The topic of relocating abroad for our programmers from ex-USSR countries will apparently always be relevant. Which is quite natural, because, as they say, fish look where it is deeper, and people look where it is better. The demand for high-quality professional coders in the world remains quite high, so there are quite a lot of relocation options for good programmers. And this is unlikely to change any time soon, despite the temporary lockdown of most of the globe due to the virus. In today’s article we will look at options for moving to three countries that offer really interesting and favorable conditions for qualified foreign programmers, have not been particularly affected by the COVID-19 epidemic and should open their borders in the near future.
Germany
Germany remains one of the leading economies of the European Union (and the world, for that matter), is very successful, compared to many of its neighbors and beyond, in coping with the coronavirus epidemic and, in general, has every reason to look at its economic future with optimism. This means that job offers in Germany for talented programmers should not dry up in the near future, rather the opposite. How do companies from Germany attract programmers? Good (albeit not as high as in the USA) salaries, comfortable working conditions, good work-life balance and stability. Germany is home to the headquarters of a number of the world's largest companies, such as Siemens Group, BMW, Deutsche Bank and many others. As for IT companies, primarily those that regularly hire programmers from Eastern European countries, here is just a small list of potential employers:
Outsourcing IT companies with offices in Germany.
ELEKS, Cyber Infrastructure Inc, S-PRO, SoftServe, Infopulse, Powercode, Instinctools, X1 Group, Right People Group and others.
In the context of the global coronavirus pandemic, temporary quarantine and its economic consequences, it is also worth noting that Germany is very successful, compared to many other European countries, in fighting the epidemic - this country is often mentioned in the media as an example of an effective and efficient approach to problem, which made it possible to achieve relatively low mortality rates. So, according to the latest data, at the time of writing, the total number of infected in Germany is about 170 thousand with about 7.5 thousand dead, which gives a mortality rate of 5%. Such indicators, together with a decrease in the number of new cases, suggest that quarantine in Germany will be lifted soon enough.
Relocation conditions (visas and documents)
Today, most programmers who move to Germany for permanent work receive a so-called Blue Card. This is a variant of a work visa, which is issued under simplified conditions to highly qualified migrants. Most often, programmers, as well as doctors and engineers of various specialties receive a Blue Card in Germany. In theory, the Blue Card system is used by all EU countries (with the exception of Britain, Ireland and Denmark), but in fact it is Germany that supports it most actively, currently issuing more than 85% of all Blue Cards. The main requirement for obtaining a Blue Card is that the applicant has a higher education (diplomas from most universities with state accreditation are suitable). The second important requirement is related to the minimum salary: the annual salary of a foreigner wishing to obtain a Blue Card must be more than 55,200 euros per year. As for the time for paperwork and the actual move, according to reviews of programmers already working in Germany, this process usually takes several months. First, the specialist receives a 3-month national visa, on which he comes to the country and submits documents for a Blue Card. Its production takes about a month, and submission of documents may take several more weeks (due to the large number of people wishing to receive this document, you will have to wait in an electronic queue). Another important factor: Blue Card recipients have the right to move with their spouse and minor children. At the same time, the spouse also receives the right to work, without restrictions on his specialty and employer (unlike the Blue Card holder himself, who can officially work only in his specialty).
Salary and working conditions
According to the authoritative German resource gehalt.de , the average salary of a developer in Germany ranges from €42.3 thousand to €59.9 thousand per year. The demand for programmers in Germany remains quite high, and companies are still quite actively looking for foreign programmers who are ready to move to this country. The largest number of open vacancies is in Berlin, where the offices of IT companies and others are most often based. As for working conditions, the majority of programmers working in Germany note a good balance between work and rest, the absence of overtime, as well as an open and tolerant attitude towards foreign employees. By the way, the highest demand in Germany is for Java programmers - this language accounts for more than 27% of all vacancies. Javascript is in second place in demand - 12.4%. Third is Python (12.1%).
Personal experience
“Moving is not as scary as some people like to talk about it. Naturally, Germany also has its disadvantages and problems, but it all depends on the desire and motivation of the person and on what is more important to him. If you have an IT education and work experience in a relevant specialty, you have a great chance of leaving,” a Ukrainian PHP programmer who left for Germany shares his experience in a detailed report. And here are a few quotes from another good report from a Russian-speaking programmer who came to Germany. “Adaptation in Germany promised to be difficult. I didn’t know German even at a basic level, but I still chose Germany, and after almost four years of living here, I think it was the right decision.” “Soon after moving, a feeling of loneliness and even helplessness comes, especially if you do not know the language of the host country. This is a serious blow: suddenly you realize that circumstances are stronger than you. It is during this period that many return home.” “Germany is a country where there is a lot of bureaucracy, and to move you need to collect a thick folder of papers. Be prepared for this and don’t create illusions that it will be easy. Housing is very difficult in Berlin. We can say that you do not choose housing, but it chooses you. During the first months, like many others, I rented an apartment through the Airbnb service. Some have to rent expensive housing for two or three months before they sort out the bureaucratic problems and find a more suitable option.”
