84: Why you should move abroad now—before it gets harder

From career changes and family responsibilities to shifting visa policies and travel restrictions, the window to move freely might narrow. I break down how life’s unpredictability—falling in love, aging parents, health concerns—can delay or derail your dream. I also cover major visa changes coming in countries like the UK, Portugal, Greece, and across Europe that will make moving more difficult in the near future.

You’ll also hear the long-term benefits of moving abroad today, plus practical steps to take now—research, finances, visas, and more—to make your move happen.

If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect time,” this episode is your reminder: the time is now. 

🎧 Listen to get a clear, realistic picture of why it’s smarter to act sooner rather than later—and what to do next.

👉Take the free quiz: Which European city should you move to? 🤔

Grab my free guide: 5 Exact Steps to Move Abroad

Website: jordangiberson.com
Instagram: @jordan.giberson

Transcript

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I hope that you're not leaving feeling discouraged or scared or freaked out about the doom and gloom of life and just the unpredictability of life. But I just wanted to highlight that There will always be unforeseen things that will come up in your life. And if moving abroad is your dream, the best time to act is now. Hey, my name is Jordan Giberson. I'm a Texas girl living and thriving in London. The best thing I've ever done? Moving abroad, hands down. And I'm passionate about helping others do the same. Are you curious about finding a job abroad? You're in the right place, friend. I'll teach you the tried and true secrets of how to make moving abroad a reality for you and how to live a fulfilling life once you get there. We'll cover topics like choosing the best visa for you, how to get a job offer in another country, how to get over your fear of moving abroad, and how to live a life you love once you get there, this is The Move Abroad Podcast. Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Move Abroad Podcast. Today we're talking about why you should move abroad now before it gets harder. So really, we're just digging into this topic in more detail about why you should really act on your desire to move abroad now before life just throws different obstacles in your path and makes it harder, if not impossible, to be able to move abroad the way that you want to. So we'll go ahead and get started with today's episode. The 1st reason why you should move abroad now before it gets harder is because of the unpredictability of life. Life has a way of introducing unexpected responsibilities and challenges and just things that you really weren't expecting that can delay or derail your plans completely. Think about these different scenarios. One is you could fall in love. You could meet someone who isn't keen on moving abroad, and suddenly your dream of moving abroad becomes a point of contention. This one is very personal for me. I knew that I really wanted to move abroad to London, but I had met a boy. Who did not feel the same way. He did not wanna move abroad. He was a Texas forever boy. He loved Texas and I love Texas as well, but I knew that I really wanted to move abroad, but I had met him and I fell in love with him. And so, I had this like, deep desire to move abroad and to move to London, but I just tried to bury it and ignore it. But basically it just came down to I needed to find a job and I knew that I had to choose between 2 paths. I had to choose between a life in Texas and marrying this boy and growing our lives together in Texas. Or I had to pursue my dream of moving abroad. And in hindsight, I think that he wasn't the best fit for me, so I'm glad that it didn't work out with him. But I did fall in love with him and it was a really big point of contention between the two of us. And like I said, I continued to kind of bury my desire to move abroad. But, knowing that it was something that he did not want, but in the end, we ended up breaking up and I ended up moving abroad, but I do think that, falling in love is a bit of a risk if you are single right now. Maybe you're with someone who shares your desire to move abroad, and if so, then that is really amazing. Or maybe you are with someone who also does not have the desire to move abroad. And if that is you, then I want you to know that I completely understand the both that you're in. And yeah, reach out to me and we can chitchat about that. But, I do understand what that's like. So if you are not with someone, then there is the risk of falling in love with someone and them not wanting the same thing as you. So that's something to consider whenever you're thinking about potentially delaying your plans of moving abroad. I'd say if you do have a desire to move abroad, then move abroad now. Because there is a unpredictability of life and one of those reasons, or aspects of unpredictability in life is falling in love. Another one that is just unpredictability in life that could potentially derail your plans of moving abroad is starting a family. Children bring joy. I love children. I want to have my own children, but it will also potentially tie you to schools and routines and communities. And it just makes relocating more complex. If you do have a family, it does not mean that you cannot move abroad. It just means that you need to plan further in advance because there are more complexities to being able to move abroad. But if you do have a