Need your advice and view on a hard decision

[paulsj]

I would not worry about the Russians. Look at world map and ask yourself basic question why would huge country like Russia want poor little Latvia?

 

[Odd Job]

Double check qualifications!
My radiography Diploma from South Africa is deemed equal to a BSc in Radiography here in the UK but it isn't worth squat in the US (neither is the UK degree).

The US might like my UK MSc more, but there are no jobs requiring that as an essential qualification.

 

[RadekSkylark]

If you're hellbent on doing this, you need to be honing your English skills to perfection, saving money, and building a rock solid resume and skill set. I would highly suggest that you watch copious amounts of American television. This is important for your wife and kids, too, especially the kids if they plan on attending school here.

And the best part about this course of action is that it puts you ahead no matter what you decide to do. You will feel like you're doing something proactive, which will calm you down, and if you decide to stay in Latvia you will still be better off for it.

I will definitely be honing my English skills as will my wife and daughter. We like the English language, so there's no doubt we'll learn it without a problem, just a matter of time/practice. Although I'm quite sure my English at this moment in time is good enough to communicate without considerable problems in everyday situations as well as my field of expertise. Saving money is definitely on the list, as I mentioned previously - at least as much to get us by for two months in the destination country. Resume and skill set is something that's just upgrading as we go through life, I don't see anything really influential I could do at this point to be way better off. We always watch movies in English without subtitles. And of course, my kids would attent school in the US. As I said, if we would move we would want to integrate fully in the society as we would be staying indefinitely. We don't want to move all over the world, we want to decide on our destination and work towards getting there.

Joining NATO was the biggest mistake leaders of your country have made. NATO members can't be relied on to help you if Russia decides to move againt you. In reality NATO is United States and Americans have to focus on their greatest foe Peoples Republic of China. You should have used Finland as an example. There would be zero reasons for Russians to move against you if your country was neutral and no foreign armies were stationed on your soil.

I would not worry about the Russians. Look at world map and ask yourself basic question why would huge country like Russia want poor little Latvia?

Without any disrespect Sir, but I don't agree with your view - history provides a different perspective.

Double check qualifications!
My radiography Diploma from South Africa is deemed equal to a BSc in Radiography here in the UK but it isn't worth squat in the US (neither is the UK degree).

The US might like my UK MSc more, but there are no jobs requiring that as an essential qualification.

Great advice. Can you please tell me where I can check wether my education is up to US standards (of course if you know)?

 

[PabloJ]

I hate to say so but Sir is correct. History supports his perspective. Look at what happened to Poles in 1920, 1939 and to Eastern Europe at Yalta and Teheran. Your only option is to do business with Russia as your next door neighbor. Just look what happened in Turkey. The Turks didn't trust Americans in their dealings with the Kurds. They have found new ally that sold them state of the art air defense system able to target any aircraft as well as ability to produce it in their own country. Now they can say to Americans leave any time they want without saying please leave. Your country would be safer not being part of NATO and their troops stationed there. It is not too late to help yourselves.

 

[MedWheeler]

My wife moved here from Russia, quite unexpectedly, and had to have her education accredited here. She had studied and trained as a school teacher there. The school district here for which she applied to teach referred us to an agency in Miami, Florida (200-ish km south of us) that specializes in evaluation and accreditation of foreign education credentials. We sent for all of her transcripts and took them down there. That agency determined her to have the equivalent of a US Master's Degree in elementary education, so that was the level at which she was hired (well above the required minimum of a Bachelor's degree.)

Later, she re-enrolled in the university back in Russia to go for her Doctorate's. After four years, which involved a lot of online communication and four trips back to Russia (each about six weeks in duration), she defended her dissertation and was awarded her diploma. Back to Miami we went with it, and it was determined that she had indeed earned her Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.)

That agency was called World Education Services. I'm sure a Google search can turn up these types of services, but that one is the only one for which I can speak.

So, sometimes it works out. But, we do know more than a few Eastern Europeans (mostly Russian and Ukrainian) who have credentials that have not "played out" for them as well here.

