Just got an email from Chase saying that they will close all credit cards for anyone living in EU. Anyone else got it? Are there other US credit cards that reliably work in Europe?

Before I moved to EU last year I contacted Chase and they said it won’t be a problem and my account will remain open. I even got a replacement card shipped from them a few months ago.

I'm curious to know what you liked the most or what surprised you the most about living in Mexico.

Parents just left after visiting me in the UK for a month. Likely won’t see them for at least another year. Had such a nice time with them but there’s always a bittersweet feeling of knowing it will come to an end soon and you’ll need to say goodbye. I feel very lucky to be so close to them, and to have the relationship we do, but it makes these moments so hard. I feel bad for the moments where I was snappy and impatient with them, or didn’t treasure the time enough, or show how much I love and appreciate them enough. I love my life in the UK, but I wish they were here too rather than the other side of the world! If you also feel this way, you aren’t alone.

My dad has remarried and now spends 5 months of the year in NZ. He’s about to head out for his 3rd winter.

What to people do about phone services? When he’s in NZ he gets an NZ eSIM, but for work it’s really important that he keeps access to his UK number while he’s abroad. He still needs to take and receive a lot of calls, and not all of those can be via WhatsApp.

Last year I VOIPed his number but the set up was a faff and the usability was pretty clunky. I’m hoping to improve on it this year.

Any suggestions? What do others use?

He used as iPhone, UK provider is giffgaff.

I’m collecting real experiences from people who moved out of Switzerland and had to deal with their 2nd pillar: what you could withdraw, how much tax you paid, whether you got some back through a tax treaty, and what you wish you had known earlier.

Disclosure: I’m in Basel and looking into building a free guide/tool for this, so no selling here, just trying to understand the real problems.

If you’ve been through it, which country did you move to and what surprised you?

I've been trying for weeks to connect to the Social Security website using ID.me, with no success. The ID.me people tell me that my ID.me account is fine. SSA tells me either that its ID.me or "3rd party SSA sites". I've tried clearing my cache, using other devices, every browser I can think of in regular and incognito mode, and still no success. I also tried a VPN to place me in the US. I applied for survivor benefits for my minor children in June, and apparently they inputed my bank routing number incorrectly. My consulate does not have SSA support, so my only option is to go back to the US to go in person, if I can't correct this online. I really rather not do that as its costly and would require time off work and hire a baby sitter to pick my kids up from school. Has anyone found a work around? Any suggestions as to what could be wrong?

for a teaching job in korea or china you need an FBI Identity History Summary, and a few details keep coming up wrong in older posts.

US embassies don't take fingerprints. in korea, district police stations can do FD-258 cards free (US embassy seoul says to call first; not every station has the kit). elsewhere you need a local station or a private place that still does ink cards.

only the US Department of State Office of Authentications can apostille an FBI check. a state-level apostille on a notarized copy gets rejected by EPIK and similar programs.

china joined the hague apostille convention on nov 7 2023, so the state dept apostille is enough. no chinese consulate legalization anymore, even though a lot of agency pages still describe the old two-step.

korea EPIK wants the check dated within 6 months of your contract start, so don't order it while you're still browsing listings.

I’ll try to make this brief because the last few months of my life have been crazy. 3 months ago I moved to Montreal from Manchester in the UK on an iec working holiday visa. I’ve naturally, like many other people, been feeling very alone in this new place. Though I do have cousins living there and a couple of acquaintances/friends, I’ve been struggling. I don’t have proper work yet which has been a big stressor , but even more than that I’m struggling to find meaning in my life when I’m away from friends and family. Before I left for Canada, I met someone who I fell in love with in the UK and he came to visit me in New York last week. We spent an amazing few days together and he is now my boyfriend. On the last day of the trip, I learnt a good friend of mine had passed from an accidental overdose. Our group of friends have had substance abuse issues for a while and have been completely rocked by this tragic loss. As I’m writing this, I’m back in the UK. I made the choice to return to be close to friends. I didn’t buy a return plain ticket. I’m On a train to Manchester, contemplating everything I’ve missed, the loss of my friend, the gaining of a new significant other that I love, the loneliness I’ve dealt with over the last 3 months, what I want my life to be at 27, the rift between where I am and where I thought I’d be at this time. I’ve never felt so much at once. And everything just tells me that I need to come home permanently. I know it’s only been 3 months. But I really feel like I made a big mistake in moving away. Has anyone dealt with something similar?

