Please discuss the practicalities / pitfalls / legalities / challenges etc. involved in the idea of individuals wanting to experience communities in other countries.
It’s a complicated and difficult process (especially more so these days) to legally move from one country to another.
Can (and do) communities ‘sponsor’ foreign nationals to move to their communities? (or in any other way help to remove legal hurdles?)
Usually the first thing a country wants to know is: are you employed? - How do we deal with thinking about moving to a commune where you’re neither officially ‘employed’ in the country’s economy but neither do you represent any kind of burden to the state?
Seems like a total minefield.
Would be good to hear people chime in with their knowledge / experience around this.
usually, in my experience, if you want to remove mostly pointless legalities and still have good, high safety standards, you need to do these things organically & homegrown, using the people and resources you already have access to; and a successful, safe boat is a lot easier to build than a successful, safe airplane.
i don’t think a peripat, for instance, could walk into a regular commercial airport and say “i don’t need a passport, i’m a citizen of everywhere” and get away with that.
About 10 years ago I visited Australia and made some good friends there in the IC movement. I was invited to use the legal process to immigrate, which they would assist with so all our ducks were in a row. It was something I couldn’t do at the time but I have no doubt it can work.
On the other hand, years before that I moved to Italy and did not follow the legal process properly; local friends were more cavalier and as a result I ran into trouble at the border after I’d quite ignorantly and accidentally overstayed my welcome to an extent I couldn’t wrap my mind around. After a discussion at the border they released me to leave Italy but it was strange and frightening.
So I think when it comes to moving to another country, you can certainly rely on building community and relationships but there is an additional factor and that is how cooperative those friends are with the complications and legal process.
Others I heard just “vanished” into various countries, and are living well, but they must avoid the legal system and that’s a perpetual problem for them.
The other major factor I’ve considered when trying to live in Italy, Australia or other places is the fact that even if all legal wrangling is successful, I am now effectively losing some real life connection with my place of origin. No matter how closely we cherish and are cherished by our family and/or chosen family at Point A, we need to factor in the psychological effect of “becoming” someone belonging to Point B. And due to the fact that we are perceived so differently by different people in different surroundings, we ourselves will change. These are not minor considerations for me, even as someone part of nomadic tradition. But YMMV
Maybe I’m no fun, but even though its fun to fantisize about living in other places I wouldn’t ever try and do it. Heck I’m not willing to move out of my own area in my own state, the biggest move I’ve ever made is from one county to another and that was an adjustment for sure. Its really fun to visit other places, but for me with my disabilities and so forth I need familiarity and stability in order to feel safe, family nearby, etc.
For others who want to move internationally some countries are easier to move to than others, so any plans need to be proceded by thorough research unless you are fine with being undocumented and potentially getting kicked out at any time upon being discovered.