 

[PabloJ]

If you have bright future where you're at that is where I would stay. As mentioned above there is little reason for Russian to come and occupy little country on sea which is basically large lake access to which lies through narrow straits between Denmark and Sweden. I would not want to move so far away from place I was born making back visits long and expensive proposition. To make matters worse America is getting worse and worse with right and left fractions close to civil conflict. Google Williamsburg riots and you see what has happened here last weekend. Several people dead plus many injured over removal of old statue. It is statue of rebel general from loosing side who fought for state right to own and exploit people like farm animals. It was great shame that less than 10% of the wealthy was able to convince the poor to fight and die for financial interests of select few. Sadly the same is true today where the poor vote repeatedly against their own best interests for couple of meaningless principles handing back money to those at the top who do not need it.

 

[RPZ]

Rather than American TV - especially in regards to your kids - I would read books. History books is where I would start. Much of TV is just brainwashing and kids are more susceptible to that. Practice writing skills as well.

 

[lemaymiami]

My wife emigrated here after we married in Britain (all those years ago...) and yes, having her level of education certified locally was a hassle but no harm done. She'd been with British Airways (that's how we met...) for seven years - but when in the states - none of it was worth anything to BA on this side of the pond.... She's been here so long now that her British accent is long gone - but even in the most favorable circumstances, emigration is a strain...

NATO, in my opinion, is the best chance that small countries have when they're facing a big bully (which is how Russia has operated for centuries - long before Lenin and Stalin, et al. ). Whether we have the stones to support NATO in every sense of the word is the real difficulty. I'm sure our current leaders will - but if we return to the Obama years - good luck Charlie... Standing up and defending yourself is always better than disarming and praying that you're too small to bother with. Most that read about the history of Europe don't concentrate on the years from the end of WWI forward. One of the reasons the Finns are in pretty good shape has nothing to do with whether or not they're in NATO. Their outstanding performance against Stalin before finally having to surrender left a lasting impression on the folks to the east of them... Yes, they do what they can not to offend mother Russia - but underlying that is their toughness and willingness to stand and fight - to the last man if necessary... I greatly admire them.

As a side note, I knew guys years ago studying the Kurdish language (and history -the only way to learn a language...) and more than one of them said "Everyone craps on the Kurds" (that's not the exact quote - I've cleaned it up some....). They're another people in search of their own country and they've consistently shown a willingness to fight - even when facing impossible odds...
I hope we support them - and I know how important Turkey is in the scheme of things. Give the Kurds a bit of help and they'll make their own country - and will likely be an ally for us long into the future.... When you hear of the good results we're having currently against ISIS - it's the Kurds doing most of the fighting -every time.... Don't think for one moment that the folks running Turkey these days have our interests at heart (and don't be fooled into thinking they're a weak, small country...).

 

[boom boom]

Original poster, fwiw, read William Lind's 4th Generation Warfare Handbook. Might highlight what your options are if such a conflict happens.

 

[RadekSkylark]

Original poster, fwiw, read William Lind's 4th Generation Warfare Handbook. Might highlight what your options are if such a conflict happens.

Thank you for suggestion - will look into it!

 

[old lady new shooter]

Get a Somali passport, then you can pick any rich country you want, just hop in there and claim your "refugee" benefits... Don't even have to work!

On a more serious note... You have a good job. Start making connections across the pond, Sweden or Finland. You may land something there, closer to home, and both countries have vast outdoors, high technology, and very good living standards. Close to your home, so you don't need to burn your bridges. That makes a lot of difference for married couples: you'd be surprised at how strongly women feel about their family and homeplace... Been an "expatriate" most of my life, as was my father: I've seen what happens in these families, and why.

Finland would be good. Sweden you'd have to be crazy to move there given what it's become.

 

[old lady new shooter]

If you're hellbent on doing this, you need to be honing your English skills to perfection, saving money, and building a rock solid resume and skill set. I would highly suggest that you watch copious amounts of American television. This is important for your wife and kids, too, especially the kids if they plan on attending school here.

And the best part about this course of action is that it puts you ahead no matter what you decide to do. You will feel like you're doing something proactive, which will calm you down, and if you decide to stay in Latvia you will still be better off for it.

His English is very good right now.

 

[RPRNY]

Oh Canada.

I have several friends in the Middle East that have similar geopolitical concerns. They live well in Gulf States with good jobs. But they have done the needful to obtain the Candian equivalent of a Green Card or residence permit so that they have a safe haven if everything goes pear shaped. Worth popping in to the embassy in Riga and finding out more. A. Canadian passport could be pretty valuable if Vlad gets greedier.

 

[taliv]

over here we have a popular talk show host named Dave Ramsey that deals primarily with financial security for people who are massively in debt for mostly stupid reasons. His approach is baby steps. Start by saving $1000 for emergencies, then start paying off debt, then saving for retirement etc.