Hello all!

I am thinking of applying for a 2-year masters programme abroad. The programme and city sound amazing and I am not so worried about the abroad part as much as I am about how things would go back home. I don't know if this is a weird worry, but I do worry about things changing, like friend groups etc., and then not being able to find my place here again. I've never lived abroad before, so maybe thats why wonder about these kind of things. Anyone have experiences or thoughts about changes that come with studying and being away from home?

I'm a non-EU language teacher with a bachelor's and intend to change professions (thinking of electrical) for this sole purpose. Is it the best path after IT? I don't mind taking long.

Hey !! I am part of an improv troop. Come watch our show this Saturday in Paris . It is followed by drinks so a great way to meet other expats

DM for link

Does anyone else feel caught between two worlds as an immigrant?
I moved from a developing country to Scandinavia after years of hard work, with no help but my own. I’m grateful to be here and to give my child a better start in life.
But I still support my family back home financially. The requests keep coming, often for legitimate reasons, sick parents, debt, tragedies, ranking up to 2 minimun salaries of support monthly, and when I try to set boundaries, I end up feeling selfish and privileged because I’m the one living abroad.
Meanwhile, here, I sometimes feel poor and behind when my peers casually ask why I don’t buy an apartment, get a car, or go out for lunch more often. They mean no harm; they just don’t see my financial reality.
It’s such a weird feeling to be considered rich and selfish back home, but poor and behind where I live now. I’m trying to support my family while building a future for my own, and sometimes it feels like I’m not doing enough for anyone is just bizarre.
Does anyone else relate to this? How do you deal with it?

Title: Where can I get thyroid medication containing T3 in Southeast Asia?
I currently take levothyroxine (T4) and liothyronine (T3) for hypothyroidism.

I’m planning extended travel throughout Southeast Asia and want to know where I can reliably obtain thyroid medication containing T3, including liothyronine, natural desiccated thyroid (NDT), or compounded T4/T3.

Has anyone personally purchased these medications in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Bali/Indonesia, the Philippines, or elsewhere in Southeast Asia?

I’m specifically looking for pharmacy names, medication brands, prices, and whether regular refills are possible.

I’m researching options to discuss with my doctor before future trips, not looking to change medication while traveling.
Thanks!

Context:

I’m an aussie who moved to England & am coming up to my 2 years ending. I’ve accepted now that I won’t be extending as I’m ready for my next chapter but going home, I am having a dilemma as to what to choose

Option A.

Travel SEA for 6 weeks on the way home. Sell my things in UK or ship home to Aus and take the rest to Asia. This has been a big goal of mine to backpack for like 10 years and I’m now 27. It would be an amazing way to close this chapter out in England. I can save just enough to complete it but when I go home to Aus, I will have no money, no car, no job and living back at mums for longer in a suburb I hate, a house I dislike and I’ll feel like I’ve gone backwards and probably get mad depressed. But like life is short and I just wanna travel.

Option b.

I skip SEA and go home with a decent amount of money and I could live at mums for 1-2 months while I find a place to live where I want, get a car, job etc and live a life I’ll enjoy in Aus sooner but I’ll go straight from work to work etc. then when will I do my backpacking goal? When I have rent to pay, bills, responsibilities? But this option will mentally help me

Really conflicted. I am leaning towards travel but getting back to Aus feeling trapped and in the same position I was when I left is a feeling I can’t shake

Any advice? I don’t want to cut down my trip, it’s already cut down from what I would want to do and I can’t cut it more without missing things so it’s either I do it or I don’t

Not visas or tax, just the small daily stuff like which card to use where? Whether to keep your old bank account open?? How to pay someone back without asking for a twenty-digit account number? Which app everyone locally actually uses, which is never the one the guides recommend?? That kind of thing.

