Jdownes89

Hey everyone, newbie here so be easy with me!

Im 26 years old and no family so I want to go abroad for a while to earn some good cash. I maybe naive in thinking this but got to ask in it?

I'm a qualified plumber (NVQ level 2, currently studying level 3 + OFTEC registered) been in the game for 5 years now.

I don't mind which country I go to (within reason) as long as the money's there.

Anyone know of anything kicking about that's worth moving to another country for?

Thanks people!!

nadkels

Hey,

Vancouver would be a great option. There are quite a few jobs out there especially in the construction industry. The minimum wage is nearly double what London is and is also higher than the American minimum wage. Plus rent wise - you get a lot more for your money.

I'm in the same boat as you and after doing some research I've narrowed it down to Vancouver

christmasoompa

Minimum wage in BC is $10.25 an hour = £5 an hour.

Don't get me wrong, Canada is a great place and Vancouver is fantastic, but it's certainly not somewhere I'd recommend somebody goes just to make money. Cost of living is quite high and so is taxation, plus having to pay healthcare premiums etc. The standard joke on the forum is that BC stands for Bring Cash!

Canada also has the hassle of having to get provincially licensed to work as a plumber I believe, so that would be another hurdle for the OP. But on the plus side, they could get a visa relatively easily (assuming they're a UK citizen) and be out there this time next year.

If the OP's sole reason for a stint abroad is to make money, then somewhere that is tax free in the UAE might be a better idea? I've no idea how it would work with visas etc though, but it's somewhere they could look at.

Jdownes89

Thanks for the reply people.

I've touched upon working abroad and I thought UAE was a good option from what someone told me years ago, whether or not it's changed I don't know though.

Is Canada a really good option? I won't move away if it's only pounds more an hour, just not worth it.

christmasoompa

According to this (government website using data from Temp Work Permits), the average wage for a plumber in Vancouver is $25.00 an hour - Plumbers (NOC 7251-B) - Lower Mainland - Southwest Region, British Columbia - wages (local) - Job Bank

So that's approx £12.30 an hour, I don't know how that equates to your current salary though.

If you were interested in Canada, then you've got a fairly easy visa route open to you, which is the IEC visa, an open work permit for those aged 30 or under. The program for this year has closed, but the 2016 program will open early next year - be ready to act very quickly though and keep watching the website, as all visas go within minutes. So you could be out sometime between next Easter to summer, depending on when the program opens.

Do check in to what you'd need to work in Canada too, as mentioned above I think it's a regulated trade (most things are though, Canadians love their bits of paper, even hairdressers have to sit an exam to work there!), so have a search of the Canada forums for more info on that. Come and join us there if that's where you decide on.

Or do ask in the ME forums about the chances of working in the UAE and the wages there, I'm afraid I have no idea about that.

HTH, good luck.

Jdownes89

Thanks for the reply!

That wage is lower than what I'm on now, any other country's you can think of? I've looked into Australia and it's not much different than Canada from what I've seen.

One guy mentioned to me that his mate is earning big bucks in Oz but he's located in a mine or something, out in the sticks on a 5 year contract. God knows if that's true or not, I just took it with a pinch of salt.

christmasoompa

For salary alone I'd investigate the UAE, just because of the lack of tax. Or somewhere in the EU? As you wouldn't have the hassles of needing a visa. Not sure you'd earn more in somewhere like France or Spain though.

But honestly, the UK is pretty good salary wise compared to most countries, so I'm not sure you'll make loads anywhere. Particularly once you've spent thousand on an international move, which might rather negate the whole point of it. Perhaps somebody else has another idea though.

Good luck.

mikelincs

His chances of getting legal work in France or Spain are, without fluency in the language, somewhat less than 1% at a guess, plus he would have to retrain as the system is totally differenr to UK plumbing. There are thousands of qualified Spanish and French plumbers desparate for work in ecconomies that are in a much worse state than the UK, and wages would be much less than he is currently getting.
What people also have to realise that there is no benefit system in France or Spain in case of difficulties unlike the UK.

Jdownes89

I'm searching Google and I'm coming up with nothing every time.

New Zealand is a no go because the cost of becoming licensed is ridiculous.

I've tried looking into dubai and there's nothing going on at the moment.

I've even looked at British firms that are operating overseas but again, nothing.

Hitting a brick wall all the time

mikelincs

There are some people who will just never find what they want by a move. There are pluses and minus#s for every scenario, and just sometimes what you are looking for is simpler to find in your own country, with a move to a cheaper area for example. As you have found, moving with a specific skill in things leike plumbing, electrics etc to any other country means you have to go back to relearn your trade to fit in with the systems there.

christmasoompa

New Zealand is expensive cost of living wise too from what I understand.

The trouble is, that as you're discovering, it's generally difficult to get a visa to live abroad, and the cost of moving abroad isn't going to be cheap by the time you've added up visa fees, flights, insurances, accommodation deposits, car insurance as a new driver to a country, etc, etc.

So I'm not sure it will be worth your while if you're only doing it to make money. Most people are happy to pay thousands (or even tens of thousands) to move abroad, and get licensed to work in their new country, because they're moving for a genuine love of somewhere. I don't know anybody would say that they've moved and been better off financially in the short term.

Sorry, I can't make any other suggestions, but have a search around the forums and you might just find somewhere that's relatively easy to get a visa for and that will pay you more (or be tax free).

Good luck.

Pollyana

Fly In Fly Out work in the mines is a lot rarer than it used to be, and to be honest your chances of making a lot of cash out of it are very slim, especially as a plumber with no connections and no history in the mies here.
You would need to check out the requirements for licensing in Aus. You might be able to get licensed and work here on a working holiday visa, without going through the whole skills assessment and PR visa route, but if you're looking for lots of cash, its not going to happen. Australia is pricey, both to move to and to live in, and tradies are finding it a lot tougher than it used to be.

Jdownes89

Thanks for the information guys/gals... It is a case of who you know and that said it looks as if I'm going to try and earn big bucks on UK soil.

Thanks again for the info, it's much appreciated.

Take care folks!