Moving to China as a westerner:what should I expect and what do I need to do?
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    King_Simp
    14h ago 100%

    Forwarning:still getting use to lemmy ui so sorry if I fail to address anything.

    Like I prefaced at the start, I'm planning on learning mandarin (through accredited courses. Sorry, I should've specified that)

    And I understand visiting first. Just..well, yknow, the language thing. But I'll do that before moving. Thanks for recommending that bridge to the future program.

    Thank you a lot for the comments on point C, a lot of people have just told me "you need a job for a work visa." Which I get, however I have no experience getting a job outside of my home country so knowing there will be agencies and such is helpful.

    On point H, I understand they don't allow dual citizenship. On renouncing, are saying i shouldn't do that immediately or I shouldn't do it at all? I understand not doing it immediately if I don't like it though, obviously. But assuming that, what changes between a permanent resident and a citizen?

    On the last point, I suppose it's a mix. If it was purely ideological, then I'd book a flight to occupied Korea a sprint across the DMZ tomorrow (/s). However, it also feels like one of the only places that isnt actively getting worse. Had I been born a few years earlier, maybe I'd move to Germany or Scandinavia, but those places also seem to be suffering from similar issues. Cuba would be closer language wise, but the blockade puts a damper on everything there. North korea is pretty isolated and I'd be worried about making a huge mistake by trusting them. Russia suffers from all of these issues and doesn't provide a lot to be desired. Ergo china and Vietnam seem to be the best options considering all of the factors-assuming I am actually able to learn the language. I'm willing to put up with a lot when push comes to shove though.

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  • I tried asking on reddit, but tbh everyone is an asshole over there and were not giving me very detailed answers This is gonna be a fairly complex question with a fairly complex answer, I know. A few things to preface to reassure that I'm not dashing into this without thinking. 1.I am not moving tomorrow. I'm getting my degree in my home country first, and then moving. (Obviously I will ask again when the time comes, since policies and situations can change) 2.I am planning on learning and becoming proficient(if not fluent) in Chinese 3.Im planning on taking internships and will have a degree in an industrial field, so I won't be completely unqualified for potential positions. 4.I know china isn't luxury gay space communism Anyway, what I wanted to ask is a few subquestions in relation to one big overall question. A.What is the process from getting from my country (the usa) to China going to be like? I mean, obviously I'm flying, but I've never moved countries before so I want to know what I'll need to do beforehand, how long the process will take, and what might prevent me from going in the first place B.Is there any specific locations in China that you would recommend? Personally I'm thinking either Shanghai or Chongqing, however I generally just don't know where I'd fit in to start. I understand if I might not be perfect for a recommendation, but if there are some ideas that I could he presented with, I would greatly appreciate it, and I can always move to a different area later (Edit:I'm also from an area with very few natural disasters. Should I move somewhere more inland, or northern, since I don't have experience in preparation and evacuation and such) C.What is the process and what should I expect for getting a job? I live in the US, so how do I go about getting a job offer from a Chinese company to get a work visa. What would make me more viable as a canidate (besides language skills and a degree and experience, obviously) D.The great firewall and such. How worried should I be about what I say, both in person and on social media? Also, how much access will I have to the non-chinese world? I've been told there might be access to VPNs, but I feel like that defeats the purpose of the great firewall, no? E.Services. How does getting access to Healthcare, legal services, etc. Go when I'm not a citizen? F.How worried should I be about day to day life and crime? How much more/less worried should I be about getting mugged/assaulted/burglarized (obviously depending on the area.) G.How do I deal with the inevitable culture shocks I'll have? And finally H.Will there be any possibility of me obtaining Chinese citizenship? If yes, how long will it take, and what will and won't be available for me for the time im not a citizen? I checked the naturalization law, and it says if I'm stateless I can apply for citizenship if I'm "settled," but I dont exactly know what that means. I think that covers everything. I'll add as much detail about myself as I am willing to share online (which isn't a ton). Thank you in advance for any help in this matter.

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