If you are thinking about moving abroad, the question isn't really "where would you like to go?" but "which countries might allow you to immigrate". If you are an EU citizen, you probably already know that you can move to any of the other countries, similarly if you are an Australian or NZ citizen you can move to the other country under the Trans-Tasman agreement, and if you are a British or Irish citizen you can swap countries through the Common Travel Area. But what are some of the other options?

Irish citizenship – can live and work in the European Union, Switzerland and in the UK If you have a parent or grandparent who was born on the island of Ireland before 2005, you may be able to gain Irish citizenship. If your claim is through a parent, then you are a citizen and can apply for a passport. If your claim is through a grandparent, you need to apply to the registry of foreign births to get Irish citizenship first. The registry of foreign births is currently taking around 9 months to process applications but is otherwise relatively straightforward.

• Irish citizenship

Italian, Spanish or Portuguese citizenship – can live and work in the European Union and Switzerland If you have a parent or grandparent who was an Italian, Spanish or Portuguese citizen, you may be able to gain Italian, Spanish or Portuguese citizenship respectively. This can be a reasonably time-consuming route in relation to the supporting documents and may benefit legal assistance. Italian law changed earlier this year; it used to be much more generous in relation to how far back your Italian ancestor could be. Spanish law is changing later this year.

• Reddit Italian citizenship
• Spain Ley de Memoria Democrática (in Spanish)
• Obtaining Portuguese nationality

German citizenship – can live and work in the European Union and Switzerland If you are the descendant of a person who lost their German citizenship due to Nazi persecution, you may be able to (re-)naturalise as a German citizen. You will need to gather documents to prove that the 'reference person' was a German citizen, that they lost their citizenship in one of four ways between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945, and that you are their descendent. Finding out what happened to your relatives in the Holocaust can be more traumatic than people expect, and not everyone who begins the process chooses to gain German citizenship.

• Naturalization of victims of Nazi persecution

Digital nomad visa – live and work in the country that issued the visa Estonia, Portugal, Thailand, ,... If you are a remote worker, you may be able to get a digital nomad visa for an increasing list of countries. This will allow you to live for an extended period of time while earning an income from remote work carried out for a foreign company. Details vary between countries.

• Estonia digital nomad
• Portugal digital nomad visa guide
• Destination Thailand visa
• List of countries potentially offering digital nomad visas

Skilled immigration visa – can live and work in the country that issued the visa Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, UK,... People with the right skills and experience may be able to apply for a visa that allows them to live in the issuing country without having a job offer. The length of the visa varies significantly depending on the country – Germany offers a 6-month job seeker visa, while Canada offers some immigrants immediate permanent residency. These countries typically have a route to citizenship although this may take up to 10 years.

• Australian skilled immigration
• Austria very highly qualified workers
• Canada skilled immigration
• German job seeker visa
• Ireland critical skills employment
• New Zealand skilled residence pathways
• Norway job seeker visa explained
• UK skilled worker

NAFTA/CUSMA visa – can live and work in the USA, Canada or Mexico If you are a Canadian, Mexican or US citizen whose occupation is on the relevant list, you can apply for a visa allowing you to live and work in one of the other two countries for three years. In theory this is renewable indefinitely, although it is at the discretion of the authorities. There is a similar provision

• Canada T23 visa
• USA TN visas

UK ancestry visa – live and work in the UK, with a route to citizenship If you have Commonwealth citizenship, and one of your grandparents was born in the UK, you may be able to apply for a UK ancestry visa. This gives you the right to live and work in the UK for 5 years and can be renewed indefinitely. After 5 years of continuous residence in the UK, you can apply for British citizenship which also allows you to live and work in Ireland.

• UK ancestry visa

Student visa – study in the country that issued the visa with a route to a work permit Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, many European countries Study for a degree in a foreign country and they may allow you to stay once you have graduated to look for work. There is usually a time limit on how long you can stay before you need to switch to a different type of visa. The time limit is typically somewhere between 6 months and 2 years. Will need to demonstrate proficiency in the language of the relevant country. Work visa with a job offer – work in a specific job in the country that issued the visa More or less everywhere In most countries it is possible to get a work visa if you have a job offer. Often, your prospective employer must be able to show that there was no one suitably qualified for the job in the country. Working holidaymaker visas – live and work temporarily in the country that issued the visa Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan,... If you are young (under 30 or possibly 35) you may be able to apply for a working holidaymaker visa. The most popular destination might be Australia where citizens from a long list of eligible countries are able to get a 1- or 2-year visa. Depending on the specifics of the programme, there may or may not be an opportunity to transition to a longer-term visa. Probably best thought of as a temporary option.