family, it makes it a little bit harder, so you're less likely to move abroad. But, it doesn't make it impossible. So, yeah, I'd say falling in love. Starting a family just because you have more responsibilities and aging parents is another one. So as parents age, they might just require more care. They might make it more emotionally and logistically challenging to live far away. So as you get older, your parents also get older and there's just more of a risk of them needing your support. And you might feel a bit guilty if you are moving halfway across the world where your parents really need some support from you. So that's another way that. Life kind of gets in our way and that is a reality of life and we love our parents. We wanna make sure that they're taken care of. So that is something to consider as well. Another one might just be the career commitments you have. You might have advancements in your career that have increased responsibilities. It might make it harder to take the leap because you are really invested in your career. You might have a really great job that was really difficult to get. Especially as you get further along in your career, there are less and less job opportunities that you can get. So you might have some commitments in your career. You might even have a business that you started or that you want to start. Maybe you want to start a business, and that could be something that could tie you to where you're currently living and not allow you to have the freedom to easily move abroad. So career commitments could be one as well. And then lastly, health issues. We do not want to have health issues that is something that no one ever wants. But that is a reality of living in this world, is that we have unexpected health concerns that can potentially limit mobility and the ability to navigate new healthcare systems or feel comfortable to be able to move abroad. It might feel a little bit more risky if you have health issues that come up, or just health issues from, your children or your partner or your parents, like we said, with aging parents, so just kind of health concerns, or health concerns for you where it might feel a little bit more uncertain about moving abroad. So I'd say that waiting for the perfect time can lead to missed opportunities. Life's unpredictability means that the best time to act is often now because no time will ever feel like the perfect time. There will always be some little reason why now is not the perfect time and why it will be perfect in 2 years time, but because of the unpredictability of life, because of potentially falling in love or starting a family or having aging parents or career commitments or health issues or some other unexpected responsibility and challenge that might come your way, it could delay or keep you from moving abroad altogether and achieving that dream you have of moving abroad. So while you don't have those big barriers, because again there will never be a perfect time, but while you don't have those big barriers, move abroad now before it potentially gets harder and before something keeps you from achieving your dream of moving abroad. So that is the first reason why you should move abroad now, which is the unpredictability of life. The second reason why you should move abroad now is because of evolving visa regulations. Visa policies are continually changing, sometimes making it more challenging for Americans to move abroad. So here are some recent updates and upcoming changes to visas. Just to give you an example of what I mean. The United Kingdom, I actually found this out a couple weeks ago or so, and oh my goodness, I almost had a heart attack. I quite literally felt sick to my stomach whenever I was reading about this because this directly affects me. So this is just a learning experience for you, and one of the biggest reasons why I do believe that you should move abroad now before it gets harder, and that is because of visas. So I mentioned the United Kingdom has proposed significant changes to its immigration rules, as it outlined in a white paper in this year, very recently. So one of the things that they are considering changing in the United Kingdom is to extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. So it's called indefinite leave to remain ILR for short. It basically just means your permanent residency. So it's the equivalent to a green card in the United States. Just to give you an equivalent. So the standard qualifying period for an ILR and definitely to remain is set to increase from 5 years, which is what it currently is to 10 years for most visa categories. So this just means that migrants will need to spend a decade in the UK before applying for permanent settlement, which is literally doubling the current requirement. This one directly affects me because I was so excited to get my ILR in about a year. I have a little bit less than a year before I can apply, and I saw this come out and I literally felt sick to my stomach because this says affect me directly. So instead of needing 5 years living here on a visa, being sponsored by a company, I'll need to be sponsored for 10 years. So just to give you an example, if you were thinking about moving to the UK, this is something that you might want to fall along with to see if this does end up going through. And I will say this is not set in effect right now. This is something that they have just proposed, but there are several significance changes and that is one of them. Another thing that is potentially changing is the earned settlement