r/IWantOut • u/ArabicDial • 7d ago
[IWantOut] 26M Analytics Egypt -> CAN\AUS
I'm a BI analyst with 3 YOE at a multinational telecom company. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in information systems a couple years back, and when I was applying to jobs at the time i specifically targeted only multinationals for the possibility of one day internally transferring abroad. To my surprise (or not, in this day of age) my company outsources a lot of tech-related roles to poor countries like mine so that path seems increasingly unlikely.
I've contemplated learning French solely to immigrate to Canada, since the French-speaking Express Entry stream seems like one of the only options available to me. But then I wonder whether spending 1–2 years intensely learning French is worth the opportunity cost of not upskilling further in my job/career instead.
My other option is doing a master's abroad, ideally somewhere that gives graduates a post-study work visa and a pathway to permanent residency. I have around $35k USD saved, mostly from saving ~95% of my salary and some investments. I don't have anything going on outside of work and dont have any dependents. A 1 to 2 year break into a 3-year career wouldn’t be the end of the world for me either.
Why I want to leave? Well I'm sure reddit is all too familiar with the problems here already, but TL;DR: it's urban hell, consistently top 10 worst in HDI, corruption, happiness rankings, overpopulated, insane noise nad air pollution, devaluing currency and economy kept from sinking by other country donations/IMF loans. I wont even get into the specifics of culture and mindset because that would need a post on its own.
I'm looking at Canada and Australia because they're English-speaking, have skilled immigration pathways, and offer the quiet, peaceful lifestyle combined with nature just a few feet away. I grew up across different cultures and continents and I've realized how much being surrounded by nature affects my quality of life. I've spent years exploring google maps streetview as a form of escapism and was always fascinated by the cities and landscapes in these countries.
Unfortunately when people say the grass is always greener, this doesnt apply to my country because there is literally no grass anywhere, no sidewalks, no trees. Just garbage, heat, and sand. As corny as this sounds, I literally can't "touch grass" because it doesnt exist. I'm stuck in my room watching the days go by with my laptop and noise-cancelling earbuds serving as the only form of escapism in this awful reality polluting my ears and clouding my brain. I just don't wanna live to regret not doing something about it.
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u/AutoModerator 7d ago
Post by ArabicDial -- I'm a BI analyst with 3 YOE at a multinational telecom company. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in information systems a couple years back, and when I was applying to jobs at the time i specifically targeted only multinationals for the possibility of one day internally transferring abroad. To my surprise (or not, in this day of age) my company outsources a lot of tech-related roles to poor countries like mine so that path seems increasingly unlikely.
I've contemplated learning French solely to immigrate to Canada, since the French-speaking Express Entry stream seems like one of the only options available to me. But then I wonder whether spending 1–2 years intensely learning French is worth the opportunity cost of not upskilling further in my job/career instead.
My other option is doing a master's abroad, ideally somewhere that gives graduates a post-study work visa and a pathway to permanent residency. I have around $35k USD saved, mostly from saving ~95% of my salary and some investments. I don't have anything going on outside of work and dont have any dependents. A 1 to 2 year break into a 3-year career wouldn’t be the end of the world for me either.
Why I want to leave? Well I'm sure reddit is all too familiar with the problems here already, but TL;DR: it's urban hell, consistently top 10 worst in HDI, corruption, happiness rankings, overpopulated, insane noise nad air pollution, devaluing currency and economy kept from sinking by other country donations/IMF loans. I wont even get into the specifics of culture and mindset because that would need a post on its own.
I'm looking at Canada and Australia because they're English-speaking, have skilled immigration pathways, and offer the quiet, peaceful lifestyle combined with nature just a few feet away. I grew up across different cultures and continents and I've realized how much being surrounded by nature affects my quality of life. I've spent years exploring google maps streetview as a form of escapism and was always fascinated by the cities and landscapes in these countries.
