• Lobby

  • Emigrating out of Lebanon - General Questions

Guitaret wrote
RandomMemory wrote
Adnan wroteCheckout Honeypot.io for job offers in Germany and the Netherlands. It works by you making a profile and then you get a batch of companies applying to you every week.
I was bored so I took the honeypot exam, 2 medium difficulty questions, passed both. Let's see what happens.
What exam? I was asked for a video call interview
They sent me a hackerrank code exam. 2 questions. 1 hour 30 mins to solve.
Glad to see things are somewhat working out.

Good luck guys n gals
I've heard that if you present a bank statement with X amount of money while applying for emigration it boosts your chances of acceptance, is this accurate?
Guitaret wrote
RandomMemory wrote
Adnan wroteCheckout Honeypot.io for job offers in Germany and the Netherlands. It works by you making a profile and then you get a batch of companies applying to you every week.
I was bored so I took the honeypot exam, 2 medium difficulty questions, passed both. Let's see what happens.
What exam? I was asked for a video call interview
Same here, didn't get any exams. My call was audio only BTW.
Good for you @RandomMemory, but I didn't know Honeypot works that way, so hopefully that test qualifies you enough not to be asked for other ones by the companies that want to hire you.

Hybrid wroteGlad to see things are somewhat working out.

Good luck guys n gals
Thanks, the situation here is getting worse soon enough we can no longer afford a ticket to Europe. But that is not to say that we should remain passive and only hope for the best, I always keep my back straight and ready to face the next challenge with a smile on my face.
Guitaret wrote
Good for you @RandomMemory, but I didn't know Honeypot works that way, so hopefully that test qualifies you enough not to be asked for other ones by the companies that want to hire you.

Hybrid wroteGlad to see things are somewhat working out.

Good luck guys n gals
Thanks, the situation here is getting worse soon enough we can no longer afford a ticket to Europe. But that is not to say that we should remain passive and only hope for the best, I always keep my back straight ready to face the next challenge with a smile on my face.
Good spirit, should be enough to get you somewhere better
Has anyone heard of portugal's D7 visa ? 5 years till permanent residency and one additional year for citizenship. With the citizenship comes the EU passport which is the end goal. It seems promising if you have some savings. I am currently looking for a reputable immigration lawyer that might have some experience with this form of visa(preferably residing in lebanon) - any recommendations?
I had not heard of the D7, it seems much more accessible than the Golden Visa, although it takes you much longer to reach permanent residency.

My recommendation is to do a lot of reading before going to an immigration lawyer or any of these online "consultancies" that either charge you a high fee for administrative procedures that you can probably easily do yourself or are outright scams.
hackable? wroteHas anyone heard of portugal's D7 visa ? 5 years till permanent residency and one additional year for citizenship. With the citizenship comes the EU passport which is the end goal. It seems promising if you have some savings. I am currently looking for a reputable immigration lawyer that might have some experience with this form of visa(preferably residing in lebanon) - any recommendations?
Thanks for sharing, i think Spain has something similar, but i think the minimum stay per year was more.
17 days later
Hi guys,

I am trying to find a way to immigrate outside Lebanon. I am a Computer and telecommunications(Masters of engineering) graduate with 2 years experience in the IT field ( IT Support).

I am trying to find a way to immigrate (since i can't find a fresh dollars job in the IT infrastructure field here, seems they are rare in Lebanon(contrarily to development jobs) .

What ways do you suggest to immigrate? I have uncles and aunts in the UK, Canada. But after my research i found they can't really help .

What alternative ways could work so i can move out with such a limited experience?

