through the initial cohabitation stage, the next stage would be of course Oksana's adaption to life in England and leaving behind everything she as known, family, friends, career etc, this is something we have discussed at some length, although given we have some communication difficulties, this as meant not to the extent as would people whom speak the same language, the bottom line is that she may not be happy in England, that said, I'm not over the moon about the place anymore myself.

So it may well be that we live in Odessa Ukraine, Oksana as her job secured for 3 years during her maternity leave, but of course i must work, and at this moment i can only speak a few Russian words, this of course would be increased before we made plans for life in Ukraine, although i do find it very difficult and therefore i imagine i will speak only a little, any thoughts on what would be the prospects of me getting a job?, Oksana only earns 250 dollars a month, if i couldn't find work then i would be willing to work in England for perhaps 5 months every year, do they have any laws that may make that not possible?      tiphat

Dazzer,

First, I am not aware of any conditions on the permanent residence status in Ukraine, as to whether you can be abroad for five months per year and retain it or not. That should be a first order of business should you explore this option.

Second, what kind of work do you do? Generally, in Ukraine salaries for many kinds of work are far less than you would probably find acceptable. Odessa is the major center for import and export of goods to and from Ukraine, and many small merchants buy there to take items back to their home towns. Thus, various kinds of trade are quite common. However, there are relatively few jobs here if you don't speak the language. Obviously, the fallback for many native English speakers is teaching English. However, more and more people are seeking teachers with some sort of accreditation. There are two very good programs based in Britain for attaining certification in teaching English to non-native speakers. If possible, you might look into those as one possibility. When I looked at this two years ago, there was at least one chain of English schools in the country that does hire native speakers to teach. If this is of interest, you might look at Dave's ESL Cafe: www.eslcafe.com

However, if you can build an income independent of Ukraine--some sort of Internet business, for example--you would be miles ahead. Should this be feasible, you should maintain a primary bank account in Britain or elsewhere in the West as well as whatever bank you may use in Ukraine. Here, we use PrivatBank, which appears to be one of the most sound banks in the country. Many of them are pretty shaky affairs, I'm afraid. Bank charges can be quite substantial compared to the U.S. at least. It is possible, too, to establish a bank account here based on a foreign currency--particularly Euros or U.S. Dollars.

Otherwise, if you have particular technical skills that are in demand here, that too is possible. For example, I considered doing English technical writing for software development companies here. Unfortunately, in Ukraine that seems mostly centered in Kiev. Of course, I had a few decades of experience in this line that could help--but even so, I would be seriously limited by lack of language skills here. (I did have an opportunity in Novosibirsk, actually, but health issues intervened. Irina was even willing to move to Siberia had I taken the job.)

I don't know if any of this is particularly helpful, but without knowing more of your situation I have attempted at least to cover some of the basics.

David

Offline dazzer

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2010, 12:47:25 PM »
Thanks for your reply David tiphat

As regards working some months back in the UK each year, i will certainly look into it before any such decision to live in Ukraine. David you are a permanent resident of Ukraine,  i and I'm sure others would wish to know how you achieved this, and what it entailed?, do i understand correctly from a previous post of yours on another thread, that this differs from applying for a Ukraine citizenship?, is it true that once received you must only hold a Ukraine passport, thus surrendering the other?, what was the deciding factor for you on what avenue to take for your right to remain?.

Work wise.....

I'm not well educated, therefore any form of teaching is for me out of the question, likewise anything to do with the Internet of which I'm fairly hopless, my job is of car mechanic, Ive done this all my life, so I'm fairly good     tiphat
« on: January 14, 2010, 02:18:43 AM »
Would she be offended to get a text without telling her ahead of time?

Offline dbneeley

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #13 on: May 10, 2010, 01:30:48 PM »
Thanks for your reply David tiphat

As regards working some months back in the UK each year, i will certainly look into it before any such decision to live in Ukraine. David you are a permanent resident of Ukraine,  i and I'm sure others would wish to know how you achieved this, and what it entailed?, do i understand correctly from a previous post of yours on another thread, that this differs from applying for a Ukraine citizenship?, is it true that once received you must only hold a Ukraine passport, thus surrendering the other?, what was the deciding factor for you on what avenue to take for your right to remain?.

Work wise.....

