While the economy in the Middle East has suffered some shocks and setbacks (as we saw in Dubai recently) the wealth of the region is still based on oil – and oil is still incredibly in demand. That means a whole raft of support infrastructures have grown up around the industry, from financial services to IT positions and legal services that are relatively secure compared to many similar positions in Europe.

Of course, making the leap isn’t exactly like taking a job that involves a bit of a commute. If you decide to move out there, you’re typically looking at a permanent or semi-permanent move. Contracts of 6-18 months are commonplace, but many people find themselves staying there for years.

Luckily, Western workers are well catered for. An increasingly outward-looking society, the UAE has gone to great pains to established Western-style amenities like shopping malls, golf courses, English language TV and consequently has developer a thriving expatriate community.

Many people thinking of living and working abroad feel that the biggest problem will be losing touch with the folks back home. Now, thanks to innovations such as Skype and video messaging, catch-ups with family and friends are easy and cheap. In fact, not only that, but your family can always come to visit you, thanks to the wide availability of cheap flights to Riyadh or other population centres in the region.

If you’re thinking of making the move, then there a whole raft of other complications, but it’s an increasingly practical move for many thousands of Brits and you should no longer just rule it out out of hand.

If a foreign individual wishes to apply for a short-term visa US service and the country of origin is not included in the USA waiver scheme, they will have to obtain a B1 Business Visa or present a B2 Travel Visa application.

However, if you intend spending a longer period in the USA and want to be able to work in the country, you need to apply for a L1 Visa or H1-B Visa.

Businessmen wishing to invest in the USA should apply for an E1 or E2 Visa. Both have a validity of up to five years and provide the holder with the opportunity to apply for a Green Card.

For long-term stays, there are several routes that can be taken, including visas based on employment, family ties and the annual “Green Card Lottery.”

Employees with exceptional abilities in their field of work apply for EB1 and EB2 visas.

As with EB1 and EB2, the EB3, EB4 and EB5 visas are all employment-based routes designed to permit qualifying foreigners to submit an application for permanent residency.

Foreign individuals may also obtain a Green Card through categories specific to familial relationship, such as sibling, parent, fiancé and spouse or through the annual lottery, which is intended to allow candidates from under-represented countries to live and work in the US.

A popular application route to work in Canada is through the Federal Skilled Worker Class visa, which is targeted at individuals with considerable business experience and occupational skills. The process works by way of a self-assessment guide that makes use of a points system. This takes account of various personal factors in order to determine a person’s fitness to qualify for immigration. There is also the Entrepreneur programme, which encourages commerce building and applicants taking this route must demonstrate that they are willing to invest or pursue a business venture that will contribute to Canadian society and the economy of the country. A related programme is the Immigrant Investor Programme, which encourages direct investment in a government or province sponsored venture.

Another possibility is the Provincial Nomination Programme. In this case, the province or employer will nominate specific applicants and apply them for sponsorship. Canadian family-based immigrant nominations made for the Canadian Family Visa, allow for Canadian citizens to sponsor their foreign relatives.

If you wish to study in the country, a Canadian Study Visa is required for candidates taking courses lasting for six months or more.

Canada is a country where the opportunities to grow and develop are as boundless as its vast landscapes.

An immigrant visa is required for foreigners who are planning to live permanently in the USA, regardless of whether or not they intend to seek employment. They have to be sponsored by a US based employer or a relative who is a US citizen in order to qualify for an immigrant visa.

The immigration authority usually requires an Affidavit of Support from aliens sponsored by US based relatives or US employers, as proof of financial capacity of either the petitioner or the sponsoring parties. By filing this form, the petitioner or his sponsor is guaranteeing that the immigrant will not be a fiscal burden on the US government. Where the affidavit should be submitted depends on whether the party being sponsored is inside or outside the USA.

A non-immigrant USA visa is required from foreigners who are planning to travel to the country and to stay there for a short period of time. Petitioners may cite reasons such as tourism, medical care, business travel, college education, student exchange programmes, temporary employment, concerts, news coverage and diplomatic or state visits, among others.

The three main types of temporary work visa are H1B, (Specialty Occupation Visa), L1 (Intra-Company Transfer Visa) and E (Treaty Trader or Treaty Investor Visa). The H-1B Visa provides a three-year residency for contractual workers, though the duration may be extended. L1s are aimed at managerial employees who must be relocated to the US branch of their employer, while E visas are intended for investors, be they individuals or corporations.

The ability of immigrants to work in the UK depends on what type of visa the individual has and what restrictions, if any, have been placed on it. If the foreign national is highly skilled and is seeking employment in the UK, without any restriction, he or she should apply for a Tier 1-General Skilled Visa. Foreign nationals who are sponsored by a UK-based company will need to obtain a Tier 2 Work Permit. Anyone already living and working in the country for a limited period and that wishes to live here permanently should consider Indefinite Leave to Remain or ILR. The Post Study Work visa, allows the holder to remain in the UK to work for a limited time after studying in the country.

When first starting to work in the UK, the employer of an immigrant will provide a written contract detailing salary, sick pay, holidays and pension benefits. The pay should not be less than the national minimum wage and it is usual that at least four weeks annual holiday pay be provided.

