Facepunch, I need your help getting out of this shithole. - General

Ok, so, a little bit of an introduction. As some of you may know, I'm from Venezuela, and I've been living all my life here. You may also know that Venezuela has turned into a literal hellscape where food, water and electricity are scarce, crime and corruption are rampant, and where a significant political crisis (that threatens to become much worse in the future) is currently taking place. In short, it's no place to live in, so I've been actively seeking for ways to leave the country as quickly as possible before it drags me down into the pit it's heading to. A couple of facts about me, before continuing: • I have an European passport due to my father being born there, but I have never resided anywhere in Europe. • I am a programmer, I know a bit of everything, web programming, desktop and mobile app development, video games. I have almost 3 years of professional experience developing mobile apps using Unity, a game engine. • I am currently studying, but the university I am enrolled on is a public university, which has suffered a couple dozen teacher strikes during my time there, amounting to about a year of time lost. I should have graduated by now, but the teacher strikes (which have gone worse over the years) have seriously hampered me to the point that I am still roughly 2 years away from graduating. • I speak, write and read English fluently. I'm mostly self taught, but I can document my proficiency in the language since I've taken the IELTS test before. Spanish is my mother tongue. • I am currently working and have done so for the past couple of years. It is extremely hard for me to save any money though, because Venezuela has a triple digit inflation rate. I also cannot freely convert my savings into foreign currencies (due to bullshit Venezuelan laws), so for all intents and purposes, I am dirt poor if I leave this country. • Since I lack any significant amount of money, I can't go to the UK because of how prohibitively expensive life is over there. Now, I've been actively seeking for ways to leave the country for almost a year now. After some advice from my boss, my parents and friends, I also decided to look for ways to continue my college education abroad, as to have a way to compete in the job market while being a foreigner. I had applied to universities in the US, Denmark and Sweden, Sweden in particular sounded like quite an attractive option because they have undergraduate courses in English, and EU citizens are exempt from tuition fees. Today I got an answer, I was admitted in the [B]Kristianstad University[/B], for their [B]Bachelor Programme in Software Development[/B] course, which starts in August. I am aware that the Kristianstad University isn't the top university of Sweden, nor is it that recognized internationally, but just having a college degree is in my opinion paramount to my goal of leaving Venezuela and never return. Now, [B]here's where you come in Facepunch[/B]. I am aware there is a significant population of European Facepunchers, particularly Swedes, and I happen to need a WHOLE load of information that is quite difficult for me to find out about since I am not a local, I'll put exactly what I need help with in this list: • [B]Job: [/B]My plane ticket expenses alone are over $2000 (More than half my savings), and while tuition may be free, food clearly isn't. So, I need a job, even if it's just part time, so I can have enough cash to pay for rent and food. I am willing to take basically any job, obviously I would highly prefer to work as a programmer as all my skills lie in that field, but I'll take what I can get. • [B]Housing: [/B]All I know about it thus far is that luckily, rent in Kristianstad is much cheaper than in Stockholm. But I don't know of any places that are cheap and affordable, I'm currently seeking for information online, but all the reviews are in Swedish, which also leads me to the next point... • [B]Language: [/B]The university course is in English, yes, but if I'm going to live in Sweden I rather need to learn the language. I don't want to land there not knowing a single word, so if you have any resources or help you can share in that regard, it'd be much appreciated. • [B]Tips, advice, etc: [/B]Like I said, I don't have any family there at all, I am going on my own. I know that life there is clearly better than in Venezuela, but I don't know how anything works, I don't know how public transport there works, for example, I also don't know much about laws, or the government, etc. From information that I've found out on the internet, I don't need a residency permit because I'm an European citizen, but I don't know if I need anything else. Your help would be greatly appreciated. I just want to make sure that I don't fuck any of this up, so I can finally live in a place that isn't a stupid fuckhole where people get shot every day. You can reach me through this email: [email]thefnox@gmail.com[/email], I'll put up a Skype shortly.

