If yes, where would you move to?
If no, why not?
I ask this as someone who has moved around a lot (5 states) for better working opportunities. I often hear people say they wish they could leave their current city/state/country, but money is often (understandably) an issue.
I did this.
I used to live in Seattle. It’s a pretty progressive city but the police are very bad there. Outside the pocket of liberals and progressives, once you start driving east or even west across the sound, things then to be more… Homogenous… and even a bit racist. Plus the gun culture/violence is just too much for my family.
We moved to Taiwan during the height of the pandemic and during chap or whatever thing that the Seattle police was doing to the local people. We had enough and put everything in storage and left .
Living in Taiwan feels like how America used to be. Being a very young democracy, people here are hyper focused on freedoms. The government here is super focused on social programs that help people.
Things like, expecting mothers and families with kids under 6 have special parking in all malls and public parking. Breast feeding rooms everywhere. You get financial support for having kids, not just a tax break. Just a straight direct deposit into your account.
Universal health care. The medicine is highly subsidized(usually free)Ambulance rides are free. Shoot once you get to a certain age, the government helps pay for your stay at home nurse.
Things like this reminds me of the American 40-50s. When freedoms matter and people matter.
Obviously there are some drawbacks living here, but it’s overall positive.
Was it difficult to emigrate from the US to Taiwan? Are there stringent requirements?
Honestly it was quite easy. I came from the USA so YMMV. You basically need to get a Gold Card which is a green card from the United states. As long as you’re making an income that is a certain level, you get it. I want to say it’s 65k.
Or you can come here and work in the in demand industries like renewable energy. Those you don’t even need to be making that much and you instantly get it. My friend works for a wind farm and got his gold card within a year. Even his wife, who doesn’t even work, got the gold card.
I think after about 6 months, you get all the benefits I described.
College and schooling is very inexpensive. I know student visas are quite simple too. I have a friend from Jamaica that got his doctorate here and married a Taiwanese wife. He said he had zero chance to get this far ahead in Jamaica.