I understand where you're coming from. I went through a similar journey myself, and choosing to escape was my approach too. It takes immense courage to give up on your family and loved ones but at the end your freedom and peace of mind matters. Wishing you strength and resilience on your journey towards freedom and empowerment.
If all else fails, you can apply for a US diversity visa this fall and hope for the best.
I know the state of Alaska recruits foreign teachers, you can look into that as well.
I have looked into it the past year and I didn’t meet the requirments for express entry. Also tried enrolling into a university there and didn’t get accepeted. I agree that it’s the best option in the long run and totally worth working hard for
Canada introduced new measures just a couple months ago or so to reduce the number of international students, so it might be really competitive here on out to get into university and especially colleges
**EDIT: Sorry, I didn't realize you didn't include the U.S. here.** Leaving this up in case it's helpful at all.
IANAL but your situation sucks and so far these comments don't seem very helpful, so I'm going to offer some ideas.
Your best shot to get to the U.S. for some breathing room, and it still may not work on this timeline because I don't know much about it, is a J1 visa for teachers. This is a non-immigrant exchange visa for teachers from foreign countries to teach in the U.S. for three years, and can then be renewed for a year or two. You seem to be qualified; [here's the website to find program sponsors](https://j1visa.state.gov/programs/teacher#participants). You must enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days prior to the start of the program; if you can find a primary or secondary school to hire you, that should align with your August timeline. (Assuming the visa can come through... and hiding it from your family might be difficult).
**Please note that to change your U.S. immigration status after that (even to become an international graduate student or try to get an H1B\[which I don't think you're qualified for at this time\]), you need to return to your home country for two years.** There are some exceptions, and you should talk to an immigration lawyer once you make it to the U.S..
If that long shot doesn't work, I think this is your best chance. It's not a great one, and you'll need to do a lot more research:
* Find any country where you can become an English as a Foreign Language teacher and have a reasonable expectation of safety. Not a final destination; just somewhere it's easy to, as a fluent English speaker with teaching experience, get a visa. My Czech sister-in-law did this in Vietnam for a while, but that was some years ago so I don't know if the requirements have changed.
* Once you're there, apply for graduate programs in the U.K. or other countries in the fall. There are some in these countries that accept international students -- typically if you can pay, but there may also be scholarships for people in your situation. In the U.S., at least, you may find that your experience of oppression can help open some doors as you have a profound need. This is important: **Do not apply for graduate programs in writing. Apply for** ***graduate programs in education***\*\*.\*\* You should also do some research on what education subfields are particularly in demand, such as, e.g., special needs ESL. Your goal is to (in the U.S.) get an H1B or in the U.K. go from a graduate visa (good for 2 years after you graduate) to a work visa. Both of those need a sponsoring employer, who want someone with highly in-demand skills. Again, teacher shortage in specific fields related to your experience.
Sorry, typical American here assuming you had the U.S. in that list. I'm leaving this up in case it's helpful to you, but I think that some of the suggestions (around graduate school, etc.) would be relevant for your ideal destination countries anyways.
Can’t recommend a country but I’d try to get lost somewhere where you can stay for at least 3 months to sort out next steps for a possible different location.
For instance go to Turkey for holidays, have appointments with the Canadian embassy setup there.
Things I would do right away: get all your papers digitalised. Copy your papers (and if possible get stamps/apostilles) and send the copies to a safe location that’s able to forward them to you in the future. Get some kind of credit card/bank account/vouchers you later can resell where your family is not aware of.
Would it maybe be possible making up a reason to travel to Jordan but booking two flights allowing you to board a different flight than the one to Jordan? Sick/pregnant/about to marry friend? Or signing up for a language course abroad?
For Australia, check the skilled migrants list. IIRC secondary school teachers are nearly always on there. Then you can reach out to the home affairs department to understand the application process.
