Middle eastern what are my choices

[Hskr]

I am 29 M Lebanese, i wish i could say i am looking for FE but that's hard  because of :
- country in middle of danger zone (near ISIS syria)
- country worse than Greece financially and politically corrupted
- Job market is very limited with low incomes ( 600$ monthly)  and requires butt kissing to get one. 
- apartments are very expensive $200K outside the city and can reach 2million$ downtown Beirut.
- everything else is expensive: transportation , rents , fuel , electricity ,internet and communications.   
- i saved around 150K USD but dont want to buy a house because of the above.
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I lived most of my life outside lebanon but never was a permanent resident to settle down, my dream is so simple: a safe future , a humble and happy life and maybe financial independence.   
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My question is : 
-  while i wait to find a better place, what are good investments or solutions toward financial independence? put the money in the bank ?  invest in the expensive and dangerous realestate ?
I wish i knew  i was a student all my life until i got slammed with reality and responsibilities.
Appreciate your kind advices :)

If needed, give me some time i am filling up the cash flow sheet.

[swick]

Welcome to the forums, Hskr.

I think your situation involves figuring out what you want from life first, and then figuring out how to get it. Your post doesn't mention the circumstances you are currently in.

Where are you living? Are you working? What do you have for education? What would your ideal job be?Is your eventual goal to settle within Lebanon, or somewhere else? Is family important to you, where are they located? Where is your money currently? How do the laws work in Lebanon, can the government take control of the banks? 

You have a very different/unique situation compared to many on the forums. Having an idea about the above questions will allow you to be more focused and allow us to better assist you :)

[Hskr]

Thank you so much Swick and sorry for not being clear as i am filling the cashflow sheet you posted in the guide.
I got your questions and i'll repost with the full details .
Again sorry for posting outside the rules,  1st step toward success is trying and learning from mistakes eh ?

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

You mentioned you have been a student your whole life so far - what skills/degrees do you have? Canada and New Zealand seem to actively seek skilled immigrants that can use English as you obviously can.

[swick]

Thank you so much Swick and sorry for not being clear as i am filling the cashflow sheet you posted in the guide.
I got your questions and i'll repost with the full details .
Again sorry for posting outside the rules,  1st step toward success is trying and learning from mistakes eh ?

No problem at all :) The case study is just a suggestion that is in place to help you provide the info we need for the best possible advice.  If there is information you don't have yet, that is okay too, it is all a learning process.

[beee]

Invest in your future:
Apply to a good college in Canada. Tuition is 2-3 times more expensive for international students, but it looks like you have more than enough money for everything.
Obtain a Post-Graduation Work Permit for up to 3 years.
Get a job in your field. Get 1 year work experience.
Apply to permanent residence via Canadian Experience Class.
Become a citizen in 4 years.

I am from Russia, I understand you. I moved to Canada in 2010, was 22 at that time.
It's a great country.
And it's really easy to live with 3rd world habits in 1st world country :)
You'll be super mustachian naturally, because everybody else is super wasteful (big houses, expensive cars, dining out, buying lunches)

Again sorry for posting outside the rules,  1st step toward success is trying and learning from mistakes eh ?

'sorry', 'eh?' - that's so Canadian :)


Happy Wednesday All!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR5rIv4Qros

[mrshudson]

Agree with the comment above ^. Immigrate to a country that is politically more stable and has more opportunities. I don't know if you plan to pursue higher-ed (if you have a college degree), but a higher-ed degree opens doors to employment opportunities, and career growth.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have chosen Canada over the U.S., because of a more-straight forward/less bureaucratic immigration system. Germany tends to be pro-immigration these days, so that's another opportunity to consider.

[Hskr]

'sorry', 'eh?' - that's so Canadian :)

haha  i live in Montreal for 4 years :)

I considered canada many times but going back to education is a little hard, adding the years i have to wait to become citizen ( 7 - 8 years ) feels like a heavy burden not to mention i lived in boston for 1 year and met alot of canadian who cross borders just to buy groceries and home equipment,  Canada is amazing but with the difficulties of immigration it is an option for school graduate or fresh graduates.
USA on the other had is harder because i need at least 10 years till i could apply for a PR
i just wish immigration was selective rather than random, it makes me really angry to see people immigrating to another country expecting it to respect their habits without them respecting it and never learning the local language.
My frustration came when i found out that i cannot open a small business because politicians who own big companies in my country are so dedicated to kill small business for those who don't follow them, No future without being a follower, and when i look out i see a bright future far from my reach because of all those impossible regulations, things can be done iligally but i can't do that because  i can't, i am just a closet Home-school-work  person who haven't had the luxury to try things out of the box, that is my frustration ><

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

'sorry', 'eh?' - that's so Canadian :)

haha  i live in Montreal for 4 years :)

I considered canada many times but going back to education is a little hard, adding the years i have to wait to become citizen ( 7 - 8 years ) feels like a heavy burden not to mention i lived in boston for 1 year and met alot of canadian who cross borders just to buy groceries and home equipment,  Canada is amazing but with the difficulties of immigration it is an option for school graduate or fresh graduates.
USA on the other had is harder because i need at least 10 years till i could apply for a PR
i just wish immigration was selective rather than random, it makes me really angry to see people immigrating to another country expecting it to respect their habits without them respecting it and never learning the local language.
My frustration came when i found out that i cannot open a small business because politicians who own big companies in my country are so dedicated to kill small business for those who don't follow them, No future without being a follower, and when i look out i see a bright future far from my reach because of all those impossible regulations, things can be done iligally but i can't do that because  i can't, i am just a closet Home-school-work  person who haven't had the luxury to try things out of the box, that is my frustration ><

On a lark once when I was in college I looked at New Zealand. They at least at the time had a nice document that allows you to determine how many "points" you'd get on their priority immigration system based on your degrees and other factors. Assuming that system still exists it would be worth checking to see if that's a possibility for you.

I wish the USA would just take you and many more people in your situation. Nothing makes me feel more patriotic and inspired than driving through an immigrant neighborhood and seeing all the businesses, entrepreneurship, and hard work going on. Unfortunately the Republicans have the nativists and the Democrats have the labor unions, so I don't see any substantial changes in the pipeline.

What allowed you to live in Boston for a year? It gets complicated, but would there be a way to do another year in the USA and see if you could get sponsored for a job here?

Also, do any companies with big operations in a country you'd like to move to have operations near you? It's a long shot, but being a great employee and telling them you'd like to move isn't the craziest idea.

[Gimesalot]

Have you tried the United States Visa Lottery?

That's how I ended up here.  The application period seems to be closed for now, but it should open up towards the end of the year.  Check this website to determine if you are eligible:  http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/diversity-visa/if-you-are-selected/confirm-your-qualifications.html

You need to have completed high school or have two years of work experience in certain fields.

[beee]

I considered canada many times but going back to education is a little hard, adding the years i have to wait to become citizen ( 7 - 8 years ) feels like a heavy burden.

You don't "wait" these years, you live them.

who haven't had the luxury to try things out of the box, that is my frustration ><

Now you have real chances to change your life.
Just don't focus on "why it's hard". Focus on what advantages you have (you're young, you have savings, you lived in Canada and US, you speak English and your native language, education?).

while i wait to find a better place....

what do you wait?

[Mr Dorothy Dollar]

Try to figure out how to move to Dearborn, MI, USA. It is a large middle eastern population with relatively low cost of living and decent job prospects. I do not know how the immigration process works however. The University of Michigan is near there so a student visa might work. You could also use family in other nations to get out. Never stay in a place where violence is at your doorstep when you can leave.