The important thing is that these people who are in a bad situation know what they want but they really don't know how to change their behavior in achievable ways to get there. Without that, they continue to flail around financially and though well-intentioned, they are ultimately ineffective until they start taking baby steps. imho mapping out small achievable steps to get where you want to be will be key. Don't try to do it all at once and don't start with the huge things.

The first step of being prepared for an emergency is probably relevant. Think of it like talking to your kids about what to do if the house catches on fire. Simple plan. How to leave, where to meet, leave a few go bags packed. Keep your fuel tanks at least half full. small behavioral changes.

Then I'd work on researching another country and try to visit and build some wealth there. open bank accounts. maybe buy an acre of cheap land in a rural area. take an official to dinner a few times. work on dual citizenship. etc

Do this with friends. get your latvian buddies to go with you. split the costs. plan to take care of each others' families

By this time, you'll be in a much better position to consider full immigration

 

[entropy]

If you have bright future where you're at that is where I would stay. As mentioned above there is little reason for Russian to come and occupy little country on sea which is basically large lake access to which lies through narrow straits between Denmark and Sweden. I would not want to move so far away from place I was born making back visits long and expensive proposition. To make matters worse America is getting worse and worse with right and left fractions close to civil conflict. Google Williamsburg riots and you see what has happened here last weekend. Several people dead plus many injured over removal of old statue. It is statue of rebel general from loosing side who fought for state right to own and exploit people like farm animals. It was great shame that less than 10% of the wealthy was able to convince the poor to fight and die for financial interests of select few. Sadly the same is true today where the poor vote repeatedly against their own best interests for couple of meaningless principles handing back money to those at the top who do not need it.

Where do you get your (dis) information, PabloJ (and paulsj) ? RU Reports on You Tube? They're fun to watch, but you do realize they are nothing but Russian propaganda, right?

 

[ilbob]

I hope things work out for you. I don't know that there is anywhere in the world you can go to right now that does not have potential issues.

Most of Europe is suffering from their bizarre determination to commit suicide by admitting Muslims in huge number who will never assimilate and most probably will never leave the welfare roles, making the financial situation there quite tenuous long term as fewer taxpayers support more on welfare of various types.

Scandinavia is somewhat of a better option but Sweden at least seems determined to go down that same path.

I have read it is pretty tough to emigrate to Switzerland.

Canada is better for now but who knows where they head down the road.

Much of South and Central America is in turmoil.

The US seems to be on the ascent right now but if a few states had voted differently last election we could well be in a world of hurt right now, and who knows where things are headed here.

If you have a decent life there maybe the best bet is to stick it out. I am not suggesting that, but it would be bad to leave for somewhere hoping for a better life and finding out that better life is an illusion.

Incidentally most places in the US are not going to care much about where you got your degree if you are qualified, unless you need some kind of license to practice your vocation. Licensing is oriented around the way US education and governmental entities are structured and often that does not fit well with other models.There are lots of options here for qualified engineers and scientists. We just do not create enough internally, so we end up importing them. Same reason we import doctors [something like 25% of our doctors are trained abroad].

 

[RadekSkylark]

I hope things work out for you. I don't know that there is anywhere in the world you can go to right now that does not have potential issues.

Most of Europe is suffering from their bizarre determination to commit suicide by admitting Muslims in huge number who will never assimilate and most probably will never leave the welfare roles, making the financial situation there quite tenuous long term as fewer taxpayers support more on welfare of various types.

Scandinavia is somewhat of a better option but Sweden at least seems determined to go down that same path.

I have read it is pretty tough to emigrate to Switzerland.

Canada is better for now but who knows where they head down the road.

Much of South and Central America is in turmoil.

The US seems to be on the ascent right now but if a few states had voted differently last election we could well be in a world of hurt right now, and who knows where things are headed here.

If you have a decent life there maybe the best bet is to stick it out. I am not suggesting that, but it would be bad to leave for somewhere hoping for a better life and finding out that better life is an illusion.

Incidentally most places in the US are not going to care much about where you got your degree if you are qualified, unless you need some kind of license to practice your vocation. Licensing is oriented around the way US education and governmental entities are structured and often that does not fit well with other models.There are lots of options here for qualified engineers and scientists. We just do not create enough internally, so we end up importing them. Same reason we import doctors [something like 25% of our doctors are trained abroad].