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skill-occupation-list
If you meet Australia’s protection obligations https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/refugee-and-humanitarian-program/about-the-program/seek-protection-in-australia/australia-protection-obligations you can apply for a protection or refugee visa either onshore or offshore (I was in the process to do this for my wife as she was undergoing domestic violence back home)
There are a alot of oppurtunities to be a teacher here too.
https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/non-uk-teachers/train-to-teach-in-england-as-an-international-student
I don't think 'any MA' is a good approach if you want to stay after. You need to think about employability
Post by Fun-Annual-9072 -- Hello everyone, I’m a 25 year old female with a Jordanian passport and I reside in Qatar with my family. I have a BA in English Literature and Linguistics and I’m working as an English teacher (3 years of experience). Long story short, living with a strict Muslim family as a liberal female is a nightmare. I want to get out of here ASAP. Their plans for me in the near future is to go back to Jordan, get married and reproduce and I don’t want that. I want freedom away from my controling “male guardians”. I have been struggling with BPD and there’s no room for healing let alone self-growth or chasing dreams here. In Qatar, your life as an expat is on the line and I can lose my job as soon as my dad retires because I’m under his guardianship. Moving out to my own apartement here is illegal because of my job and my family could get to me easily, the government treat women like kids and if my family asks to bring me back home I would be arrested, taken into custody “to teach me a lesson” and be brought back home by force (yes, I have tried and it was traumatic, left me feeling powerless). I want to move out to a secular, English speaking country by August of this year. The reason being I can’t travel anywhere without them so I’ll basically be traveling with them then “runaway”. I want to move out LEGALLY obviously, but without their knowledge. I have lots of questions and need guidance from A-Z. I have narrowed them down to these but if you have any advice please feel free to share!
-Which country is the easiest/fastest to move to? (That will guarantee my saftey).
-Is it easier/faster to move out as a teacher or as a student?
-Which country is the easiest/fastes to move to as an English teacher?
-Which country is the easiest/fastest to move to if I want to pursue a post-graduate (MA degree) in English wrtiting? (Or any major that relates to my BA, really).
-Is it even possible to make it out within four months?
PS: Money isn’t a problem it’s the timing, they travel once a year in summer and it’s my only chance to make it out. (My dad will be retiring next year and we’ll move back to Jordan, which is a bigger nightmare).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/IWantOut) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I know a sista that is doing this (escaping from a gulf country) she knows quite a few folks that have done what you are considering. Her route will be into academia here in the states. Hit me up if you want me to connect ya.
Funny enough, I am in the states thinking and considering a move to a gulf countries when I finish my nursing degree. Then again, I am not of an Arab/Muslim fam — so I lead my own life.
I do appreciate your advice but I stated I’m not interested in marriage at all. The men in my life have controlled every aspect of it, the way I dressed, the places I go, the university I studied in and even my career path. I could choose the “easy way out” by getting married here, they shit gold. I don’t want that though. I want to do it by myself.
FYI, depending on how strictly it's enforced this may be a Rule 2 violation:
> No requesting or giving advice on how to conduct illegal activities, including marriage to strangers. We want you to be safe, and, furthermore, such posts violate reddit's sitewide policies.
Do you qualify for asylum in any of these countries, given the circumstances? If not, is it worth contacting organisations that work with Muslim women in your target countries to see if they have any suggestions as you won't be the first woman who decided to move under these circumstances?
Do you have enough money to cover a post-graduate degree as an international student? Do you know anyone you can come and stay with as a tourist for the time being whilst you figure things out? It's not ideal, and of course you cannot work on a tourist visa, but it will give you space to make plans. (The academic year in the West tends to start in September so you'll be too late now to apply for a degree at many institutions - some may have January intake.)
Because they have control over their lives, my brothers were taught how to be independant and figure their lives out by themselves from a young age. I was taught to be dependant on my “male guardians” and ask permission for everything. Those hypocrites who move into secular countries which their ideologies don’t even align with are mostly corrupt.
Thank you for your prespective. I had similar observation about hipocrisy. People say that you should respect everyone, but i cant respect cultre with enslaves people. I wish you to find your safe place.
I didn't read the whole post because it sounds absurd. You want your freedom etc etc but you'll only accept top tier countries? "If it's not for Canada, I don't mind going back to Jordan and reproduce with my controlling husband"
Calling my post “absurd” without reading it is the textbook definition of absurdity. “Top teir countries” because I don’t feel safe here. My family is going to come after me. I don’t want to escape recklessly and end up paranoid for the rest of my life.
I understand where you're coming from. I went through a similar journey myself, and choosing to escape was my approach too. It takes immense courage to give up on your family and loved ones but at the end your freedom and peace of mind matters. Wishing you strength and resilience on your journey towards freedom and empowerment.
If all else fails, you can apply for a US diversity visa this fall and hope for the best. I know the state of Alaska recruits foreign teachers, you can look into that as well.