Finland
Finland is annually ranked among the world's happiest, safest and most stable countries and is renowned for its equal opportunity policies, low corruption and one of the world's lowest income inequality rates. Finland has a fairly developed and rapidly growing IT industry that really needs experienced developers. Most company offices are located in the capital, Helsinki, but some firms are also based in smaller cities such as Tampere, Oulu and Turku. Among the IT product companies that are located in Finland, the most famous are video game developers Rovio Entertainment (creators of Angry Birds), Supercell (creators of Clash of Clans) and Remedy studio (creators of the Max Payne series). There are also a number of quite promising startups in Finland. Here are just a few: New Things Company, Columbia Road, Polar Squad, Tomorrow Tech, Adventure Club, Neverthink, Singa, Mount Kelvin, Reaktor Space Lab and many others.
Finland and COVID-19
From the point of view of fighting the virus, Finland is coping well with this problem, showing low indicators: at the time of writing, just under 6,000 infected and about 270 deaths. All this allows experts to claim that Finland is successfully coping with the epidemic, and will soon be able to lift the quarantine and open its borders.
Relocation conditions (visas and documents)
Finland has a number of options for obtaining a residence permit for emigrants, but among programmers, the most common is the Residence permit for special expert program. Obtaining a residence permit is quite simple; all you need to do is find a job in a Finnish company with a salary of at least €3,000 per month, and have a diploma or some kind of proof of your past professional experience. According to reviews of programmers who moved to Finland to work in a local company, the process of obtaining a residence permit usually goes quickly and without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
Salary and working conditions
One of the relative disadvantages of Finland as a country for relocation can be considered the fact that programmers in this country do not earn that much - noticeably less than in the USA and somewhat less than in Western Europe. According to PayScale , the average programmer in Finland earns just over €40,000 per year before taxes. Another disadvantage of Finland as a country for professional immigration can be considered the weather - long and cold winters, frequent precipitation, short daylight hours most of the year and other features of the northern climate. Also, many of those who moved note a certain closed character of the local residents, which makes it more difficult for newcomers to integrate into society and find friends. Otherwise, Finnish companies are distinguished by a good balance between work and rest, as well as the absence of overtime: by law, the working week in Finland lasts only 37.5 hours.
Personal experience
“Finland is a surprisingly easy country to immigrate as a programmer. As a rule, everyone goes to Helsinki - this is essentially the only large (by world, not Finnish standards) city in the country, and IT offices, and other skilled jobs, strongly gravitate towards it. Salaries there are higher than in the provinces, but also not significantly higher, 20-30% maximum; but the more important thing is that in Helsinki, in principle, there is work, but in the provinces it is much more difficult, especially without knowledge of the Finnish language. Nevertheless, as my example shows, everything is not hopeless in the provinces either,” writes a Russian programmer who moved to Finland. “Firstly, you shouldn’t expect very high salaries here, at least not in IT. Developers' salaries are good, significantly higher than the national average, but far from enormous. After taxes, they are comparable to ordinary Moscow or good St. Petersburg, with a higher (although not several times) cost of living. In some European countries there would be more, in the States - much more. The salaries are quite enough for a more than decent life, but it is difficult to become rich here. Secondly, Finland is a village. Large and very cozy, perfectly adapted for living, but a village. It would not be a stretch to say that there is essentially one city, Helsinki (with its suburbs),” says the author of another good and voluminous report on the emigration of a programmer to Finland
New Zealand
New Zealand lures programmers and other highly skilled immigrants with its beautiful nature, high standard of living and fairly high salaries. The IT sector in New Zealand is actively developing - the country has enough large IT companies and promising startups. Among the most active employers are companies such as Transcribe Me, GeoOp, Vend, Uprise Digital, Cobra Labs, Bookme, Ecommistry, Xero and several others. In total, there are more than 500 IT startups in New Zealand with an average valuation of each company at $4.7 million. At the same time, in New Zealand, due to its remoteness and relative sparse population (the total population is less than 5 million people), there is much less fierce competition among specialists . Another advantage of this direction is the measured and leisurely lifestyle of local residents, along with very comfortable working conditions.
