Over the last years and months — accelerated by coronavirus — we’ve seen more and more countries, states, and cities actively trying to attract remote workers to come work and live in their area of the world. In the form of visas, cash, tax breaks, or simply better advertising. It’s cool to see this, and I think we will be seeing a lot more of this going forward.
If certain locations achieve to spearhead this movement, the reward for them will be a network effect where these mostly young, ambitious professionals will keep coming back and communities will start to exist — what’s been happening in e.g. Canggu, Bali.
A couple of examples of what I’ve seen happening on this front. (hit me up if you have any more examples I should add)
Greece
“Technology means we can now choose where we live and work,” Alex Patelis, chief economic adviser to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said in comments to Bloomberg. Greece “can now offer tax incentives as well as the sun,” he said.
The Caribbean
“Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Aruba, Puerto Rico, and St. Kitts and Nevis are among those wooing home-bound toilers from abroad. This is distinct from pandemic promotions by some islands to sell second passports at a discount.”
Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
“The first class of hand-picked remote workers moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in exchange for $10,000 and a built-in community. The city might just be luring them to stay.”
Canary Islands
“In a bid to mitigate the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the regional government is investing €500,000 in a campaign to lure Spanish and international home-workers to the archipelago for long-term stays.”
Vermont, USA
“Starting in January 2019, Vermont will pay $10,000 over two years to a small number of remote workers who move there — money that will help cover costs for relocation, computer software and hardware, internet access, and membership to co-working spaces. Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill into law on Wednesday.”
Iceland
“A new escape route has emerged for anyone looking to circumvent second-wave lockdowns. Earlier this month, Iceland quietly rolled out changes to its remote-work visa program for citizens beyond the European Schengen Area. Americans—and any foreign national not required to have a visa to enter Iceland—will be allowed to stay in the Land of Fire and Ice for six uninterrupted months, even while the country’s international borders remain largely shut.
But there’s some fine print: You have to be gainfully employed elsewhere, and earn nearly six figures.”
Dubai, UAE
“The UAE city is opening a new programme for remote workers, allowing you to go to the hotspot and ‘work from home’ there for a year. Successful applicants will be entitled to all of the city’s services, as well as having access to the co-working spaces. Plus, there will be ample opportunity to explore the city’s world-famous beaches, restaurants and landmarks.
The programme costs approximately £217.80, and you’ll also need to pay for health insurance with ‘valid UAE coverage’, as well as a processing fee.”
Georgia (the country)
“‘Remotely from Georgia’, a new state programme that allows foreign citizens to travel to and work remotely from Georgia, has started today. Foreigners from 95 countries will be allowed to apply for the programme if they intend to stay in Georgia for at least 180 days.
Also, they must prove they have the financial ability to pay taxes while staying in Georgia and should have a minimum monthly salary of $2,000.”