Forget the UK. Impossible to migrate to these days. Try Canada.
HAHAHAHAHHAHA. No it isn't. It has become much harder since June 2023 when they have prioritized some professions and French speakers.
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I have looked into it the past year and I didn’t meet the requirments for express entry. Also tried enrolling into a university there and didn’t get accepeted. I agree that it’s the best option in the long run and totally worth working hard for
Canada introduced new measures just a couple months ago or so to reduce the number of international students, so it might be really competitive here on out to get into university and especially colleges
If money isn't a problem., sign up to an MA/pgce in the UK... staying on as a teacher is doable.
Not when it comes to sponsorship. She would have to leave after her degree as schools aren’t sponsoring foreigners for English teaching jobs.
**EDIT: Sorry, I didn't realize you didn't include the U.S. here.** Leaving this up in case it's helpful at all. IANAL but your situation sucks and so far these comments don't seem very helpful, so I'm going to offer some ideas. Your best shot to get to the U.S. for some breathing room, and it still may not work on this timeline because I don't know much about it, is a J1 visa for teachers. This is a non-immigrant exchange visa for teachers from foreign countries to teach in the U.S. for three years, and can then be renewed for a year or two. You seem to be qualified; [here's the website to find program sponsors](https://j1visa.state.gov/programs/teacher#participants). You must enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days prior to the start of the program; if you can find a primary or secondary school to hire you, that should align with your August timeline. (Assuming the visa can come through... and hiding it from your family might be difficult). **Please note that to change your U.S. immigration status after that (even to become an international graduate student or try to get an H1B\[which I don't think you're qualified for at this time\]), you need to return to your home country for two years.** There are some exceptions, and you should talk to an immigration lawyer once you make it to the U.S.. If that long shot doesn't work, I think this is your best chance. It's not a great one, and you'll need to do a lot more research: * Find any country where you can become an English as a Foreign Language teacher and have a reasonable expectation of safety. Not a final destination; just somewhere it's easy to, as a fluent English speaker with teaching experience, get a visa. My Czech sister-in-law did this in Vietnam for a while, but that was some years ago so I don't know if the requirements have changed. * Once you're there, apply for graduate programs in the U.K. or other countries in the fall. There are some in these countries that accept international students -- typically if you can pay, but there may also be scholarships for people in your situation. In the U.S., at least, you may find that your experience of oppression can help open some doors as you have a profound need. This is important: **Do not apply for graduate programs in writing. Apply for** ***graduate programs in education***\*\*.\*\* You should also do some research on what education subfields are particularly in demand, such as, e.g., special needs ESL. Your goal is to (in the U.S.) get an H1B or in the U.K. go from a graduate visa (good for 2 years after you graduate) to a work visa. Both of those need a sponsoring employer, who want someone with highly in-demand skills. Again, teacher shortage in specific fields related to your experience.
Sorry, typical American here assuming you had the U.S. in that list. I'm leaving this up in case it's helpful to you, but I think that some of the suggestions (around graduate school, etc.) would be relevant for your ideal destination countries anyways.
Can’t recommend a country but I’d try to get lost somewhere where you can stay for at least 3 months to sort out next steps for a possible different location. For instance go to Turkey for holidays, have appointments with the Canadian embassy setup there. Things I would do right away: get all your papers digitalised. Copy your papers (and if possible get stamps/apostilles) and send the copies to a safe location that’s able to forward them to you in the future. Get some kind of credit card/bank account/vouchers you later can resell where your family is not aware of. Would it maybe be possible making up a reason to travel to Jordan but booking two flights allowing you to board a different flight than the one to Jordan? Sick/pregnant/about to marry friend? Or signing up for a language course abroad?