New Zealand and COVID-19
New Zealand, like other countries in this collection, is coping very successfully with coronavirus epidemics. So successful that there are already statements about victory in the fight against the pandemic and the gradual lifting of the lockdown.
Relocation conditions (visas and documents)
New Zealand issues work visas under a special system that takes into account the most in-demand specialists and professions in the country - Skilled Migrant Category Visa. Most IT specialties are on the list of in-demand ones, so to obtain a visa in most cases it is enough to have a diploma and proof of work experience in the specified specialty for at least 3 years. And, of course, a job offer from a New Zealand company. This, according to the reviews of those Russian-speaking programmers who chose to emigrate to New Zealand, is not always easy. Often, it is very difficult for programmers from abroad to find work in New Zealand remotely; more often than not, this requires already being there. One of the options for entering New Zealand with a long-term (several months or more) visa is to study. You can pay for language courses in a given country, which will ensure that you have a student visa for the first time.
Salary and working conditions
According to PayScale , the average salary for a developer in New Zealand is about $41,000 per year. Taxation is calculated on a progressive scale, which starts from 10% and reaches 33%, depending on the amount of income. As for the working conditions, they, in accordance with the general carefree and leisurely nature, are considered one of the most comfortable and balanced in the world. And one of the disadvantages of New Zealand from a financial point of view is the fact that the country has quite high prices - higher than in most other developed countries. Because of this, although New Zealand is among the world leaders in terms of wages, this country is far from a leader in terms of the ratio of income to expenses.
Personal experience
“Overall, New Zealand has a lot of potential, but due to its remote location and the relative inactivity of many local companies, it has room to grow. It's just a matter of time. Due to the tightening of professional immigration (people can only come to work on a work visa), there is an acute shortage of personnel. Therefore, with the right work experience (not always very much), the chance of finding a well-paid job is very high,” a programmer and entrepreneur who moved to New Zealand from Ukraine shares his experience. “This is an English-speaking country, of which there are not many. Immigration rules are clearly defined and at the moment it is very easy to get here on a work visa - the country needs, in particular, IT personnel. Globally, there is minimal bureaucracy across the country - for example, to get a birth certificate for a child, you just need to fill out an online form, pay some money, and it will simply be sent by mail. Most transactions - bank, visas, telephone, bills - can be done either online or by phone. People are friendly for the most part. I like the service sector - for the most part everyone is trying to solve your problem, be it a bank, a mobile operator or a government agency,” says another Russian-speaking programmer who chose New Zealand for immigration.
Epilogue
What do you think about these relocation options? Share your opinions and personal experiences in the comments. Also write if you liked this review and would like to read about other options for countries where a qualified programmer can go in 2020.
This means that job offers in Germany for talented programmers should not dry up in the near future, rather the opposite. How do companies from Germany attract programmers? Good (albeit not as high as in the USA) salaries, comfortable working conditions, good work-life balance and stability. Germany is home to the headquarters of a number of the world's largest companies, such as Siemens Group, BMW, Deutsche Bank and many others. As for IT companies, primarily those that regularly hire programmers from Eastern European countries, here is just a small list of potential employers:
Finland has a fairly developed and rapidly growing IT industry that really needs experienced developers. Most company offices are located in the capital, Helsinki, but some firms are also based in smaller cities such as Tampere, Oulu and Turku. Among the IT product companies that are located in Finland, the most famous are video game developers Rovio Entertainment (creators of Angry Birds), Supercell (creators of Clash of Clans) and Remedy studio (creators of the Max Payne series). There are also a number of quite promising startups in Finland. Here are just a few: New Things Company, Columbia Road, Polar Squad, Tomorrow Tech, Adventure Club, Neverthink, Singa, Mount Kelvin, Reaktor Space Lab and many others.
The IT sector in New Zealand is actively developing - the country has enough large IT companies and promising startups. Among the most active employers are companies such as Transcribe Me, GeoOp, Vend, Uprise Digital, Cobra Labs, Bookme, Ecommistry, Xero and several others. In total, there are more than 500 IT startups in New Zealand with an average valuation of each company at $4.7 million. At the same time, in New Zealand, due to its remoteness and relative sparse population (the total population is less than 5 million people), there is much less fierce competition among specialists . Another advantage of this direction is the measured and leisurely lifestyle of local residents, along with very comfortable working conditions.
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