I know that pretty much all places have their issues, but I do need to compare them to decide. I'm also not really into Europe at least the countries that have taken many refugees like Germany and Sweden, and few others, there are many reasons for this, I won't go into detail. I'm not a racist and I don't have anything against Muslims or someone else, I just don't like the way it seems to be turning out for Europe.

Switzerland could be one of our destinations but I'm also not sure how tough it could be to immigrate there, although I don't think that it would be much harder than getting into the US or Canada.

As said before - better life is not the primary reason - the primary reason for moving is ultimate security from external threats. Better life would come as a bonus.

over here we have a popular talk show host named Dave Ramsey that deals primarily with financial security for people who are massively in debt for mostly stupid reasons. His approach is baby steps. Start by saving $1000 for emergencies, then start paying off debt, then saving for retirement etc.

The important thing is that these people who are in a bad situation know what they want but they really don't know how to change their behavior in achievable ways to get there. Without that, they continue to flail around financially and though well-intentioned, they are ultimately ineffective until they start taking baby steps. imho mapping out small achievable steps to get where you want to be will be key. Don't try to do it all at once and don't start with the huge things.

The first step of being prepared for an emergency is probably relevant. Think of it like talking to your kids about what to do if the house catches on fire. Simple plan. How to leave, where to meet, leave a few go bags packed. Keep your fuel tanks at least half full. small behavioral changes.

Then I'd work on researching another country and try to visit and build some wealth there. open bank accounts. maybe buy an acre of cheap land in a rural area. take an official to dinner a few times. work on dual citizenship. etc

Do this with friends. get your latvian buddies to go with you. split the costs. plan to take care of each others' families

By this time, you'll be in a much better position to consider full immigration

Thanks for the advice - some really useful ideas there - will definitely think about implementing some!

 

[PabloJ]

I hope things work out for you. I don't know that there is anywhere in the world you can go to right now that does not have potential issues.

Canada is better for now but who knows where they head down the road.

The US seems to be on the ascent right now but if a few states had voted differently last election we could well be in a world of hurt right now, and who knows where things are headed here.

If you have a decent life there maybe the best bet is to stick it out. I am not suggesting that, but it would be bad to leave for somewhere hoping for a better life and finding out that better life is an illusion.

I would stay put. The situation in USA has been getting worse for good while now and it's only going to get worse in the future. I know soon I will be second class citizen and being of European descent Radek will be one too if he decides to emigrate here.

 

[PabloJ]

Where do you get your (dis) information, PabloJ (and paulsj) ? RU Reports on You Tube? They're fun to watch, but you do realize they are nothing but Russian propaganda, right?

I don't watch RU or UTube except for some UTube instructional videos. Sorry, I'm William & Mary man and sadly thought of Williamsburg, Va instead. The protestor clashes happened in city located in one of the wealthiest counties in USA. Man, that must hurt.

 

[Jeff White]

We will keep this discussion on topic and stop drifting into politics, both national and international. No one on THR makes policy at those levels and if Estonia was admitted to NATO is completely irrelevant. We will limit the replies to actual information that will assist the OP.

I'm not going to go back and delete the posts drifting into things that no one has any control over as that would destroy the continuity of the thread. But consider yourselves on notice, the next post that delves into international politics shuts the thread down.

 

[Kano383]

Switzerland could be one of our destinations but I'm also not sure how tough it could be to immigrate there, although I don't think that it would be much harder than getting into the US or Canada.

Citizens from Latvia can work in Switzerland: although not a EU member, Switzerland signed the Schengen Agreement.

As countries go, there is still good common sense there, and friendly gun laws. Then, there are three very different cultures (German, French and Italian speaking, plus Romanche in a small area, although not quite German, French or Italian cultures), so you can check where you best fit in... On the professional side, the standards required are quite high.

You may want to go and have a look, just visiting at first - beautiful little country anyway. But it's expensive...

 

[grampajack]

I will definitely be honing my English skills as will my wife and daughter. We like the English language, so there's no doubt we'll learn it without a problem, just a matter of time/practice. Although I'm quite sure my English at this moment in time is good enough to communicate without considerable problems in everyday situations as well as my field of expertise. Saving money is definitely on the list, as I mentioned previously - at least as much to get us by for two months in the destination country. Resume and skill set is something that's just upgrading as we go through life, I don't see anything really influential I could do at this point to be way better off. We always watch movies in English without subtitles. And of course, my kids would attent school in the US. As I said, if we would move we would want to integrate fully in the society as we would be staying indefinitely. We don't want to move all over the world, we want to decide on our destination and work towards getting there.