How much PHP/JS/MySQL webdev experience do you have? Send me your resume and your portfolio and I might be interested in interviewing you for a programmer position with [url=https://scrap.tf]ScrapTF[/url]

First of all: even if it's not a large one, your university has probably had a lot of foreign students before, and they should have a person or department you can talk to about all of these issues. The student body can probably also help you (whether through some organised support network or just talking to your friends). [QUOTE=Big Bang;50067175] • [B]Language: [/B]The university course is in English, yes, but if I'm going to live in Sweden I rather need to learn the language. I don't want to land there not knowing a single word, so if you have any resources or help you can share in that regard, it'd be much appreciated. [/QUOTE] Western Europeans tend to have a good grasp on English, especially young people, and this goes double for Scandinavia. While Kristianstad may not be a large city, it is a college town. Sure, you'll still wanna learn Swedish, but basic reading/listening skills in Germanic languages aren't that hard to pick up for someone who already speaks English as fluently as you do. So don't be afraid. [QUOTE] • [B]Job: [/B]My plane ticket expenses alone are over $2000 (More than half my savings), and while tuition may be free, food clearly isn't. So, I need a job, even if it's just part time, so I can have enough cash to pay for rent and food. I am willing to take basically any job, obviously I would highly prefer to work as a programmer as all my skills lie in that field, but I'll take what I can get. [/QUOTE] There's two things I can recommend here: internships and scholarships. Fortunately, internships in Europe are very rarely unpaid. Companies in the tech sector like to simultaneously attract young talent for later employment and get some cheap risk-free (but motivated) employees. Since you're a programmer, the language barrier often isn't that high either - European IT professionals tend to be reasonably fluent in English. Multinational corporations may even use it as their primary business language. Being a foreigner is a major selection factor in many scholarship programmes (among with being poor, being a woman, or having high grades). Try applying to a couple. If it's (partially) company-sponsored, the sponsor often actually cares where their money is going and will try to stay in touch with you - which can help you get a job/internship too. Lastly, I'd imagine the Swedish government may offer benefits that you're applicable for, you might wanna look into that if you haven't already. [QUOTE] • [B]Tips, advice, etc: [/B]Like I said, I don't have any family there at all, I am going on my own. I know that life there is clearly better than in Venezuela, but I don't know how anything works, I don't know how public transport there works, for example, I also don't know much about laws, or the government, etc. From information that I've found out on the internet, I don't need a residency permit because I'm an European citizen, but I don't know if I need anything else.[/QUOTE] As for public transport: this depends on the city more than the country. Good luck out there.

For language, as far as I know [URL="https://www.duolingo.com/"]duolingo.com[/URL] is pretty good for learning another language for free, I looked at the website and they do indeed have a "Learn Swedish from English" section For part-time jobs, I have no idea what Sweden is really like as I've never been anywhere near but I imagine part-time work is similar to the UK, so you should be able to find something to do in your spare time if you keep looking. I wish I could help more OP, I wish you all the best in your Scandinavian endeavors

[QUOTE=geel9;50067214]How much PHP/JS/MySQL webdev experience do you have? Send me your resume and your portfolio and I might be interested in interviewing you for a programmer position with [url=https://scrap.tf]ScrapTF[/url][/QUOTE] I'll send you my CV. Admittedly I have a lot more experience with .NET/Node.JS than PHP, but I do have PHP knowledge. [QUOTE=IAreLegend;50067430]For language, as far as I know [URL="https://www.duolingo.com/"]duolingo.com[/URL] is pretty good for learning another language for free, I looked at the website and they do indeed have a "Learn Swedish from English" section For part-time jobs, I have no idea what Sweden is really like as I've never been anywhere near but I imagine part-time work is similar to the UK, so you should be able to find something to do in your spare time if you keep looking. I wish I could help more OP, I wish you all the best in your Scandinavian endeavors[/QUOTE] Thanks, I've downloaded it on my phone, I'll check it out.

You got enrolled in the same university I'll be taking my "Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test" (according to google translate, 'Högskoleprovet' :quotes:) since I live two metric miles or so from Kristianstad and I commute back and fro for studies. Hell, my grandma lives so-so near the central so I'm probably the facepunch-equivalent of an ambassador of that region. So, I'm inclined to believe that you're quite welcome! :saxout: If you wanna ask me questions you can add me on steam, I'm usually on ([url]http://steamcommunity.com/id/SharpSkye[/url]). I can tell you about the public transport system and where to find 'arbetsförmedlingen' (according to google translate, "Employment office" :quotes:) and anything else you'd quite like to know really. :smile:

What Euro passport do you have? Money might not be an issue if the country in question gives handouts. That could do you over for a short while. Your Euro nation may also be bringing expats home for free. Sometimes happens during disasters.

