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Comment by toomuchtodo | Hacker News Reader

Australia is very easy to emigrate to as a technology professional and has a relatively good universal healthcare system.

EDIT: @robotbeat: Yes, but I have lost my confidence in the US Congress and the electorate. Until that confidence is restored (Medicare For All is passed), I have to make plans to live in a functioning nation, as a single healthcare event can wipe you out entirely. I would rather pay more taxes (yes! I like taxes, with them I buy civilization) and take my wealth to where sanity prevails (and like minded citizens vote for representatives who vote in their electorate's interest, instead of against them).

@wintermutestwin: https://techwireasia.com/2019/08/australia-decides-to-keep-t...

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/v...

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Won’t you be eligible for Medicare once reaching retirement age anyway?

To me, M4A is about everyone BUT retirees. Just lower the eligibility age to zero.

I'm 55 now. Medicare will definitely be a big help a decade from now, but I'll still be carrying the full cost until then and some kind of supplementation after that. It's OK, I'm not complaining about my own lot, but if it's a concern for me in the 1% then it's a true burden to others.

100%. Medicare is available for a good chunk of voters, they have a "fuck you got mine" attitude so nothing better for the rest.

I am very curious to know how "tech pro" changes the AU immigration process. My spouse is actually an AU citizen and it looks like a very complex/expensive/variable process for me to emigrate there. Any info you could pass me would me much appreciated.

And yeah, my retirement plans are based on going somewhere with a sane health care system too...

Are you a US citizen?

Where are you getting the information that Australia is "very easy" to immigrate to as a tech person? That is not my experience from multiple data points, and that was before covid.

One guy I know was denied a renewal to continue working at his company, which should be a steady state formality. He was making a great wage, not eligible for Medicare and the tax bracket is punishing until you have PR. He was a cash cow win/win deal that my country saw fit to pass on.

It may be easier than moving to the US, but compared to NZ or Germany, the other countries I have first hand experience with, it's practically Fort Knox.

In fact it's widely seen as easier to immigrate to NZ first then use that to get to Australia, though that differs with policy changes and your occupation.

I'd recommend NZ anyway, at least if you're semi retiring. The wages aren't great but everything else is better.

Apparently they're making it easier for people in tech post covid - https://ia.acs.org.au/content/ia/article/2020/skilled-tech-m...

This doesn't seem to be making it easier than before, just making an exemption to our current blanket closing of the borders.

Until that confidence is restored (Medicare For All is passed), I have to make plans to live in a functioning nation

Where you will then be a target of U. S. foreign policy. I'm still on the fence about which I'd rather face.

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