bpp said:Aren't permanent residence permits available in any of the countries discussed here? (Besides the US.) Not right off the bat, but as an eventual possibility, at least?
Bpp
Most places have some form of "permanent" residence status- conditions will vary from country to country. From my own experience/knowledge, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the EU certainly have a process to acquire a "permanent" status prior to completing the conditions necessary to acquire citizenship, should one so desire.
bearkeley said:Not sure if anyone else has researched the Philippines or not...
My parents retired there and are living on $1k a month -- house, food, car, entertainment and 5 maids! It's definitely warm and with the low low cost of living, they are able to get a local insurance plan with a catastrophic plan in the US.
We're planning on looking into it as a possible ER destination....some security issues in certain places, not to mention the over population thing...but the beaches are supposed to be beautiful!
Suprised to see that no one's mentioned Costa Rica --- visited there recently and is definitely on our list....
I know several people who have shifted residence to the Philippines - very cheap, nice weather and beaches BUT - rampant corruption, lots of domestic crime, particularly in the cities/metropolitan areas and local disputes/feuds have an alarming tendency to escalate to violence and shootings. Also, foreigners are not permitted to own real estate and the legal system is a complete shambles. Cebu is a lovely place for a vacation though.
Howard - you seem a bit alarmist in your comments on Australia - crocs and poisonous spiders and all. These hazards are largely inland and away from the cities/populated areas - bear in mind that overwhelming majority of the Australian population lives on or very near the coast, over 90% of the land, the outback, is not populated at all.
Cheers,
Honkie