Recent studies show that around 165,000 Brits live and work abroad as digital nomads
New research has found that there are four countries where Brits could earn significantly more money for the same work they do at home.
Worker visas allow people to relocate to another country temporarily for work and can provide many employment opportunities.
The UK receives around 6,000 skilled worker visa applications every month, but the minimum salary requirement of £38,700 along with an application fee of £1,420 make it one of the more expensive options.
For Brits, there exists a range of attractive opportunities to move abroad and earn a lot more money doing the same work you’re qualified to do at home.
Of the ten or so countries that offer a higher annual salary than the UK, we’ve highlighted four that have reasonable entry requirements and a lengthy stay.
The land of ice and fire has become a hugely desirable place to live in recent years, with low crime rates, natural beauty and a high standard of living.
According to research conducted by Remitly, Iceland’s residence permit for employment has a relatively short average processing time of three months.
The application fee is a reasonable £91 and the minimum salary required is an achievable £16,973.
If granted, you could stay for a maximum of four years and avail of the average annual wage of £69,120 (data is from 2023) – over £24,000 more than the UK average.
Germany, like Spain, Poland and other European countries, offers the EU Blue card as their skilled worker visa.
Like Iceland, it has an average processing time of three months. Unlike Iceland, it costs just £83 and granted almost 70,000 applications in 2023.
The minimum salary required is a fairly high £37,530, but that allows you to stay for four years.
The average annual wage is £51,988. With a strong economy, efficient infrastructure and a vibrant cultural scene, it could be a great move for anyone looking to enhance their quality of life.
This is probably the most surprising one.
America’s H1-B visa was established under the Immigration Act of 1990, and has been going strong ever since.
With an average processing time of three and a half months and an application fee of £162, it’s probably not quite as attractive as the aforementioned options.
On the more positive side, the US Department of State granted 85,000 applications in 2023, with no minimum salary required whatsoever.
You can stay in the states for a maximum of six years starting from the day of your arrival, and you can look forward to earning an average annual wage of £63,343.
Perhaps the most balanced and appealing option of all falls to one of the friendliest nations in the world.
Securing a work permit for Canada has an average processing time of just three and a half months, with an application fee of £86.
The land of the maple leaf granted nearly 240,000 applications in 2023, with no minimum salary required.
You can stay for a maximum of four years and while housing costs and the general cost of living in Canada is more expensive than other options, the average annual salary of £52,350 is still over £7,000 more than that of the UK.
Along with a comfortable salary, you’ll be able to avail of their robust healthcare system, world-class education, and their emphasis on the importance of having a healthy work-life balance.
Elsewhere, if you’re looking to make a move quickly, Latvia ranks as the easiest country for skilled worker visas.
It has a low application fee of £83 and a short processing time of just ten working days.
Italy offers the most affordable work visa at £41, while Australia has the highest fee at £1,569 and the longest processing time (90% of applications processed in six months).
Kazakhstan has the highest UK visa success rate (99.52%), while Pakistan has the lowest (82.39%) among the top 20 countries for UK entry clearance.
So, if you’re looking for a change of scenery while also earning more money for doing the same work you’re doing now, there are plenty of options to consider.