[QUOTE=LaughingOrange;50072348]You got enrolled in the same university I'll be taking my "Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test" (according to google translate, 'Högskoleprovet' :quotes:) since I live two metric miles or so from Kristianstad and I commute back and fro for studies. Hell, my grandma lives so-so near the central so I'm probably the facepunch-equivalent of an ambassador of that region. So, I'm inclined to believe that you're quite welcome! :saxout: If you wanna ask me questions you can add me on steam, I'm usually on ([url]http://steamcommunity.com/id/SharpSkye[/url]). I can tell you about the public transport system and where to find 'arbetsförmedlingen' (according to google translate, "Employment office" :quotes:) and anything else you'd quite like to know really. :smile:[/QUOTE] Hey sure thing, I'll send you a friend request, thanks for the offer. [QUOTE=download;50072477]What Euro passport do you have? Money might not be an issue if the country in question gives handouts. That could do you over for a short while. Your Euro nation may also be bringing expats home for free. Sometimes happens during disasters.[/QUOTE] I have a UK passport, I am in a sort of legal limbo where I'm a citizen of the UK that has never resided anywhere in the UK, so I don't have a National Insurance Number, which I apparently need. I'm seeking on ways that I can get that whole thing sorted out, but as far as I'm aware of, the UK doesn't give any benefits to non residents. The situation in Venezuela is in a similar limbo where it is chaotic enough to warrant me leaving the country ASAP, but not enough for me to be able to ask for asylum for. Venezuela is a failing state, not yet a failed one.

[QUOTE=Big Bang;50073386]Hey sure thing, I'll send you a friend request, thanks for the offer. I have a UK passport, I am in a sort of legal limbo where I'm a citizen of the UK that has never resided anywhere in the UK, so I don't have a National Insurance Number, which I apparently need. I'm seeking on ways that I can get that whole thing sorted out, but as far as I'm aware of, the UK doesn't give any benefits to non residents. The situation in Venezuela is in a similar limbo where it is chaotic enough to warrant me leaving the country ASAP, but not enough for me to be able to ask for asylum for. Venezuela is a failing state, not yet a failed one.[/QUOTE] I have no idea how much research you may have done on getting a National Insurance Number, but for anything governmental in Britain the [URL="gov.uk"]gov.uk[/URL] website is a godsend. By the looks of their page on applying for a National Insurance Number you might need to call them: [url]https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number[/url]

Why don't you just hop the border and come to the US like your buddies did rather than asking us to give you money for free? Mark ~Don't panic, call hanik [highlight](User was permabanned for this post ("Gimmick" - Big Dumb American))[/highlight]

Programming and IT in general are highly sought-after skills in Sweden. Landing a programmer job is not too unrealistic but you might struggle to get an interview without a finished degree. You're likely to at least find plenty of jobs to apply for among IT companies. Not sure what the situation is like in Kristianstad specifically; it's not a very big city (but it's just an hour's drive from Malmö)

You might want to check out the banks as well, buses only take cards nowadays, no cash.

I can't be of much use but most European international companies are seeing people who speak Spanish as a very good trait to have since besides the agriculture industry, the software industry is also rampant and European countries lack people who speak the language. Thought i'd throw that in for ya'

Venezuelan here. I feel you mate. The situation we are living sucks big time and it's only going to get worse I too want to leave and while I could with the money I have saved up I'd rather leave when I have landed a job offer. Else I would still be working from home and the mental burden that is working from home every single day is too much For the record I'm a gameplay programmer / freelancer working with ue4. I have gotten a few job offers abroad already but the companies weren't too promising

[QUOTE=LaughingOrange;50072348]You got enrolled in the same university I'll be taking my "Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test" (according to google translate, 'Högskoleprovet' :quotes:) since I live two [I]metric miles[/I] or so from Kristianstad and I commute back and fro for studies. Hell, my grandma lives so-so near the central so I'm probably the facepunch-equivalent of an ambassador of that region. So, I'm inclined to believe that you're quite welcome! :saxout: If you wanna ask me questions you can add me on steam, I'm usually on ([url]http://steamcommunity.com/id/SharpSkye[/url]). I can tell you about the public transport system and where to find 'arbetsförmedlingen' (according to google translate, "Employment office" :quotes:) and anything else you'd quite like to know really. :smile:[/QUOTE] I'm gonna assume you mean a Scandinavian mile (10km). Either way, when I read the first part of the OP, I instantly thought "Sweden", so it's great that you've been accepted there. If Swedish universities are anything like Danish, I d n't think studying in English will be a big problem - every book I have (and every book we're gonna use) is in English, and we've had a few lectures in English as well. As far as I could get on [url=http://www.csn.se/]this site[/url] you would probably be able to apply for a student loan (and a small amount of money each month) ("studiestöd" in Swedish) if you have legal residency in Sweden, which I suppose you should be able to get fairly easy, since you're a citizen of the EU. Though, you may also have to live up the [url=http://www.csn.se/utomlands/krav]requirements for a Swede studying outside Sweden[/url] on top of that. I'm half Swedish so I'll be glad to help out a bit if you need to figure something out that Google Translate can't.