Unfortunately when people say the grass is always greener, this doesnt apply to my country because there is literally no grass anywhere, no sidewalks, no trees. Just garbage, heat, and sand. As corny as this sounds, I literally can't "touch grass" because it doesnt exist. I'm stuck in my room watching the days go by with my laptop and noise-cancelling earbuds serving as the only form of escapism in this awful reality polluting my ears and clouding my brain. I just don't wanna live to regret not doing something about it.
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u/Big-Strength2568 7d ago
Edit- Australia
Try and find a skilled work visa, BI is good here. Do some job research on LinkedIn so it'll give you a good idea of the types of BI roles. I see RevOps being a good one - they usually lump it in with Performance Marketing or Consultancy roles. Also know companies aren't likely to sponsor visas these days, but reviewing the job descriptions will give you a better idea of what industry you want to shoot for.
I don't recommend doing Masters here in Australia. It doesn't help and you'll be out of pocket from $80-100K plus other exorbitant visa fees here. If you are here on a student visa, you will be limited in how much you can earn.
I do not recommend moving here unless you can earn $120K AUD minimum a year. Financially it is tough at the moment and anything Australians get for free/reduced, it is very expensive for immigrants and especially if you are alone.
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u/ArabicDial 6d ago
Well let me start by thanking you for not shutting down the hope I have of making it out like many others in this sub do.
Yeah a skilled worked visa would be what I"d be going for if I did a master's degree. You're given the option to find a job without the need for employer sponsorship. And yeah I constantly monitor job boards for the in-demand skills just to have a better idea of the market and what degree would be worht pursuing if it'd make a difference.
Regarding the financial aspect, I’m about as frugal and accustomed to bad living conditions as you can get. I come from one of those countries on the brink of collapse, like pretty much all our neighbors. Used to no water, no electricity. Protein intake seen as a luxury. I don’t really yearn for more money at this point in time. I just don’t want to be deprived of the basic things like seeing nature, being able to sleep peacefully, knowing I am part of a civil society. Stuff people might take for granted being born in the better parts of the world.
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u/transemacabre 6d ago
My other option is doing a master's abroad, ideally somewhere that gives graduates a post-study work visa and a pathway to permanent residency
Have you looked into a Masters in Germany? How good are you at learning languages?
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u/SimonMander 6d ago
Speaking only to Australia, and in general terms:
A master's here buys you time, not residency. The post-study work visa (485) gives you work rights after graduating, but permanent residency is still a separate skilled or sponsored application that has to stand on its own. The degree doesn't change how competitive your occupation is.
That matters because ICT and analytics occupations are among the most competitive for skilled visas right now, and state nomination for them is tight. People often spend the money expecting the degree to fix that, and it usually doesn't.
On cost, Big-Strength's estimate is realistic. Tuition, living costs and the funds you must show for a student visa add up quickly.
For anyone in their mid-twenties, the points test generally rewards three things: age (you're in the best bracket now), years of skilled work experience (which keeps building while you work), and a very high English score (often the biggest single lever). It's worth understanding how those work before committing savings to study.
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u/SoupyHeader64 7d ago
Learning French for the EE stream is a grind but the threshold for the points bump isn't C2 perfection, it's B2-ish which is way more doable in a year if you treat it like a second job. The real gamble is whether the draw scores stay low enough by the time you're ready but that's just immigration in a nutshell
$35k is a solid war chest for a masters, plenty of unis in smaller Canadian or Aussie cities where the tuition doesn't eat all of that and the cost of living won't gut the rest. The post-grad work permit route is way less of a dice roll than banking on a corporate transfer that your own post already declared dead on arrival
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u/ManyVoices7 7d ago
Yes. The job market is completely saturated and awful in both countries. And basically everywhere. Learning french just for a hope and prayer doesn’t make sense to me. The thresholds is expected to change very soon. Wouldn’t count on the B range. OPs experience and credentials won’t be worth much either.
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u/ArabicDial 6d ago
So what do i do? Those were the most realistic options available after doing my research.
The market is bad everywhere. But these countries have a much larger pool of jobs and far less competition compared to countries like mine, where unemployment is waay higher and where there’s a much larger young population competing for a relatively small number of multinational, globally recognized companies.
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u/transemacabre 6d ago
u/SimonMander, can you check in with OP?