In the UK, it is the job of the Home Office and its subdivision, the UK Border Agency, to handle immigration processes and grant UK visas.

If you are a skilled worker, the country is easy to enter and readily grants Canadian visas. These visas can be classified into two, permanent and temporary. The Skilled Worker Class Canadian visa is classes as permanent, which means that you can get to work in the country for as long as you wish. Applying for this type of visa requires you to take an aptitude test in which you must achieve a score of at least 67 points. You should be aware that the Skilled Worker Class Canadian visa may eventually lead to permanent residency.

Canada also recognises the ability of students to play their part in the workforce and therefore allows foreign students to work and study in the country through the Canadian Working Holiday visa. The Canadian government will let you stay and work for a limited time in the country and will even help you find good lodgings.

However, if you are only interested in visiting the country to take a vacation, the Canadian visa is easy to obtain, as long as you are healthy, which just requires medical certificates and examination papers and are willing to submit to Canadian laws. Other documents include valid passport, proof of identity, in the form of valid IDs and driving licences. Under certain circumstances you might need a letter of invitation from the Canadian Embassy in your country of origin.

Work permits are not transferable, so each foreign worker must apply for a personal visa in order to move to Canada. An individual’s immigration status can be changed during the lifetime of a work permit. When considering dependents, a work visa also allows them to move to Canada along with the principal holder. However, dependents must secure work visas for themselves in order to work in Canada.

To apply for a work permit, you must wait for the announcement of the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) concerning the availability of overseas job openings. You then send your visa request to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and if your prospective employer is in Quebec, you also need to secure approval from the provincial immigration authority.

There are certain professionals who can enter Canada, albeit for only a brief stay, without a work visa. They include airline inspectors, expert witnesses and investigators, government representatives or diplomats, reporters and flight attendants.

If a foreign individual wishes to obtain a US visa for a short period of time, they should apply for a B1 business visa or submit an application for a B2 travel visa. For those who intend living and working in the country for an extended period of time, an L1 visa or H1B visa application should be submitted.

Foreign individuals who wish to establish their own business in the USA should request an E1 or E2 visa application. E1 and E2 visas have a maximum validity of five years and both offer the holder an opportunity to apply for a US Green Card.

For foreigners who are planning to move to the USA to live permanently, there are several routes open to them, based on family relationship, the American “Green Card Lottery,” and employment opportunities.

If taking the employment opportunities route, the EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5 visas allow holders to apply for permanent residency in the country.

An individual may also apply for a Green Card if he or she has a sibling, parent, spouse or fiancé already residing in the country.

Another option is the annual US “Green Card Lottery”, which randomly chooses candidates from under-represented countries to live and work in the country.

Moscow has an efficient railway system serving Prague, Warsaw, Helsinki and Budapest. Other lines connect the city with Athens, Amsterdam, Tallinn, Brussels, Berlin, Bucharest, Paris, Riga, Vilnius, Frankfurt and Venice.

Travel within the city is efficient and simple for visitors, with the Metro underground system, trams and buses, which are usually available from 5:30am to 12:30am. The Metro network has over 150 terminals and passengers can pay their fare by cash or use multi-trip plastic cards and season passes. Route-taxis are available between 8:00am and 10:00pm. There are also a number of car rental car services available, with weekly rates starting from around US$60.

Tourist destinations abound in Moscow include museums like the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, Tretyakov Gallery and Gorky House Museum. Lenin’s Mausoleum is to be found in historic Red Square, which is also home to the statues of key political and military figures from the Soviet era. The square is also the location of the world-renowned GUM department store and historic St. Basil’s Cathedral.

Tour operators offer a wide range of specialist travel packages, such as to cultural centres, a stay with a Muscovite family and luxury trips to St. Petersburg.

You will need to apply for a traveller’s visa from the Azerbaijan Embassy. More information can be found at their website (www.azembassy.org.uk), but it is a fairly straight-forward and relatively painless process.

Any travellers coming to Azerbaijan for the first time will want to stick to the capital city of Baku. You can fly in direct, and accommodation is easy to find. Travel will be by bus and taxi. The city is a maze of old mixed in with new, and is a sheer delight to immerse yourself in.

The modern gardens and fountains, combined with elegant seaside spots along the Caspian Sea and contemporary restaurants are beginning to bring this country into the spotlight as one of the premier destinations within the Caucasus region. But it is also the rich history of this city that draws the tourists in.

The ancient fortress that makes up the centre of the city is a maze of narrow valleys and ancient buildings, along with a mosque, palace, and minaret that date back from the 11th century. There are also dozens of locations scattered around the countryside, such as the area around Gobustan where you can view literal graffiti carved into the cave walls by the Roman legionnaires of Alexander the Great’s army from the 4th century BC … 2000 year old carvings!

Be warned though: travel outside of Baku will require plenty of planning and hiking as buses do not travel everywhere, driving is not recommended, and hotel accommodation can be sparse. Still, for an adventure out in the far reaches of Europe, you will not find a more exhilarating time.