[QUOTE=werewolf0020;50080537]Venezuelan here. I feel you mate. The situation we are living sucks big time and it's only going to get worse I too want to leave and while I could with the money I have saved up I'd rather leave when I have landed a job offer. Else I would still be working from home and the mental burden that is working from home every single day is too much For the record I'm a gameplay programmer / freelancer working with ue4. I have gotten a few job offers abroad already but the companies weren't too promising[/QUOTE] If I had known I had this option 4 years ago, I would have never bothered trying to finish a college degree in Venezuela. I have wanted to leave for the longest time but several people close to me had convinced me that the right option was to soldier on through the teacher strikes and so forth and try to graduate here. [QUOTE=GoDong-DK;50080570]I'm gonna assume you mean a Scandinavian mile (10km). Either way, when I read the first part of the OP, I instantly thought "Sweden", so it's great that you've been accepted there. If Swedish universities are anything like Danish, I d n't think studying in English will be a big problem - every book I have (and every book we're gonna use) is in English, and we've had a few lectures in English as well. As far as I could get on [url=http://www.csn.se/]this site[/url] you would probably be able to apply for a student loan (and a small amount of money each month) ("studiestöd" in Swedish) if you have legal residency in Sweden, which I suppose you should be able to get fairly easy, since you're a citizen of the EU. Though, you may also have to live up the [url=http://www.csn.se/utomlands/krav]requirements for a Swede studying outside Sweden[/url] on top of that. I'm half Swedish so I'll be glad to help out a bit if you need to figure something out that Google Translate can't.[/QUOTE] Thank you, LaughingOrange had also linked me to that site, I'm currently trying to contact the CSN to find out if I actually qualify for student aid since my situation is really strange.

So, I suppose it's been long enough for a bump updating this thread. I am still looking for accomodation, I am in queue waiting for confirmation for several student housing places, I am still slowly learning Swedish, and I have looked for plane tickets and have several offers bookmarked for late July. The main problem I have is still money. I asked the boss of my current boss, and he said that there is a possibility that I may get a salary in dollars in the future, but that's simply in the air right now, there's nothing certain about that. The government still hasn't announced what they're gonna do with the currency exchange so to this date I still don't know what I can do about my savings in bolivares, it's VERY unlikely that they will make it more lax, so I guess I can just forget about anything other than whatever I can save in dollars right now. I also applied to Facepunch Studios and several other places, but I didn't get an answer. I guess that at this point it would be reasonable to ask for donations, please PM me for information about that if you would like to contribute. I'm thinking of making...[I]Something[/I], possibly Youtube videos, or games, or tutorials, something that I can do in my spare time to compliment my income as I really don't want to leave my current job just in case I do manage to get a salary in dollars.

Shit man, if you would've ended up in Trollhättan, I'd give you housing; pretty lonely after my brother moved out (he had a lot of issues that I helped him with).

[QUOTE=The bird Man;50204189]Shit man, if you would've ended up in Trollhättan, I'd give you housing; pretty lonely after my brother moved out (he had a lot of issues that I helped him with).[/QUOTE] Well thanks for the offer man, I'd be willing to take you up on that offer if I have to leave the country earlier than July, because I really need to find housing at least somewhere in Skåne by then, and I am seriously not having any luck. Does anybody know just how far Lund is from Kristianstad, and would it be possible for me to commute by train every single day? There seem to be far more apartments in Lund than in Kristianstad.

Here, i made a map for you with distance and time to travel. Yes, it's possible to travel with train. [img]http://i.imgur.com/0b3jgAy.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=Big Bang;50204649]Well thanks for the offer man, I'd be willing to take you up on that offer if I have to leave the country earlier than July, because I really need to find housing at least somewhere in Skåne by then, and I am seriously not having any luck. Does anybody know just how far Lund is from Kristianstad, and would it be possible for me to commute by train every single day? There seem to be far more apartments in Lund than in Kristianstad.[/QUOTE] You should be able to commute. [url]https://www.skanetrafiken.se/sok-resa/[/url] Searching the above for shuttle train departures, it seems like you could for example do a 53 minute commute between the central stations: [img]http://i.imgur.com/aCRY9PM.png[/img] If you're studying you would be eligible for a discount, too: [url]http://www.mecenat.se/studentrabatter/resa/lokaltrafik/skanetrafiken[/url]

[QUOTE=RB33;50205218]Here, i made a map for you with distance and time to travel. Yes, it's possible to travel with train. [img]http://i.imgur.com/0b3jgAy.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] What are the ticket prices like in Sweden? Here in Denmark a kinda similar trip (Odense to Copenhagen) just jumped from 600kr (or well, basically any trip from your home to where you study) to ~1400kr a month because of dumb government decisions. Pretty much just curious about how Sweden handles this.