Thanks
Sometimes mentioning "IT support" as previous experience is worse than mentioning nothing. People come out "burned out" from this job, I don't know how in Lebanon.
I may be unoriginal, but try to get some knowledge of the technologies in demand, take part in some public (possibly opensource) projects for a portfolio. And most importantly, in my opinion, the ability to code is a must. Now it is very difficult even to find a job for "anykey" without such knowledge.
Remember, you must have the knowledge, reason for an employer to want to hire you instead of someone in the local market. Because the second reason after knowledge - is to hire you because you are a unprotected cheap labor force, and this is not good option.
Techlover wroteHi guys,

I am trying to find a way to immigrate outside Lebanon. I am a Computer and telecommunications(Masters of engineering) graduate with 2 years experience in the IT field ( IT Support).

I am trying to find a way to immigrate (since i can't find a fresh dollars job in the IT infrastructure field here, seems they are rare in Lebanon(contrarily to development jobs) .

What ways do you suggest to immigrate? I have uncles and aunts in the UK, Canada. But after my research i found they can't really help .

What alternative ways could work so i can move out with such a limited experience?

Thanks
I think if you get it up to 3 years you might be able to apply to Canada and have a good chance of being accepted. The immigration process does not give a shit about how in demand your job is, they only care that work experience matches the degree, and that your masters is from a university they recognize, and that you are under 30, and that you have a good english score.
I am also told that Canada still accepts proof of funds from Lebanese banks, even though the banks are holding the money hostage, they also still recognize 1500 lira as one dollar, so show them proof of 15 million liras and you are set to go.

If you do make it to here, it doesn't matter if you work your first year as a cashier at walmart, you'll still be paid more than in Lebanon, and you can climb the ladder of jobs with time.

If you are nearing 30, you should shift focus towards Australia, you have to hit 33 years old before you start being at a disadvantage. But 2 years of work experience and approaching 30 would be a very bad combination
I got my Canadian Permanent residence when I was 33 years old, I was already losing points, but still managed to get 469 points
user wrote
Techlover wroteHi guys,

I am trying to find a way to immigrate outside Lebanon. I am a Computer and telecommunications(Masters of engineering) graduate with 2 years experience in the IT field ( IT Support).

I am trying to find a way to immigrate (since i can't find a fresh dollars job in the IT infrastructure field here, seems they are rare in Lebanon(contrarily to development jobs) .

What ways do you suggest to immigrate? I have uncles and aunts in the UK, Canada. But after my research i found they can't really help .

What alternative ways could work so i can move out with such a limited experience?

Thanks
I think if you get it up to 3 years you might be able to apply to Canada and have a good chance of being accepted. The immigration process does not give a shit about how in demand your job is, they only care that work experience matches the degree, and that your masters is from a university they recognize, and that you are under 30, and that you have a good english score.
I am also told that Canada still accepts proof of funds from Lebanese banks, even though the banks are holding the money hostage, they also still recognize 1500 lira as one dollar, so show them proof of 15 million liras and you are set to go.

If you do make it to here, it doesn't matter if you work your first year as a cashier at walmart, you'll still be paid more than in Lebanon, and you can climb the ladder of jobs with time.