model. So while the qualifying period is 10 years, a new points based system will allow individuals who make really big contributions to the UK economy. Or society in general to qualify sooner. So they don't know what the points system will mean. But basically there's gonna be a point system where if you do certain things, you are providing more contributions to the UK economy, which probably means you're making more money or perhaps you have a certain degree or you've been volunteering for a certain number of years, or something like that. I don't know exactly what the points system will look like, but that is also proposed. So, maybe you don't need to actually wait the 10 years, but maybe you need to wait 8 or something like that, depending on how many points you can get for obtaining your ILR. So that's another thing that they are considering changing. Another thing that they are considering changing in the UK with visas is to increase the English language requirements. They might have stricter English language standards that just prove that you have higher proficiency levels whenever you're taking the language tests. There is also potential changes to citizenship eligibility, so the pathway to British citizenship is also going under potential review. The period required to apply for citizenship after obtaining ILR is proposed to increase the applicants have to meet certain criteria, including not having claimed any benefits or using social housing during their qualifying period, just as an example. So that also might change for a number of years till you can get your citizenship or what that might look like. So you get your permanent residency and then you get your citizenship, which is pretty standard across all European countries. So basically in summary, the key takeaway is that there are some proposed changes that are indicating a tightening of immigration policies in the UK. So acting now and moving abroad now can help to navigate the current more lenient system before the stricter rules potentially come into effect. Again, we don't know if this will go into effect or maybe it'll be a certain iteration of this. But this is just one example of how visas have changed and become more strict over the years. Another example is Portugal in 2023, Portugal ended its golden visa program for real estate investments, limiting residency options for investors. That's just one more example of another country that is limiting their visa options and making it more difficult for people to move abroad to that country. Another example is Greece. As of September, 2024, Greece increased the minimum investment requirement for the Golden Visa program and impose restrictions on property rentals. So Greece also made the golden visa more difficult for people to be able to move abroad. Another example of visas that are changing and becoming a bit stricter is travel visas. Now, I know that travel visas are not as relevant for our conversation in moving abroad, but I think it just highlights that visas in general are just becoming stricter and countries are tightening their immigration laws and practices around visas and just making it just more strict about who is coming into the country. So in the United Kingdom, as of January in this year 2025, US citizens have to apply for an ETA, an electronic travel authorization before traveling to the UK. This basically just adds an extra step to potentially delay travel plans. But I have heard that the application is quite easy. It's not strenuous application, and you get approved very quickly. So it's not a massive deal, but I do think that it just again, proves that visas are becoming more strict. Another example is in the European Union starting in late 2026, the EU will implement the European travel information and authorization systems, but it's so long E-T-I-A-S for short, which will require US travelers to obtain authorization before traveling. This new system just aims to enhance the security, but again, does add complexity to travel, which is just annoying because we're not used to doing that as Americans. But also again, it's just another example of another country or organization. It's not just a country because it's the EU, it's multiple countries. It's like most of Europe. But it just shows again that they're becoming stricter on visa and residency requirements. So the key takeaway of this section is that visa and residency requirements are becoming more stringent. They're becoming more strict, and acting now can help you secure a spot before further restrictions are implemented. So this is not meant to scare you and freak you out and feel like you need to panic and hurry, hurry, hurry, and move abroad. But also the point is that there are visa regulations that are changing, that are becoming stricter about who is allowed in the country. So I would recommend if you know that you want to move abroad, don't say, I'm gonna move abroad in 5 years time or 2 years time. Or a lot of people will say, I'll move abroad in 2 years, and then in 2 years they say, oh, I'm gonna move abroad in 2 years. And they just kind of keep kicking the can down the road. So I would encourage you to explore moving abroad before visas become even more strict, and don't allow people to be able to move abroad as easily as they can right now. So I don't wanna be just all doom and gloom. I'm like, boom run now before the visas change and before you fall in love with someone or have children, or your parents are aging. And I feel like this is all a little bit doom and gloom, but I am