[QUOTE=GoDong-DK;50205463]What are the ticket prices like in Sweden? Here in Denmark a kinda similar trip (Odense to Copenhagen) just jumped from 600kr (or well, basically any trip from your home to where you study) to ~1400kr a month because of dumb government decisions. Pretty much just curious about how Sweden handles this.[/QUOTE] Seems like for this particular trip you need a travel pass that covers the entirety of Skåne, which costs 1249 SEK per 30 days. Very similar to where I live, prices really took a hike over the last couple of years.

[QUOTE=sam6420;50205558]Holy shit that's expensive.[/QUOTE] Yeah, it's pretty crazy. Slightly cheaper than a car I believe in terms of fuel, tax and insurance (if you consider that you can travel freely with any bus or train anywhere in the region), but if you do happen to own a car you usually won't have a travel pass.

[QUOTE=Im Crimson;50205832]Yeah, it's pretty crazy. Slightly cheaper than a car I believe in terms of fuel, tax and insurance (if you consider that you can travel freely with any bus or train anywhere in the region), but if you do happen to own a car you usually won't have a travel pass.[/QUOTE] Yeah to be fair it's expensive as shit to get a car in Denmark compared to Sweden, but it really is pretty ridiculous.

[QUOTE=Im Crimson;50205451]You should be able to commute. [url]https://www.skanetrafiken.se/sok-resa/[/url] Searching the above for shuttle train departures, it seems like you could for example do a 53 minute commute between the central stations: [img]http://i.imgur.com/aCRY9PM.png[/img] If you're studying you would be eligible for a discount, too: [url]http://www.mecenat.se/studentrabatter/resa/lokaltrafik/skanetrafiken[/url][/QUOTE] Great stuff, thank you, if I end up spending less on the commute than in rent in Kristianstad I might as well just start looking for places in Lund where they're plentiful. I'm in the waiting list for a room in 5 different student housing buildings though, so I'll have an answer about where I'm staying soon.

$2000 for a plane ticket sounds really high.. And the housing situation here is fucked, good luck if you ever find something :pudge:

So, another update! I have purchased my plane ticket, and I have secured student housing in Kristianstad, so I am indeed getting out of the country now. I am leaving on the 6th of July. During the time though, Venezuela's situation has taken a turn for the worse and it seems like a coup is imminent. I fear for my family, and I don't want to run through the family's savings, so that they are able to leave themselves if things go south. I am listing all of my expenses thus far. * [B]Plane tickets:[/B] $910 USD for a Caracas-Bogota-Madrid round trip (The return ticket is for the 30th of September, this is as a safeguard in case I am unable to stay in Sweden due to any unforeseen problems), plus $125 for the flight from Madrid to Copenhagen. The train from Copenhagen to Kristianstad costs $30 USD * [B]Rent:[/B] 3159 SEK ($378 USD) a month, the tenants ask for 3 months in advance, which amounts to $1134 USD * [B]Furniture: [/B] The room is unfurnished, I estimate that furnishing it will be around $400 (Thank god for IKEA) * [B]Food:[/B] Estimated to be around $200-$300 USD. At this point I need to spend $2399 USD just to get to Kristianstad, plus around $700 USD a month to be able to live there. I am still talking with my current employer to see if I can work online for them while I am studying in Sweden but I have nothing definite yet. I'm still sending emails to other places but the search has been rather dire yet. I'd be of course perfectly willing to work part time at ANYWHERE in Sweden once I get there, mostly because I have to, since I simply don't have the savings to stay in Sweden for longer than 3 months without producing cash. If you're willing to donate something to help me out getting set up, please PM me for more information.

If you need a job you should check out studentconsulting: [URL="http://www.studentconsulting.com/se/jobs/workforus"]http://www.studentconsulting.com/se/jobs/workforus[/URL] They are a huge staffing agency that focuses on students. You can search for jobs at the site or register your CV and they will call if you match one of their clients. I think you have a fair chance at finding work, I live southwest of Malmö and I'm always annoyed by all the truck and IT helpdesk jobs I can't get because I'm not currently a student. If you get good at Swedish I'm almost certain you can get a job with you background in programming.

[QUOTE=Big Bang;50351429]* [B]Food:[/B] Estimated to be around $200-$300 USD.[/QUOTE] buy food at lidl or willys in bulk, it's way cheaper that way and stay away from instant noodles