I hope to one day move to Europe and work and live there. Eventually I want to become a citizen of Switzerland (even though naturalisation is 13 years!). However, the Netherlands (NL) looks like an interesting country to live in for a few years. The problem is that there is so much red tape it is nearly impossible. You need to obtain a special permit, but in order to get it you need a place of residence. In order to get a place of residence you need a residence permit, a job and a bank account. For a job you need a home and a permit. For a bank account you need the permit and a home. It is such a ridiculous system that really does not encourage outsiders to come into the NL. So I did some research and apparently the best way to move there is to work for some large multinational company for a while and then ask for a transfer to the Dutch offices (if they have any). Then your company will do all that bloody paperwork. All this bureaucracy began in the last decade because the formerly lax immigration laws created a society that was too culuraly mixed for the Dutch. This is happening all over Europe, the immigration laws are getting tougher. I completely understand that since they are facing issues with Northern African illegal immigrants, but it shouldn't be so difficult for EU and United States citizens to move between countries. It really is a shame and a damper on globalisation.
