[graemian]

I was born in Africa and I'm trying to get out right now. It's not easy, but it's not impossible. I didn't get as good a deal in the birthplace lottery as Steve Jobs and others born in Silicon Valley, but I'll be damned if I'll use that as an excuse for a life of mediocrity.

Frankly, if the factors you describe are really what's stopping you from reaching your goals, you're likely to fail anyway.

[kamaal]

>>Frankly, if the factors you describe are really what's stopping you from reaching your goals, you're likely to fail anyway.

A very narrow perspective of the world.

Though I hope not, but some day if you fail for reasons beyond your control despite your best efforts may be you will see for yourself why not all failure happens due to a individual's short comings.

The world is full of examples of people who work heroically only to meet chronic failure.

[graemian]

Exactly! You're more likely to fail for reasons beyond your control (like no electricity, bad Internet) in African than in San Francisco.

But those things ARE actually under your control. Just move to San Francisco :-)

[wobbleblob]

Spoken like someone who has never lived or worked abroad, and n ever met anyone who has. You can't just move to another country and expect people to let you in.

[graemian]

FYI: I've lived in San Francisco for 1.5 months, and I've met plenty people who have lived and worked abroad.

I'm not sure what your point is.

[wobbleblob]

The point is they don't just let people in at the border, especially not from non visa waiver countries, and especially especially especially not when they think you might want to stay to find a job.

[graemian]

> The world is full of examples of people who work heroically only to meet chronic failure.

I'll bet that a large percentage of those people worked in Africa

[buyx]

I was born in Africa and I'm trying to get out right now. It's not easy, but it's not impossible.

I am also working at emigrating, and it is a painful process. Huge amounts of bureaucracy. I have to shell out for English exams (despite English being my first language). I then have to shell out more for my work experience and degree to be assessed by the Australian Computer Society. Getting letters from ex-colleagues has proven to be challenging, because the letters need to be notarised - hopefully these will be acceptable- no guarantees.

I then lose an arbitrary two years of work experience points (at least) because I didn't study in Australia. Finally, assuming that I have enough points, and there isn't a revision to the Skilled Occupation List, and I am invited to apply for a Visa, there is another small fortune to be spent on visas. Any small oversight or error, and my money is gone. If I don't have enough points, I have to spend the same amount to have my experience assessed again in six months.

Fortunately, I have enough saved up enough money to play the emigration game, the same probably applies to you. Most people have not.