I'm not well educated, therefore any form of teaching is for me out of the question, likewise anything to do with the Internet of which I'm fairly hopless, my job is of car mechanic, Ive done this all my life, so I'm fairly good     tiphat

Dazzer,

No, a lawful permanent resident is not citizenship. It is simply permission to reside here permanently as a lawful resident alien. In America, this kind of permit is referred to as a "green card"--you may have heard the term. I am fairly sure the same sort of thing exists in Britain as well, just as it does in every country of which I am familiar.

If you are married to a citizen here, then you can go through the many details of getting the same sort of residence permit if you wish. You apply at the nearest OVIR office in country, and they require a list of documents including your marriage documents and much the same set you must submit to your government for your wife's immigration into Britain. Any docs that are not in the Ukranian language must be translated (although a number of mine were actually in Russian, since this is the predominantly Russian area of Ukraine). You must also have more passport-style photos made as part of the package. My wife did most of the required song and dance, although I wound up at OVIR myself on four occasions as I recall, mostly to sign various documents as the process wore on. In all, it took about a year to obtain.

About your job prospects. Unless you have some sort of relatively rare specialty, you may find it difficult to work here, especially as your ability to communicate with employers, co-workers, or customers would be so limited. Also, that sort of labor here pays miserably.

I did know a gentleman some years ago, though, who hooked up with some sort of well-connected person to buy and import cars mostly from Germany. They would buy relatively new used models, and the man I knew of was a fair mechanic himself, so he could evaluate the cars very well. He would purchase them and then drive them to Ukraine. His connected partner handled the bureaucratic end, so they wound up paying much less in import duty than they otherwise would have had to and he had no troubles at the border. As the old saying goes, "the fix was in." His partner took care of selling the cars in Ukraine and they had a division of profits worked out so that both were happy. At that time, he was bringing in a car every few weeks. Because they were high-dollar cars, they were making fairly good money on the deal.

I have no idea if this sort of thing could still be done profitably.

I also knew some folks in America who were buying decent used Harley Davidson motorcycles and exporting them to various places in Europe. That was some years ago now, so I have no idea if it would still be feasible--but it is less likely to be attractive to you since the key was being able to buy them in America for far less money than they were bringing in Europe. (They were also buying Fiat 124 sports cars and shipping them back to Italy, interestingly enough, but that seems a market long gone these days).

On the other hand, if you were to get a permanent resident card and had the capital to set up your own shop, in the right area you might do very well simply because I have heard how difficult it often can be to get truly first-class work on many cars. There could be a market among the wealthy for a somewhat exclusive garage for their expensive machinery--especially if you could offer truly first-class and guaranteed service.

David

Offline dazzer

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #14 on: May 10, 2010, 03:21:41 PM »
David

Previous to my learning of your permanent residency, it was my understanding that it could only be lawfully achieved by attaining Ukraine citizenship, and amongst other things many of which I'm not aware, in order to do so one must of been married to their Ukraine spouse for a min of 2 years, and that one must surrender their passport, in doing so they then receive a Ukraine passport, i have little doubt that the route you have taken is the better option given you will have retained your American passport, was this something you considered?.

As regards myself, i now think i would favour the route you have taken, and perhaps looking to work for some months each year here tiphat
« on: January 14, 2010, 02:18:43 AM »
Would she be offended to get a text without telling her ahead of time?

Offline dbneeley

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #15 on: May 10, 2010, 03:29:23 PM »
David

Previous to my learning of your permanent residency, it was my understanding that it could only be lawfully achieved by attaining Ukraine citizenship, and amongst other things many of which I'm not aware, in order to do so one must of been married to their Ukraine spouse for a min of 2 years, and that one must surrender their passport, in doing so they then receive a Ukraine passport, i have little doubt that the route you have taken is the better option given you will have retained your American passport, was this something you considered?.

As regards myself, i now think i would favour the route you have taken, and perhaps looking to work for some months each year here tiphat

At present, there is no reason to seek Ukranian citizenship--plus, I still speak no more than a fairly small smattering of the language.

Lawful permanent residence has the benefits I am after--no need to leave the country for any reason unless I want to for other reasons, and I can pretty much do what a citizen can with exceptions such as voting and the like. So long as my wife tolerates me, then, I'm fine as is.

As far as length of marriage is concerned for permanent residence, I have no idea if there is some minimum time as there would be for application for citizenship. We have been married longer than two years, so it simply never came up. However, as a general proposition, I would doubt that permanent residence status has such a minimum time attached.

