If you are in the industry of remote work, then you might have heard about remote work visas recently. One of the biggest benefits of having a remote job is the massive perk of living and working wherever you want. The remote work environment has advanced extremely fast due to the state of the world pandemic. Millions of workers now have the flexibility to work from anywhere they desire. With a huge portion of people working from home already, remote work is the present, and flexible working is the actual future of work.
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Travel Shifts: Remote Work And Travel
As a result of the changing work industry, many people who secured one of the original remote work jobs soon realized the substantial perks of this career path. In addition to making money from home, you can travel worldwide and live a sustainable lifestyle with a fraction of the costs of living in a major US city. The increase of remote jobs has created a wave effect both domestically and worldwide in both the travel and professional work sectors.
What Are Remote Work Visas And Why Are Governments Creating Them
While remote workers traveled worldwide and shared details about their lifestyle, people gradually started to get intrigued. As word traveled, more and more people joined the remote work movement and traveling lifestyle. It didn't take long for governments also to notice how sustainable this lifestyle is and that they need to attract a new type of traveler.
Remote Jobs Make Location Independence More Popular
It wasn't long ago that the average traveler would only be interested in going on a trip abroad for a week or two. Short trips were previously necessary to go back to an office job after using all your vacation time. With remote jobs, location independence has allowed full-time workers to look for countries with the longest visas, indirectly creating remote work visas.
People Are Moving Out of Expensive Big Cities in Droves
The past few years have left us with a growing trend of people moving out of big cities like New York City and Los Angeles. The reasons why are straightforward: exorbitantly-high costs of living, decaying infrastructure and increased crime rates. This mass exodus has put extra pressure on foreign governments to help accommodate remote workers that moved from the big city.
Remote Work Visas Easily Let Governments Reap Benefits of Foreign Money
Whether an expat travels to a new country and spends a few months there buying local products and supporting the tourism industry or making a full-out business investment, governments have learned how valuable these types of travelers are. By adding remote work visas, they can attract more sustainable tourism spending and increase the overall revenue that they receive from foreign remote workers in their country. It is truly a win-win for everyone involved.
A Few Of The Countries Currently Offering Remote Work Visas
It is essential to glance through some of the leading countries that are pioneers of remote work visas. Here are some of the countries that are offering remote work visas right now. While most of these programs truly provide a “residency permit,” they have been marketed as “digital nomad visas.” There are dozens of options for digital nomad visas, but here are a few of the most popular programs.
Georgia
Georgia recently rolled out a remote work visa that is relatively easy for many people to qualify for the visa. The main requirement is to show proof of income of at least $2,000 each month and evidence of travel insurance. The visa is valid for 12 months and there are no fees to apply, but it might require quarantine on arrival. There is more information and the official details here.
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
With a higher bare minimum required than Georgia, the UAE requires proof of a $5,000 monthly income and active health insurance. The visa is valid for 12 months and costs $287. There is more information and the official details here.
Croatia
If you are craving a location with more pristine beaches, then Croatia might be the perfect option. For a 12-month remote work visa in Croatia, you must show a monthly income above $2,590 or prove savings of approximately $31,000. There is more information and the official details here.
How Will Remote Work Visas Impact The Future of Work?
Although it is difficult to predict the future and the exact implications that the growing trend of remote work visas will have on the overall industry, it is reasonable to expect more flexibility and freedom in our day-to-day lives.
Consider Geoarbitrage
Geoarbitrage is a considerable benefit for remote workers. Imagine maintaining a New York City salary but living in Missouri or even Mexico. Essentially, it means relocating to a new city or country to take advantage of much lower costs of living while maintaining a higher quality of life.
More Time To Enjoy A Country
Previously, remote workers would purposefully seek out countries with more lenient visa policies to spend some time working while they are there. With remote work visas, it provides workers with a lot more security. Remote work visas will probably lead to workers establishing a home base and increasing the overall spending in foreign countries, all without taking away any jobs from the local workforce. Overall, remote work visas will hopefully create a much more sustainable form of tourism and transform how the world works and travels.