(I'm with Ziina team, flagging that upfront, not here to pitch)

I'm very curious why you like coming to Mexico City instead of other popular destinations like Cancun, Tulum, Baja California, PV, Oaxaca...

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated, and currently working as a junior software engineer in Europe.

I unexpectedly have the chance to get a US Green Card, but I only have a few days to decide whether to pursue it.

I moved to eastern europe for work about 4 months ago, and honestly, I'm still questioning whether it was the right decision. My life is mostly work and home, I don't really feel like I belong, and I often wish I'd stayed in my home country, closer to family and friends.

Now I'm considering moving to the US, where I know virtually nobody. I understand the higher salaries and career opportunities in tech, but I'm still a junior developer, and leaving my current job to potentially spend months job hunting in a difficult market feels risky, not to mention the financial cost of relocating.

My experience abroad has also made me realize how much I value family, friendships, and stability. I'm starting to question whether earning more money or having a better career would necessarily make me happier, especially if it means being even farther away from the people I care about.

At the same time, giving up such a rare opportunity sounds unwise. But right now, it feels like a high-risk move with uncertain rewards and it makes me anxious. Many say that you can come back, but life is short and unnecessary suffering might not be meanigful.

Would you pursue the Green Card in my situation? Has anyone faced a similar decision, particularly early in their career? Did moving to the US actually improve your quality of life, or did you find that career opportunities and higher earnings weren't worth the personal sacrifices?

I have only a few days to decide, so I'd really appreciate your experiences and advice.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are both British, currently living in London, and we’re exploring options to relocate to California together. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s navigated a similar situation.

Our situation:

My partner is a Product Designer who has secured a role at a major technology company in California. His O-1 visa has been approved, and he’s preparing to relocate.

I’m 30 and currently work in theatrical film marketing at a major Hollywood studio’s London office. I have experience working on major international film releases, collaborating with US teams, and managing marketing campaigns for globally recognised franchises.

We initially thought an internal transfer might be the most straightforward route, given that my employer has a significant presence in Los Angeles.

However, HR has explained that US visa sponsorship is generally reserved for roles where the required skills are difficult to source locally. An L-1 transfer would also require support from both the UK and US businesses, with no guarantee of approval.

I’m not currently in a managerial position, although I understand that L-1B transfers can apply to employees with specialised knowledge. Ideally, I’d like to continue working in theatrical marketing at a similar level rather than taking a significant step backwards professionally.

The options we’re considering:

L-1B: An internal transfer through my current employer, although securing business support is proving difficult.
O-1: Exploring whether my experience working on major film campaigns could qualify me, potentially with additional industry recognition and supporting evidence.
H-1B: Applying to US employers willing to sponsor, although the lottery and sponsorship requirements present challenges.
F-1: Pursuing postgraduate education in California, although the cost and restrictions on employment make this less appealing.
O-3: If we were to marry, I could potentially accompany my partner as a dependent, but wouldn’t have permission to work.

I’ve also been applying for relevant marketing roles at entertainment and technology companies in California, but identifying employers open to sponsorship has been difficult.

A few questions:

Has anyone successfully secured an L-1B transfer despite initial reluctance from their employer? What helped make the business case?

Has anyone in film marketing, entertainment marketing or a similar field successfully obtained an O-1 visa? What evidence was most important?

Are there particular employers or sectors in California more open to sponsoring experienced international marketing professionals?

Has anyone been in a relationship where one partner held an O-1 and the other needed an independent route to employment?

Are there any alternative visa pathways we should be considering?

We’re open to temporary long-distance arrangements if necessary, but our preference is to relocate together while both continuing our careers.

We’re also seeking professional immigration advice, but I’d be particularly interested in hearing firsthand experiences and practical suggestions.

Thanks in advance for any advice!