What I do not know, though, is whether you can leave the country and re-enter while the permanent residence application is pending. It simply didn't come up in my case. That is something you may need to inquire about, since the entire process took about a year in my case.

David

Online andrewfi

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #16 on: May 10, 2010, 03:37:43 PM »
Dazzer, your REALLY BIG PROBLEM is going to be money.
What can you do?

Pretty much any manual trade will be closed to you for reasons of language and that you can not afford to work for as little as local blokes can. There are all sorts of reasons for that but it'll be almost impossible.

You will need to do an inventory of your skills and look at what you can transfer to Ukraine at a premium price.

When I started out I made a conscious choice to look for niches that enabled me to work locally but earn globally. It took me two years to learn to earn enough to support myself in a manner that I was comfortable with.

Manny shared a tale of a bloke, a friend of his I think, who is now in Sochi running a trailer selling baked spuds with various fillings. Does a roaring trade by all accounts. IIRC he did not run such a beast in the UK but he transferred his knowledge and made himself a profitable niche.

Manny does not live as an expat but he uses his skills at flogging stuff to buy and sell stuff between the UK and Estonia. He could probably set up shop flogging tat on the local equivalent of eBay.

For me, well, the internet sends me money. I used to do consulting work, helping people to do stuff that I knew how to do but that they did not. It kept the wolf from the door while I learned other things.

My guess, on the whole, is that it is going to be easier to make a decent living if you can find a way to work with brains rather than hands. Even the spud seller made his mark by transferring knowledge from one place to another.
What knowledge can YOU transfer?
...everything ends always well; if it’s still bad, then it’s not the end!

Offline Olga_Mouse

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #17 on: May 10, 2010, 04:06:13 PM »

Lawful permanent residence has the benefits I am after - no need to leave the country for any reason unless I want to for other reasons, and I can pretty much do what a citizen can with exceptions such as voting and the like.


David, you once wrote that you & your wife own an apartment.

Is it the one your wife has inherited \ bought prior to the marriage?

If not - has in been purchased on your hame, or on her name, or you have equal shares?

I'm just wondering what are Ukrainian rules for foreigners buying real property... Any "special tax" applied (e.g. in Spain a foreigner purchasing property pays additional 7% - Andrew please correct me if I'm wrong?)


So long as my wife tolerates me, then, I'm fine as is.


:THUB:  :ROFL:
Leaving Russia is not an emigration, rather an evacuation.

Offline dazzer

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #18 on: May 10, 2010, 05:14:33 PM »
Dazzer, your REALLY BIG PROBLEM is going to be money.
Very true
Pretty much any manual trade will be closed to you for reasons of language and that you can not afford to work for as little as local blokes can. There are all sorts of reasons for that but it'll be almost impossible.
Having began my FSUW pursuit with a fair degree of optimism ( naivety ) of success, i now with a fair amount of experience under my belt, reflect upon the chances of what could be regarded as success as  "almost impossible" for many, that said, i do think that for the likes of me being able to work over there as you stated would indeed be almost impossible x2 :( , although you never know....i have currently achieved x1 :)

You will need to do an inventory of your skills and look at what you can transfer to Ukraine at a premium price.
That's easy enough....Car mechanic and nothing else, so perhaps x3
 
What knowledge can YOU transfer?
I will leave you to have a guess as to my answer Andrewfi, a little hint would be x4 :)

It may of course be that i don't end up living in Ukraine, but there is a real possibility that i will do so, given my lack of skills, not to mention language ability, i would hope to work here for some months as stated, if i couldn't then perhaps living in Ukraine would become financially impossible tiphat
« on: January 14, 2010, 02:18:43 AM »
Would she be offended to get a text without telling her ahead of time?

Offline skiingandrunning

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #19 on: May 10, 2010, 07:19:57 PM »
Dazzer,

If you look at the rapid increase in car ownership in the FSU and the still relative low levels of customer service you might easily find your niche.  Now with that said, you would need to figure out who to bribe, the police or local mafia (depending who is more powerful in your part of town), deal with bureaucratic rules that we have a hard time understanding in the west, and secure enough capital to open your desired operation (if you figure this one out then the others become much easier and this usually means a local partner to who you'll give away much of your future profits).  Now depending on your character, if you are typically a trusting sort of person like myself, then most smart FSU residents will tell you to invest your money elsewhere as you'll be eaten alive (I've been told similar things on many occasions).    In other words, if I was you, I would be putting my efforts into convincing your wife that England is the most logical choice or maybe the only viable choice when an inventory of all skills are considered.

