The narrative lately is all about the surge in Omicron cases, closures of businesses, schools and canceling of air flights and live events. While doom scrolling through social media, you’re missing out on something. Amidst the chaos and madness enveloping us, there are amazing opportunities available for the brave and intrepid. Under the radar, there is a stealth trend that could change your life.
Countries around the world that have been economically impacted by the virus outbreaks have opened their doors to digital nomads. They cater to wanderlust folks who are able to work remotely and excited about embarking upon an international adventure. Digital nomads, mainly white-collar knowledge workers, initially started relocating temporarily to beach towns, ski slopes and then ventured to far-off, international, exotic locations.
During the pandemic, a number of countries offered incentives to attract remote workers. As their economies were mainly tourism based, they were in dire need of revenue. Inducing knowledge workers to live and work in their country was a great way to bring in much needed revenue and taxes. Barbados, Estonia, Bermuda and Georgia have all opened their doors to Americans, inviting them to come, work, pay taxes and contribute to the economy. For example, in an open letter from Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, she warmly encouraged people to migrate to her country. “On behalf of our beautiful island of Barbados, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you.”
Portugal is offering long-term visas to freelancers and independent workers. The country’s natural beauty, lovely weather, affordability, business-friendly attitude and access to all parts of the European Union made it a popular destination for digital nomads.
Forbes named Portugal as one of the top three countries in the world to live in and to retire. The cost of living is relatively low compared to the rest of Europe. It’s easier to live on a lower salary compared to other countries. Portugal boasts of 300 days of sunshine. Within close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, most places in Portugal enjoy a constant pleasant ocean breeze.
Beautiful, sunny Buenos Aires is encouraging digital nomads to relocate. Argentina offers workers to lead a better life as foreign currency has better purchasing power than in places like the United States. The city launched a campaign to lure people that get paid in dollars, pounds and other currencies for extended stays, touting Argentina has “the most competitive exchange rate in the region” and Buenos Aires is “a very affordable city!”
This is part of the overall plan that provides a potential 12-month visa for remote workers, along with warm weather, bucolic boulevards,great food and relative safety compared with other cities in Latin America. Buenos Aires hopes the visa will attract 22,000 nomads by 2023.
Francisco Resnicoff, subsecretary for international relations in the city government, said that workers with this visa will not need to pay local income taxes, nor do they need to be on a company’s payroll. The city anticipates applicants will be young freelancers. Buenos Aires requires remote workers to help reboot the city’s tourism industry, which accounts for 10% of its gross domestic product.
Boasting one of the world’s highest vaccination rates, the Mediterranean island-nation of Malta is welcoming digital nomads with cash incentives in a recently launched Nomad Residence Permit. Malta, an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast, announced in June 2021 a Nomad Residence Permit, which enables visitors to keep their current employment in another country and live in Malta for up to a year.
Malta is a popular tourist destination and known for its warm climate and breathtaking landscapes that serve as locations for major film productions. The archipelago is home to some of the oldest temples in the world, such as the Megalithic Temples of Malta.
Villages across Spain lost young people who sought out opportunities in larger cities and other countries. In an effort to revitalize the “dying villages,” Spain plans to entice foreign workers with tax incentives. The National Network of Welcoming Villages for Remote Workers scheme, or Red Nacional de Pueblos Acogedores para el Teletrabajo, aims to attract foreign workers with a new 12-month work visa for digital nomads.
Spain’s draft Startup Act encourages digital nomads to repopulate and reinvigorate rural villages. Among Spain’s 8,131 municipalities, 3,403 are classed as at-risk of dying out, according to the country’s National Statistics Institute. Once a person is living and working in Spain, they can apply for a residence permit to extend their stay for two years, and can renew it later on. Francisco Boya, the Spanish secretary of state for demographic challenge, said about the program, “The world of work is changing so more people want to work digitally.” Boya added, “We want to make the rural world more attractive for digital nomads and entrepreneurs.”
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory with three islands in the western Caribbean Sea. The largest island, Grand Cayman, is well known for its beach resorts, scuba diving, snorkeling and deep-sea fishing. It’s also home to wildlife ranging from endangered iguanas to red-footed boobies. The Cayman Islands Global Citizen Concierge program offers digital nomads to live and work in the Cayman Islands for a minimum of three months and up to two years. They offer a centralized concierge program to assist with legal paperwork, booking flights, and finding places to stay.
If you’d rather stay within the U.S., there are opportunities available. Evan Hock, co-founder of MakeMyMove, the nation’s first and only marketplace that matches remote workers and their families to communities across the country, points to Greensburg, Indiana as an example.
The quaint town is offering $5,000 to newcomers. “In addition to its quality of life-enhancing amenities and unmatched hospitality, Greensburg is going above and beyond to integrate individuals and families into its community, in ways we have not seen before,” offering the following:
- “Grandparents on Demand” babysitting services and Grandparents Day stand-in at school, provided by local couple Tami and Dan Wenning
- “Seat at the Table” invitation to Greensburg’s nonprofit fundraising events, including its annual gala, in support of Decatur County Memorial Hospital
- Open invitations to home-cooked meals at neighbors’ homes
- One-year membership to the town’s local co-working space
- One-year membership to the local YMCA
- Free gift cards to the seasonal farmers’ market
- Free passes to theatrical performances at Tree County Players
- Free passes for boating and beaching at the 250-acre Lake Santee
Mayor Joshua Marsh says about the rural, charming town, “Greensburg has always been a welcoming community for anyone that wants to live, work and play here, but with this package, we are going a step above to ensure that people have the opportunity to really embrace all that Greensburg has to offer.”
Source: Forbes
