Ask HN: What are the better countries to immigrate for software developers?

9 points by cipherdc ↗ HN
I am currently working as software engineer working in developing country. I am planning to move to another country to work there. I am looking at the countries which provides better job security, compensation, easier immigration rules and importantly better culture(both in work and place)?

3 comments

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From my limited research Germany and Australia seem good, though it doesn't seem easy in Germany if you want to become a citizen. With more and more job losses and automation, I think this hysteria against (legal) immigration is only going to grow, justified or not. There would always be a place for people with highly valued skills though.

I wonder if there are smaller countries (like Estonia etc) which might be worth exploring.

On this topic, does anyone know of any resource that can ask a series of questions (age, qualifications etc) and suggest countries they are qualified for?

Canada has a culture that is much like the USA, but without the somewhat nonfunctional healthcare and much better merit-based immigration. They want you if you are peaceful and can contribute to their economy/culture. Victoria and Vancouver are both beautiful cities that have tech happening, but also have a decent climate. There are a decent amount of tech meet ups in both.

Salaries are decently lower than the USA though. Taxes can also be slightly higher, but with the new income tax budget that passed the United States taxes should be at about the level of California tech salary taxes.

Almost anywhere in Europe would be a good choice. Free at the point of use health care. Stable. I'm in UK. Canada is another good choice. Personally I would not move to USA for reasons I won't go into here.

But there's a point worth making here - some of the best opportunities for developers are now in "developing countries".