[devoutsalsa]

I'm an American living in Amsterdam. I moved here last year on a highly skilled migrant visa as a software engineer. [1] Unlike the USA, immigrating to many countries is easier. The company's onboarding team handled all the immigration paperwork. Feel free to contact me if you have some questions.

[estebank]

I would add that the paperwork is easier in countries other than the US, but the cultural aspects of immigration are hard everywhere. Small things like the food, the sense of humor, the cultural expectations, having friends and family far away, all weigh down on one regardless of where you are. The first half a year you're in a honeymoon period where it won't be a problem, the second half is where nostalgia hits hard. After that you either have adapted to the situation/feeling, or you're gone back. I highly recommend people live in different countries, it's enriching and eye opening. But it's not what I'd call easy.

[devoutsalsa]

Fair enough. I was focusing more on the procedural aspects of immigrating as come with a special skill. I haven’t really had a truly Dutch living experience yet. All of my coworkers are expats and the center of Amsterdam is largely English speaking. I’ve not yet been exposed to living in a Dutch community.

[rangestransform]

How big of a pay cut did you have to take?

[devoutsalsa]

About 5% to 10% on cash compensation. Some employers in Europe pay better than others.