Immigrating to Vanuatu: Listening to Vanuatu immigration stories: My job involves researching China's politics and economy. The pressures of life in Beijing, the terrible air and water, the crowded subways, the indifferent interpersonal relationships, and the lack of trust had long ago left me with no lingering attachment to China. Consequently, I began to consider immigration. I wanted to find a paradise for myself and my family. Since 2011, I have been searching for a suitable place to immigrate. Because I am not a wealthy tycoon, it is quite difficult to go to the United States, Canada, or Australia. I looked at a world map and searched Baidu Baike to see if I could find a reliable place. In the process of searching and researching, the first conclusion I reached was: immigrate as early as possible. The logic is simple: if 10% of Chinese people want to immigrate in the future, which country could accommodate so many people? The threshold for immigration will certainly be raised very high. In fact, history has proven that if you act early, it is not difficult to go to Canada or Australia. Ten years ago, you could immigrate to Canada with 1 million RMB. This deeply stimulated me to hurry up with my research and find an ideal country for myself as soon as possible.
The place of my dreams should be picturesque, with spring-like weather, stable politics, simple folk customs, convenient living, and clear laws. Of course, the immigration threshold for this country should be low. Ultimately, the country that scored high in my selection system is called "Vanuatu." It is a country I was unfamiliar with in the past, but am now very familiar with. It is also because of this country that I have made many good friends.
There are quite a few Chinese people in Vanuatu. Among the 60,000 permanent residents in the capital, Port Vila, there are over 1,000 Chinese. 90% of the retail industry in Vanuatu is in the hands of Chinese people. Chinese who went there more than a decade ago have all made a fortune; a small shop could actually generate a net profit of 2 million RMB a year. In recent years, competition has intensified, and a shop now earns an average of only 200,000 RMB.
I am a cautious person and have had many worries, but fortunately, my concerns have all been resolved.
At first, I worried, would Vanuatu sink into the ocean one day? Later, I learned that Vanuatu is a volcanic island, and only coral islands are prone to sinking. Local surveyors told me that my idea was ridiculous.
I worried about the frequent earthquakes in Vanuatu. I did not encounter any during my two visits. Locals told me that earthquakes are actually not frequent, and a man in his sixties told me that as far as he could remember, no one had ever died or even been seriously injured in an earthquake.
I worried about the typhoons mentioned online between December and April. I visited in December and March respectively, and there were no issues at all. I also worried about mosquitoes, but there are actually far fewer mosquitoes there than in China. I worried about education, but in fact, there are two international schools there. The plot of land I bought is right next to an English school, a ten-minute walk away; the school has over 200 students, and the teachers are all white. Moreover, there is a university on the island, and its law department is quite famous; graduates can find jobs in Australia and New Zealand.
I also worried about medical issues, but later I was relieved. First, there are many clinics run by white people locally. Second, for minor illnesses, you can seek free treatment from the Chinese medical team. If surgery is required, then one would have to fly back to China. At first, I struggled with this point for a long time. Later, a friend in the United States said that even in the U.S., people who need urgent surgery often return to their home countries because free medical care in the U.S. requires waiting in line, sometimes for half a month, which is too long to wait. Private hospitals are too expensive. I met a Korean shop owner in Vanuatu who said that the air here is fresh, the food is healthy, and he has been here for 18 years without ever getting sick.
I have already bought two plots of land there. One is a farm with many coconuts, lemons, oranges, and tangerines. I also asked a friend to help me plant papayas, lychees, avocados, ice cream beans, breadfruit, and sandalwood. The other is a school district property, which I plan to use for my little girl's schooling in the future.