trying to highlight the realities about just life getting in the way. You know, visas changing or parents that are aging or health changes in you or people around your life and new responsibilities like having a family and things like that. But I don't wanna be all doom and gloom. So what are the benefits of moving abroad now? You know, number 1 is personal growth. You will be living abroad, which fosters more independence and adaptability and a broader world view. So that's an investment in yourself, which will benefit you for years and years to come. So you will gain some personal growth. You'll also gain some career opportunities. Having international experience can enhance your resume and open doors to global job markets and can potentially expedite your career. Having that global experience or having experience in the US and bringing that over to Europe, which in some organizations is vital as something that they really want. So there are potential career opportunities for growth if you are able to act now, because again, it's a bit of an investment in yourself for your future. Another benefit is the cultural immersion. Experiencing new cultures firsthand will enrich your life in ways that short vacations just can't match really. So having that cultural immersion is another benefit of moving abroad now. Language skills as well, immersion is the most effective way to learn a new language, just diving on in and trying to learn the new language while you're living abroad instead of having a class that you just take online or whatever. So a new valuable skill in today's globalized world is having another language. So perhaps that is something that is a benefit of moving abroad now as well, because that is again, something that you are investing in yourself and something that can continue to grow and you can use for years and years to come. And also building a global network. Living abroad allows you to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and can potentially expand your personal and professional networks. So again, that is something that is a benefit now to you, that is something that you can use for years and years to come. So the key takeaway here is that there are advantages of moving abroad that extend beyond the really negative ones that I talked about before, which is, life can get your way and visas can stop you from moving abroad and all that. So it does offer long-term personal and professional benefits by moving abroad now instead of waiting until later. So perhaps this conversation has been a little bit of a wake up call for you. Perhaps you're thinking, okay, I want to move abroad now, but I was kind of planning on moving abroad in a couple years and I'm trying to kind of rethink this, and maybe I do wanna move abroad sooner. So let's talk about overcoming some of those common fears that might be coming up. It is totally natural to have concerns about moving abroad, so let's just take a second to address some of these common fears. Number 1 might be your financial stability. Maybe you are a little bit worried about your finances and being able to move abroad, but moving abroad is not just for the rich. I would encourage you to research the cost of living and job opportunities in your desired location to figure out where works best for you. Many countries do have lower living costs than major US cities, so you might actually be better off financially than you would be if you were to stay in the United States. Language barriers. Maybe you are worried about the language barriers, so start learning the new language before you move. Many countries also have large English speaking communities, so you will be able to get by just fine. You do not have to be perfect at a language before you move abroad. You will be totally fine if you have just a little bit of basic knowledge that might be helpful, but really you will be fine especially if you're moving somewhere, which has a good expat community. And normally they will all speak English in expat communities or a large portion of them will speak English as a common language. And as I've mentioned on the podcast before, I would highly recommend you move somewhere that has a really strong expat community because it's important to have local friends and expat friends. It's both are important to have local friends. It just gives you a very different perspective and it's different, relationships that you have with both groups. So anyways, language barriers might be something, but start learning the language before you move. Healthcare might be another one. Many countries offer quality, affordable healthcare. So this is not something that you should need to worry a lot about, especially because it is affordable and a lot of times the countries do have universal healthcare or you might need to provide your own healthcare. Sort of like travel insurance, but healthcare version. And it's really not expensive. It's, it's very inexpensive. So research and secure the appropriate health insurance before moving abroad. Loneliness might be another one for you. You might be worried about being able to connect with people. So I would encourage you to join expat communities before you move abroad. Attend local events once you arrive and stay connected with your loved ones back home, which is quite easy to do with today's technology. Having phone calls, Snapchat, iMessage, sending videos to one another. Sitting reels to one another. Like there are so many different ways to connect with people. So, that may be something that you're worried