Even as more and more people are choosing to move around the world, there are legitimate reasons why many others still haven’t made their move yet. I went around and asked a few dozen people what factors are holding them back from moving. Here are the top responses.

  1. They would have to find new jobs. Many current employers were not willing to send their employees abroad or let them work remotely. This is especially true at companies that traditionally valued a lot of “face time,” even if the work could be done remotely (think accounting, banking, etc).
  2. Those who have tried looking for jobs abroad found that getting companies to sponsor their visas was not the easiest accomplishment.
  3. Filing taxes is a huge inconvenience, especially for those who have U.S. citizenship and are double-taxed under our archaic tax system.
  4. Many people valued their currently stable lifestyles and saw no reason to risk potentially moving outside of their comfort zones. In other words, they were happy with their career, family, and friends, and did not believe they would stand to gain more utility/satisfaction by living elsewhere.
  5. FOMO.
  6. Many people also listed a lack of support networks in the region they wanted to move to (no friends, family, people who spoke the same language, expats, etc).
  7. Lack of support systems/infrastructure in terms of finding housing, transportation, legal assistance, etc.
  8. Health and safety issues – ranging from healthcare standards, pollution levels, and food sanitation to crime rates and government corruption levels.

While many of these are legitimate concerns, there are ways to overcome these issues. Even more so, we at Teleport believe emerging technologies will be ticking them off one by one in no time.

The easiest solution to 1 & 2 – join a growing startup! Many startups, like 37coins, are actually actively looking to relocate abroad and are more than willing to let employees work remotely. You can also join the growing number of Americans considering giving up their citizenship because the tax laws are just too complex.

What are some things holding you back from moving? If you have experienced some of these issues, how have you overcome them? Leave your answers in the comments below!