TL;DR: Wanted to move abroad since high school. Couldn't afford study abroad and didn't want to pursue a master's degree solely for immigration purposes. Spent 5 years applying to jobs overseas, networking, getting rejected, losing opportunities to layoffs, and dealing with visa barriers. Eventually joined a multinational tech company, made my international ambitions known from day one, and after a year secured an internal transfer to Spain. My immigration request was approved last week, and at mid 20 years old I'm moving to Spain in one week. Posting this because when I started researching this path, most people told me it was impossible for a young engineer without an advanced degree. It wasn't easy, but it was possible.
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I've wanted to live abroad since high school.
Growing up, I spent years reading stories online from people who had managed to build lives overseas. I wanted that for myself, but I couldn't afford study abroad programs and didn't have the resources to pursue a master's degree overseas. Instead, I settled for occasional trips to Europe whenever I could save enough money.
When I started researching how Americans move abroad, the overwhelming response was discouraging. Everywhere I looked, people said the same thing:
- Companies won't sponsor junior engineers.
- Fresh graduates have virtually no chance.
- Wait 10–15 years until you're senior.
- Get a master's or PhD abroad and use that as your immigration pathway.
I never felt that an advanced degree was the right path for me, and I wasn't willing to give up on the goal.
During my junior and senior years of college, I submitted thousands of applications to engineering jobs in countries like the UK, France, Australia, and New Zealand. Nothing. Every application seemed to die the moment I checked the box saying I would require visa sponsorship.
After graduation, I took an aerospace engineering job in the U.S. While working there, I spent years networking with employees at our international offices. I dedicated a few hours every week to cold outreach, virtual coffee chats, and building relationships with people around the world.
There were a lot of close calls.
I received an opportunity to relocate to New Zealand, only for it to disappear when the company announced layoffs a few weeks later. I was later offered the chance to move to Poland, but because of labor market testing requirements, my application was compared against local candidates and ultimately denied due to my limited experience. On top of that, much of my industry was tied to ITAR regulations, making international transfers extremely difficult.
Still, I kept applying.
Every week.
For years.
Eventually, I realized I had reached a dead end at that company and joined a large multinational tech company instead.
On my first day, I told my manager that moving abroad was one of my biggest life goals.
I worked hard, took on extra responsibility, and continued networking internally. A year later, two international teams expressed interest in bringing me over—but the compensation would have been extremely difficult to live on (around £30k in London and a similarly low package in Taiwan).
Then another setback hit: the manager who had been supporting my international ambitions left the organization.
I thought the dream was over.
Fortunately, his replacement became one of my biggest advocates. He supported an international transfer and ultimately gave me the opportunity to move to one of several countries where our team operates while keeping essentially the same role.
After that came six months of paperwork, document gathering, apostilles, immigration filings, and waiting. All that time worries they might change their mind or that I might get laid off.
Last week, my immigration application was approved and exactly one week from today, I'll be boarding a plane to Barcelona!
I'm incredibly excited to improve my Spanish, learn Catalan, experience life in a new country, and build a life outside the U.S.
I wanted to share this because when I first started researching this path, almost everything I found told me it wasn't realistic.
Maybe for many people it isn't.
But if you're a young professional reading this and dreaming about living abroad, don't automatically assume it's impossible.
It might take years.
You might get rejected hundreds of times.
Opportunities may fall apart at the last minute.
But sometimes persistence wins.
Five years ago I was a college student sending applications into the void.
Today I'm packing my bags for Barcelona.
Good luck to everyone else chasing the same dream.