I’m often asked about how to work in a country such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, or Europe if you don’t currently live there. While I don’t have THE answer, I always have opinions.

There’s 2 options that come to mind.

Option 1 – Relying on others to get “accepted”:

– Work for X, who has offices in the U.S., Europe, Canada, wherever, and maybe you’ll get lucky at some point

– Apply to get your Masters in the U.S. which then provides you eligibility

– Continue to monitor job openings where sponsorship is available (which I think is usually for those already in the hosted country) 

Option 2 – Relying on yourself to be a differentiator:

– Build a portfolio of work product that is so remarkable to possibly gain global recognition.  Remarkable to others that is, not remarkable to you. You’re not sponsoring yourself…

I’m referring to the intangibles where trust, creativity, initiative, rapport, good judgement, relationships and human connections are needed for success to happen.

Or

– Build a skill set that is so niche, is in extreme demand, and requires day to day, in-person interaction with others where your name gets sought out?  Be “that” expert.

Option #2 is the hard path, Option #1 is the lucky path. Do things that are hard, they lead to greater satisfaction.