about as well. So I just say that with proper planning and resources, common fears can be mitigated, making your transition abroad smoother. If you know that you need a bit of a pep talk to overcome your fears about moving abroad, I would encourage you to go back and listen to episode 69, which is called The Brutal Truth, what's really stopping you from moving abroad. This episode will help you to dig into those common fears that people have that are stopping you from moving abroad. So if this is something that you would like a bit more encouragement around, then I would go listen to episode 69, The Brutal Truth. What's really stopping you from moving abroad? So maybe you've been listening to this episode and you're like, oh my gosh, okay, maybe I should move around now before it gets harder. So what are these steps that you can take now? The first is just to research destinations. You need to figure out the specific country and city that aligns with the lifestyle, career and personal goals that you have. Choosing the correct destination would be step number 1 that you can take in order to move abroad. The 2nd step is to understand the visa requirements. Make sure to stay updated on the Visa policies and start the application process early. You do not want to be worrying about the visa application knowing that you really want to be abroad now. So just go ahead and start that visa application now and just make sure you understand what the Visa requirements are so that you can get all your ducks in a row and make sure that you are fulfilling those visa requirements for where you want to move abroad to in that specific visa category that you are looking for. Some other steps that you can take now are financial planning. Save money and understand the cost of living in the specific country and city that you're moving to because the cost of living will vary greatly across the European countries and explore job opportunities abroad or how you're making money in general. So I would start to kind of think about your financial situation and how much money you need to have saved and kind of think about those first few months of living abroad and what your finances will look like. Another thing that you can do is to start networking. Start connecting with expats and locals in your desired destination abroad through different online forums and social media, and however else you can connect with people. Maybe you met someone on a trip abroad. Maybe you have. Connections already that you can connect with or that can start to connect you with different people who live there. Maybe this is something that you want to wait until you actually arrive, but I do think that it will be helpful and encouraging to know that somebody is waiting for you on the other side to connect with you. So I would encourage you to do a little bit of networking ahead of time. And lastly, visit first if it's possible. Take a short trip to your chosen country and city abroad to get a feel for the environment and culture and figure out which neighborhood you want to live in and where your local coffee shops are gonna be in your local gym, and what your commute to work might look like. So just to kind of give you more confidence about where you're moving abroad to and what your life might look like, and to set up anything ahead of time that you can before you actually move abroad. So taking proactive steps today. Can help to pave the way for a successful move abroad in the very near future. So if you are thinking about moving abroad, those are some of the initial steps that I would take. But if you want a bit more guidance on exactly how to move abroad, I would go back a few episodes to episode 80, which is how to move to another Country from America, a step-by-step guide to Moving to Europe. So if you are interested in digging into this more, I would encourage you to go back to episode 80. So just to wrap us up, life is full of uncertainties, but one thing is really clear. Waiting for the perfect time to move abroad might mean waiting forever. Visa policies, tighten responsibilities grow, and unforeseen circumstances arise. It is life. That is life in general. There will always be unforeseen things that will come up in your life. And if moving abroad is your dream, the best time to act is now. So I hope that you found this episode encouraging and I hope that you're not leaving feeling discouraged or scared or freaked out about visas changing or. The doom and gloom of life and just the unpredictability of life. But I just wanted to highlight that. I think a lot of people think that they're going to move abroad in two years time. They say, okay, I'm gonna move abroad in two years, and they just keep kicking in the can down the road. And I just would hate for life to get in your way. I would hate for you to have this massive desire to move abroad, but then life gets in your way and makes it really difficult or impossible to be able to move abroad. So I hope that you found it encouraging and again, if moving abroad is your dream, then the best time to act is now. So thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Move Abroad podcast. If you found this discussion helpful, please feel free to leave a review on the podcast or send this episode to a friend who you know would be encouraged and who needs. To hear this episode. So, with that being said, I just wanted to say thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Move Abroad podcast, and I will catch you here again next week, same time, same place. I'll catch you then.