Your English is quite impressive. However, I'm not talking about small grammatical errors or a word here and there that you don't know. There are plenty of Americans who make constant grammatical errors and there are lots of words they don't know. It's not really a problem for them, so it shouldn't really be a problem for you.

What I'm talking about is you need native speaker level skills when it comes to slang, idioms, and expressions. And you need to be able to carry on a conversation very casually, without struggling to find or pronounce words. You also need cultural context. This isn't so much about performing your job; an ILR level 2 with a little specific vocabulary could easily get the job done. But they would find it extremely difficult to integrate with their coworkers. Just BSing in the break room would be painful for them, and that's what employers cringe at.

Corporate culture is massively important these days, in some ways more so than actual ability. Shameful as it is, credentials and corporate culture trump ability every day of the week, and America is at the forefront of this "revolution" in corporate management. This is the land of mcmansions and fake muscle cars. Appearances here are worth more than substance. Truth be told, that's the real reason why you have foreigners with degrees working at fast food joints here. They lack the linguistic skills to integrate with their piers, and that's why they get looked over for higher level jobs. They're either slow on the take when it comes to casual conversation, or they have a thick accent and stumble through every sentence.

My guess is you're at a level 3 or 4. Television is hugely important in moving to level 5. Books have their uses, but you don't get the expressions, gestures, and intonations. Half of all meaning is implied. A slight intonation or gesture can completely change the meaning of something. And that's where most foreigners fall down and never get back up again.

 

[RPZ]

If you can get into Switzerland that is where I would go. If not, the only other Euro or Scandinavian countries I would consider are Finland, or perhaps Hungary, Czech Republic. Otherwise I would stay where you are.

 

[Kano383]

Yes, as RPZ says... The Czech are nice people, and the country is dynamic. Prague is a fantastic city. The country is gun friendly too, and the beer is great.

 

[RadekSkylark]

Citizens from Latvia can work in Switzerland: although not a EU member, Switzerland signed the Schengen Agreement.

As countries go, there is still good common sense there, and friendly gun laws. Then, there are three very different cultures (German, French and Italian speaking, plus Romanche in a small area, although not quite German, French or Italian cultures), so you can check where you best fit in... On the professional side, the standards required are quite high.

You may want to go and have a look, just visiting at first - beautiful little country anyway. But it's expensive...

Yeah, you may be right, I'll need to check further... if there is not that much hassle in getting a "permit" to stay permanently and work there the only problem would be finding a job. Switzerland has one of the highest living standards in Europe so this could be a nice place to evolve in.

Your English is quite impressive. However, I'm not talking about small grammatical errors or a word here and there that you don't know. There are plenty of Americans who make constant grammatical errors and there are lots of words they don't know. It's not really a problem for them, so it shouldn't really be a problem for you.

What I'm talking about is you need native speaker level skills when it comes to slang, idioms, and expressions. And you need to be able to carry on a conversation very casually, without struggling to find or pronounce words. You also need cultural context. This isn't so much about performing your job; an ILR level 2 with a little specific vocabulary could easily get the job done. But they would find it extremely difficult to integrate with their coworkers. Just BSing in the break room would be painful for them, and that's what employers cringe at.

Corporate culture is massively important these days, in some ways more so than actual ability. Shameful as it is, credentials and corporate culture trump ability every day of the week, and America is at the forefront of this "revolution" in corporate management. This is the land of mcmansions and fake muscle cars. Appearances here are worth more than substance. Truth be told, that's the real reason why you have foreigners with degrees working at fast food joints here. They lack the linguistic skills to integrate with their piers, and that's why they get looked over for higher level jobs. They're either slow on the take when it comes to casual conversation, or they have a thick accent and stumble through every sentence.

My guess is you're at a level 3 or 4. Television is hugely important in moving to level 5. Books have their uses, but you don't get the expressions, gestures, and intonations. Half of all meaning is implied. A slight intonation or gesture can completely change the meaning of something. And that's where most foreigners fall down and never get back up again.

Thank you for the precise description of the situation, I really appreciate it. I'll definitely look into some American shows, etc.

Is level 5 the highest attainable?