Collect the information: what an American needs when moving to Asia
There is no excitement for you living in the USA. You feel like you don’t belong there, and you need to move. You did the research on where it would be the ideal place for you to relocate to, and somehow several Asian countries seem to have the system of value completely the same as yours. Therefore, you made the decision – you are moving to Asia!
You haven’t still decided what country shall you move to in Asia, but you are definitely switching USA for ASIA. It is good for you to read this text prior to choosing the country in Asia where you should move, because of many reasons, and the most important reason is that you will find out here what are the most important things to know when moving to Asia from the USA. And you don’t want to rush into moving from one continent to another, not knowing what is waiting for you there.
ADMINISTRATION-Paperwork an American needs to live and work when relocating to Asia-
Do the research: What an American moving to Asia needs to be able to move to, work and live in an Asian country
The requirements for Americans relocating to Asia differ very much from country to country. In some countries, it is enough to have a certain amount of money on your bank account to get the temporary or even permanent visa to stay there.
In Philipines, i.e. it is enough to have 75.000$ in Philipino bank account and you may receive a special resident retiree (for those over 50 years the sum is 50.000$). On the contrary, in the other countries, it is very difficult to get any visa, unless you hold an advanced degree with a sponsoring company to get a work visa there, which is a case in Japan.
The aforementioned is the reason why we said that you should check the requirements well in advance of your moving from the US to the Orient. Some countries are very flexible, and some are not flexible at all. Find out what do you need to be able to work once you moved to Asia, and keep checking if something changed until you start packing.
Even after you finished your move from the states to Asia, you need to keep tracking the requirements for an American working in Asia, because if you switch jobs, some condition might have changed, and you find yourself denied to be granted a new working visa, or even face penalties and be deported because you are now considered an illegal alien according to the new law.
GETTING A JOB- What to expect from job in Asia when relocating from the USA-
As the conditions to come and stay in Asia, the working conditions vary also very much from country to country along the continent. For developed Asian countries, such as Japan or South Corea, you may expect to be paid no less than you used to be back in states. But moving from the USA to another Asian country, not so developed or underdeveloped, might mean a lot less salary, and also a lot lower standard of life.
Also, another important information is the use of the language. You would probably have to get to know the language of the country you plan on moving to. Because, although in Thailand you may live normally using only English language, in most of other countries, i.e. in Japan, it doesn’t matter how big of an expert you are, you wouldn’t be able to work and live normally unless knowing the home language.
Yet another important fact for working and living in Asia moving from the USA is to get to know the customs and codes of the country. Because you want to fit in once you moved, and not be a foreigner and a stranger abandoned from everyone during the time you stay there.
HOME IN ASIA-Have a vision in advance: what kind of housing you intend to live in once you relocated from the states to Orient?
Decide what kind of home you want before moving from the states to Asia
Just like everything else in Asia, the housing conditions vary from one region to another. In developed countries, you will find yourself paying the same amount for an apartment just like in NYC (for example in Japan, Hong-Kong or Singapore), but you will have the same quality and same comfort as back home, so you will almost have no filling that you moved to Asia from the states. On the other hand, if you plan on paying less, you cannot expect the standard of quality common for the USA if you rent a cottage somewhere in the wood, to express metaphorically.
Being informed of those differences and what may you expect, let’s say something about the housing ownership in Asia, as an American moving there. In many countries, you have restrictions when it comes to foreigner owning a property. In some countries, for example, Cambodia and Thailand, they do not even recognise the concept of ownership that we use. You may lease the land there for some number of years, or own it over a spouse or by investing money in the Thai-owned corporation and have a majority ownership.
In case you build a house there, you do own the house, but you do not own the land. Therefore, if you as an American moved to Asia, and not owning the Thai citizenship, if you leave the country without being explicit about who you sold or donated the house, the country of Thailand reverts the ownership! So, be careful and carefully examine everything before you make your move from the states to Asia.
TAXES-What kind of taxes you should pay in country you plan on moving, and what happens with the IRS when you move out of the USA and settle in Asia-
Americans are still required to pay taxes to IRS, even when they move from the states to Asia. If you are paying some local taxes, you file them to the IRS and they will be subtracted, but the difference between the one you would pay back home and the one you pay in the Asian country you will have to pay. Even if you are a former citizen of the USA, and yet somehow connected to the states (by renting your home, or owning a land etc.) you still need to pay taxes to IRS. Regardless of what we just said, prior to your move, check if something changed in the meantime, so you would have the exact information.
In the end, for relaxation, and potential recommendation on where an American should move in Asia, watch a video of the most beautiful places in Asia:
