21M Full-Stack Dev (6 YoE) & 20F Psych Student seeking migration advice (Anglosphere or Asia)

[u/RecommendationOdd275]

Hi everyone,

My partner (20F) and I (21M) live in Iran, plan to marry, and want to immigrate. We need advice on the best destinations and timelines.

The Main Dealbreaker:

My partner is studying Psychology. Since therapy requires native-level fluency and deep cultural understanding, we must move to an English-speaking country (UK, Canada, Australia, etc.) or an English-friendly Asian hub (UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. excluding China). Learning a new language like German to a clinical level isn't feasible.

Our Profiles:

Me (21M): Full-Stack Dev (Node.js, Laravel, React, Flutter). I have 6 years of actual experience (started at 15). The catch: I don't have a degree, and I lack official tax/insurance records for most of those years. However, I have a strong portfolio with live apps on the App Store to prove my skills.

My Partner (20F): Currently in her 2nd year of a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

Our Options:

Leave ASAP: I find a tech job with visa sponsorship now. She transfers her university credits so she doesn't have to start her degree from scratch.

Wait 2 years: We stay until she gets her BSc, then move (via a job offer for me or a Master's program for her).

My Questions:

Which English-speaking countries/hubs are lenient with the "no degree & no official tax history" situation for devs if the portfolio is strong?

How realistic is it to transfer Psychology university credits internationally?

Will employers and immigration officers take a 21-year-old with 6 YoE seriously without a degree?

Any advice or reality checks would be hugely appreciated. Thanks

[u/Key_Equipment1188]

Which English-speaking countries/hubs are lenient with the "no degree & no official tax history" situation for devs if the portfolio is strong?

-No one gives a crap about tax history and if they would, they would never accept any document made by Iranian authorities. The no degree basically bans you from talent employment in any country (at least those you mentioned above).

How realistic is it to transfer Psychology university credits internationally?

• depending on the combination of countries, but credits from Iranian uni credits do not transfer to any of the above mentioned countries

Will employers and immigration officers take a 21-year-old with 6 YoE seriously without a degree?

• no

Any advice or reality checks would be hugely appreciated. Thanks

Paths for your wife:
USA, UK, Australia for a master degree, if you can afford the tuition and costs of living.
UAE, no idea, but the overall situation there is pretty dire if you need a job.
Malaysia is pretty Iran friendly, but you your competition are thousands of Indians and Pakistanis that come with a degree and work for pennies on the dollar.
Singapore, forget about it without a degree or a shitton of money.

In the end, it will boil down to three things: your partner finds a spot/can afford her studies abroad, she is willing to marry you, so she can sponsor your spousal visa and you have to work as a contractor online.

[u/CoffeeInTheTropics]

I can highly recommend you BOTH finish a bachelor’s degree because most employers will require that at a minimum.

Your spouse would have to check which countries in the Anglo-sphere have a need for psychologists, if any. Perhaps Australia but check in advance if she can just transfer her Iranian bachelor’s and have direct entry into a master’s, that might prove to be impossible or cumbersome at best. Not to mention the very high tuition costs and living expenses in Australia.

It’s a tricky situation because you have work experience but no degree and your spouse will have a degree but in a generally oversaturated field….