If you are nearing 30, you should shift focus towards Australia, you have to hit 33 years old before you start being at a disadvantage. But 2 years of work experience and approaching 30 would be a very bad combination
Proof of funds is not a matter of paper evidence only. You need an actual Canadian USD when you land in there as a visa express entry. The Canadian government will not provide you anything at the first stage. You need to manage your rent and life expenses until you find a job. Therefore, the 15million LBP at the current hyper inflation will result at 15 million LBP / 11500 ( current rate) = 1304 USD = 1640 CAD $ , which is way below the threshold to manage your life when you land there. In addition the process ( degrees accreditation , IETLTs, visa express entry file processing , biometrics … ) all to be paid in fresh USD too. For example for a family of 3 members ( husband , wife , and a kid ) you need approximately 3500$ before going to Canada.
3 months later
I am getting fed up with how bad the situation in Lebanon has become, primarily just how hopeless the entire situation is, and to just escape the political landscape even if everything was fine. Assuming I have relatives living (aunts specifically) in the US with US citizenship, how hard would it be to get a US Visa to work there while I sort my life and Immigrate to where I ideally want to live which is somewhere toward the west of Europe(Main focus is France/Germany/Switzerland but open to other options). If going to the US is the same difficulty then where do I apply in Europe in hopes of gaining some European citizenship, preferably in the Schengen area to make it easier to enter Switzerland? Currently I am a 2nd year in Computer Science and would like input on where to take my 1st step.
ap4ss3rby wroteI am getting fed up with how bad the situation in Lebanon has become, primarily just how hopeless the entire situation is, and to just escape the political landscape even if everything was fine. Assuming I have relatives living (aunts specifically) in the US with US citizenship, how hard would it be to get a US Visa to work there while I sort my life and Immigrate to where I ideally want to live which is somewhere toward the west of Europe(Main focus is France/Germany/Switzerland but open to other options). If going to the US is the same difficulty then where do I apply in Europe in hopes of gaining some European citizenship, preferably in the Schengen area to make it easier to enter Switzerland? Currently I am a 2nd year in Computer Science and would like input on where to take my 1st step.
- If you can afford school abroad, then that is your best option.
- Family sponsorship is hard and I do not think it applies to Aunts.
- US Visa is especially hard (unless student visa), i.e Work visa (h1B) is a lottery system and a company must sponsor you.
- Canada Express entry will require you to have a degree to get points, your best bet is applying for a university there and continuing your education.
- Same for EU, to get hired, most (not all) companies would require some kind of degree, otherwise you can apply to a university there and continue your education.

When continuing your education, most countries will give you an additional year or 2 to work in that country and while working that company would eventually sponsor your work visa. These years accumulate and once you hit a certain stay requirements (3-5 years depending on the country), you would then apply to change your status to resident.

Of course above is a generalization but in essence, you either need to finish get a degree and apply for work, or choose a country and continue your education abroad.
Higher education in Germany is (almost) free for foreigners provided you can get accepted. Many programs are in English, so no worries about the language. You could finish your CS degree next year and apply for a master's, or if you are fed up, you can start from scratch with a BS.

You would need to double check, but my understanding is that students are also allowed to work to fund their living (it is common for companies to hire "working students"), and as jsaade mentioned, you'll get some time after you are done with your studies to find a job.
Alternatively, you could apply for a scholarship that covers your living costs.

Citizenship is possible after 6 years with a B2 level of German, or 8 years with a B1 level.

Have a look at France and Austria as well.

Good luck, and keep us updated!
I always favored Canada over Germany as an immigration choice for language reasons.
I know most speak English but how easy is it to incorporate into society if you are not fluent in German?

Moreover, I heard many claims from Lebanese people who lived in Germany about racial discrimination they faced climbing up the corporate ladder (for instance). However, this is hardly the case in Canada where the population & demographics are from all over.
Racism is a real bummer that you forget it exists when you live in a country with far more primitive problems.
6 days later
I want to make the somewhat pedantic remark that Emigration means "leaving the country" as opposed to Immigration, so it is superfluous, in my humble opinion, to follow it with "out of Lebanon".
Guitaret wrote I know most speak English but how easy is it to incorporate into society if you are not fluent in German?
It depends a bit but generally you will be at a disadvantage. Germans love their paperwork, and it will of course be in German (I mean all the official stuff, banks, etc.) and they will expect you to write and read German. Don't expect bank employees, for example, to take the time to translate it and explain it to you, although of course it depends on banks. If you have a friend or family that can go with you (or a lawyer) to help you out it can work. It is also possible that your company helps you out with this. So that is why I say that it depends.

Regarding racism I have the feeling that there is less social mobility in Germany than Canada and that Canada is more of an immigrant nation. That said, again, it depends, and also you can always get a well paid job in Germany no matter your ethnic background.

For your social and even professional life (depending on what you do and for which company), it should be fine. Generally younger Germans can easily switch to English (possibly with a funny accent).

I would expect one of the challenging bits to be different social norms and different systems (banking, education, etc).