Offline Rasputin

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #20 on: May 10, 2010, 10:48:20 PM »
Maybe you are looking for a place where the cost of living is less than in the West and you want a place to retire.

Is the cost of living less? It is if you are willing to live very frugally, but in my experience Russia, for example, has become as expensive as Canada even in relatively remote Russian cities. If you want to have a lifestyle anywhere near what you would have in Canada, you will likely be spending more money in Russian than you would in Canada. Sure, you could buy a dacha for a few thousand dollars and live off the potatoes and cabbage you grow and store over the winter, but how many foreigners dream of this as their retirement plan? I know that I don't  :biggrin:

Personally, I don't really see the attraction of living in Russia as an ex-pat. Sure, if you are working for a large corporations making piles of money, it would not be a shabby life. However, such opportunities are certainly getting fewer and far between as Russia now has a growing cohort of foreign-trained or homegrown talent lusting after those top jobs  :money:

It is unfortunate that posters such as Richard have fallen off the grid. It would be interesting to see what he and his wife think of their life in Canada and whether he misses his life as an ex-pat living in Tver I believe  :popcorn: I may be mistaken, but the last that I heard he and his wife were doing well in Alberta. There are a number of other ex-pats who were living with wives/girlfriends in the FSU who came back. Not all made a successful transition back.

Personally, I believe that it is best to find a woman who will accept the fact that she will have to move at some point after her marriage and I would discourage delaying the inevitable.
"Seems I live in Russia Rasputin visited" - Millaa
"So do I" - Molly35ru

Offline dbneeley

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #21 on: May 10, 2010, 11:11:46 PM »

David, you once wrote that you & your wife own an apartment.

Is it the one your wife has inherited \ bought prior to the marriage?

If not - has in been purchased on your hame, or on her name, or you have equal shares?

I'm just wondering what are Ukrainian rules for foreigners buying real property... Any "special tax" applied (e.g. in Spain a foreigner purchasing property pays additional 7% - Andrew please correct me if I'm wrong?)


My wife did own the flat she grew up in, which she got when her parents divorced and moved elsewhere. However, some years ago she sold it and moved to Donetsk well after we were married.

We are now looking for a second flat, as her mother will soon be in need of it since her mother's husband has terminal cancer. We will pay most of it, and our plan is to live there once the stepson is through his university studies and looks to start his own family. I will be on the title to that one.

I am not aware of any particular "special fees" involved when a foreigner owns property in Ukraine. My wife has looked into this in some detail, and did not find such a thing.

David

Offline RG

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #22 on: May 10, 2010, 11:36:02 PM »
There are a number of other ex-pats who were living with wives/girlfriends in the FSU who came back. Not all made a successful transition back.

Ras - what is your definition of an "unsuccessful transition back"?  Can you explain that part?


Offline Rasputin

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #23 on: May 10, 2010, 11:42:35 PM »
There are a number of other ex-pats who were living with wives/girlfriends in the FSU who came back. Not all made a successful transition back.

Ras - what is your definition of an "unsuccessful transition back"?  Can you explain that part?



On another forum, there had been a prolific poster who had lived a number of years in Ukraine. He eventually moved to the USA with his wife. From what I gathered, she quickly divorced him soon after that  :( He had bought some property and had registered it in his mother-in-law's name. He never did say what happened, but I would wager that he lost what he had in Ukraine. So, my definition of unsuccessful transition back is whereby the expat returning home has a worse job and career prospects than what he would have had if he had stayed, where he loses much money in the process and loses the woman at the end of day  :coffeeread:
"Seems I live in Russia Rasputin visited" - Millaa
"So do I" - Molly35ru

Offline RG

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Re: Resources and about Expatriate Life
« Reply #24 on: May 10, 2010, 11:49:31 PM »
Got it, thanks Ras.  I think I did indeed read about him somewhere in the past, but not the full story.  I do seem to recall the part about losing all "assets" from the FSU, though.

That does bring up a good point, though.  Anyone who has lived there for a while, doing something related or the same as their job elsewhere, assuming they are NOT self employed, then returned - what was their career impact?

The ideal would seem to be independently wealthy or retired, but failing that, self-employed, but I'm sure even if self-employed, there may be some credit issues if someone was gone for 5 years in the FSU, and then returned, as well as if re-entering the job market?



 

 

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