[kovrik]

Well, I'm a java developer from Russia and I want to emigrate. But don't know how. A lot of people here want to leave Russia. But it's not as easy as going from one state to another (USA) or going from one EU country to another.

[davedx]

Hi there, my gf works for a recruitment company who's helped quite a few developers from outside the EU find work here. Drop me a message at [e-mail] if you'd like me to pass on your details.

FWIW I work in a room full of Russian speakers at the moment. I quite like the atmosphere :)

[mtrimpe]

The Netherlands is very welcoming to knowledge migrants and offers lucrative tax benefits on top, so just apply to one of the companies that are subscribed to the ruling and you should do just fine.

You can find all companies that offer the ruling at https://ind.nl/zakelijk/openbaar-register under the heading 'Erkende referenten Arbeid Regulier en Kennismigranten'

Do keep in mind that homophobia is both not acceptable and that you'll meet actual openly gay people here, so if you have a problem with that you'd probably be better off elsewhere.

[krbbltr]

You have a funny way of making someone feel welcome, regurgitating memes and stereotypes propagated by Western media. Really, that last line in your post wasn't necessary.

Also, as the immigrant he will eventually be at the receiving end of at least some minor racism or xenophobia, no matter how progressive and open you think your society is. So lecturing him on that is kind of pointless as well.

[mtrimpe]

It's actually based on a real life example that happened to me personally which cost myself and several other people their jobs.

In my experience there are some Russians who come here expecting to be able to be openly homophobic which, as I can personally attest to, is a recipe for disaster.

I've worked with lots of Eastern Europeans and many of them have been perfectly accepting of my orientation and the vast majority treated me respectfully though.

Unfortunately, when you move from a society where being gay is still considered a mental illness by 70+% of the population, you can't assume that everyone is just able to leave that behind when they move.

[memracom]

No point in pretending that you can just cross a border and do what you want. In particular, Netherlands does have a very different attitude to gay people than even the USA. Best to warn people that emigrating involves cultural shock and changing your interactions with the society in which you live.

Actually I would advise Russians in every country to practice smiling at strangers, on the street, in shops, everywhere. Keep notes and make sure that you smile at least 20 times a day, and always smile at the people you buy stuff from. Smiling is not just for your best friends.

[kovrik]

Wow, guys, thank you!

As for homophobia: I am open-minded, respect other people's beliefs, orientation, views and so on.

Actually, I have a very European way of thinking, rather than Russian (at least I think so).

Nevertheless, there are some problems with migrating to Europe/USA (and other countries) that scare me a little bit.

They are:

1. Bureaucracy. A lot of documents, visa, cv, cover letter etc.

2. Language barrier.

3. I have a girlfriend. I don't know how to leave Russia together. Who will give her visa? Who will invite her?

4. I'm not very confident about my skills. I think that foreign employer will hire you only if you are a genius or a strong senior specialist with many years of experience.

And so on...

I hope that the real situation is not so scary and complex :)

[mtrimpe]

> Actually, I have a very European way of thinking, rather than Russian.

Luckily most people who want to move to Europe do ;)

As for the rest.. I can answer for the Netherlands, since we're quite unique in how easy we make it for international workers.

> 1. Bureaucracy. A lot of documents, visa, cv, cover letter etc.

The only bureaucracy is about getting hired. After that the company will arrange everything.

> 2. Language barrier.

Everyone in the Netherlands speaks fluent English and at pretty much everyone of the companies on that list it'll be the official working language.

> 3. I have a girlfriend. Who will give her visa?

Dutch knowledge migrant visas actually have room for a spouse. She can even work freely here.

> 4. I think that foreign employer will hire you only if you are a genius...

No, they'll hire you because you're cheaper. Since you'll both get the tax discount and will not negotiate as hard they can pay you less while you still get plenty enough. Also; Dutch employees have a reputation of not listening to the boss and many bosses don't like that ;)

The one thing I have found is that you need to have your CV in the right style for the country since each country has different standards. Dutch ones are more about understanding what your main responsibilities / daily activities were. Russian ones tend to be summaries of all types of tasks your job involved. US ones are often 'boasting' about the results you've achieved.

As for common objections; the main reason not to hire Russians is usually a lack of communication, since we expect much more cooperation and interaction. It's not a deal breaker since we're used to it, but if you can convince people on the other side you communicate well/better than they're used to it'll be a big plus.

For a Dutch style CV that works well you have a look at mine at http://michiel.trimpe.nl

[raquo]

kovrik, if you seriously put your mind on it, you can move out of Russia. I won't say "effortlessly", but it is probably easier than you think.

Make sure to do your research – e.g. countries like Australia and Canada are much easier to move to than US or EU. IT professionals are in high demand everywhere. You can start by working remotely, etc.

Good luck.