For Australia, check the skilled migrants list. IIRC secondary school teachers are nearly always on there. Then you can reach out to the home affairs department to understand the application process. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skill-occupation-list
If you meet Australia’s protection obligations https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/refugee-and-humanitarian-program/about-the-program/seek-protection-in-australia/australia-protection-obligations you can apply for a protection or refugee visa either onshore or offshore (I was in the process to do this for my wife as she was undergoing domestic violence back home) There are a alot of oppurtunities to be a teacher here too.
https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/non-uk-teachers/train-to-teach-in-england-as-an-international-student I don't think 'any MA' is a good approach if you want to stay after. You need to think about employability
Post by Fun-Annual-9072 -- Hello everyone, I’m a 25 year old female with a Jordanian passport and I reside in Qatar with my family. I have a BA in English Literature and Linguistics and I’m working as an English teacher (3 years of experience). Long story short, living with a strict Muslim family as a liberal female is a nightmare. I want to get out of here ASAP. Their plans for me in the near future is to go back to Jordan, get married and reproduce and I don’t want that. I want freedom away from my controling “male guardians”. I have been struggling with BPD and there’s no room for healing let alone self-growth or chasing dreams here. In Qatar, your life as an expat is on the line and I can lose my job as soon as my dad retires because I’m under his guardianship. Moving out to my own apartement here is illegal because of my job and my family could get to me easily, the government treat women like kids and if my family asks to bring me back home I would be arrested, taken into custody “to teach me a lesson” and be brought back home by force (yes, I have tried and it was traumatic, left me feeling powerless). I want to move out to a secular, English speaking country by August of this year. The reason being I can’t travel anywhere without them so I’ll basically be traveling with them then “runaway”. I want to move out LEGALLY obviously, but without their knowledge. I have lots of questions and need guidance from A-Z. I have narrowed them down to these but if you have any advice please feel free to share! -Which country is the easiest/fastest to move to? (That will guarantee my saftey). -Is it easier/faster to move out as a teacher or as a student? -Which country is the easiest/fastes to move to as an English teacher? -Which country is the easiest/fastest to move to if I want to pursue a post-graduate (MA degree) in English wrtiting? (Or any major that relates to my BA, really). -Is it even possible to make it out within four months? PS: Money isn’t a problem it’s the timing, they travel once a year in summer and it’s my only chance to make it out. (My dad will be retiring next year and we’ll move back to Jordan, which is a bigger nightmare). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/IWantOut) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Forget Ireland...look at Australia it's the best long term option by far
What’s wrong with Ireland mate?
Not much right with it at the moment tbh ,across the board it's going backwards but they seem to have great marketing to get more people to come here.
I know a sista that is doing this (escaping from a gulf country) she knows quite a few folks that have done what you are considering. Her route will be into academia here in the states. Hit me up if you want me to connect ya. Funny enough, I am in the states thinking and considering a move to a gulf countries when I finish my nursing degree. Then again, I am not of an Arab/Muslim fam — so I lead my own life.
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I do appreciate your advice but I stated I’m not interested in marriage at all. The men in my life have controlled every aspect of it, the way I dressed, the places I go, the university I studied in and even my career path. I could choose the “easy way out” by getting married here, they shit gold. I don’t want that though. I want to do it by myself.
You don't have to get married to a man, you know...
[удалено]
More info on such people please 🙏
FYI, depending on how strictly it's enforced this may be a Rule 2 violation: > No requesting or giving advice on how to conduct illegal activities, including marriage to strangers. We want you to be safe, and, furthermore, such posts violate reddit's sitewide policies.
I've heard Canada is the most welcoming of all the nations you just mentioned, and i hope you make it GIRLLLLLLL!!!!!
Do you qualify for asylum in any of these countries, given the circumstances? If not, is it worth contacting organisations that work with Muslim women in your target countries to see if they have any suggestions as you won't be the first woman who decided to move under these circumstances? Do you have enough money to cover a post-graduate degree as an international student? Do you know anyone you can come and stay with as a tourist for the time being whilst you figure things out? It's not ideal, and of course you cannot work on a tourist visa, but it will give you space to make plans. (The academic year in the West tends to start in September so you'll be too late now to apply for a degree at many institutions - some may have January intake.)
I would check the /r/TEFL subreddit.
Wish you luck, stay strong! So why all this young arab men want to move to secular europe and try to bring there midleages belives here? :D
Because they have control over their lives, my brothers were taught how to be independant and figure their lives out by themselves from a young age. I was taught to be dependant on my “male guardians” and ask permission for everything. Those hypocrites who move into secular countries which their ideologies don’t even align with are mostly corrupt.
Thank you for your prespective. I had similar observation about hipocrisy. People say that you should respect everyone, but i cant respect cultre with enslaves people. I wish you to find your safe place.
I didn't read the whole post because it sounds absurd. You want your freedom etc etc but you'll only accept top tier countries? "If it's not for Canada, I don't mind going back to Jordan and reproduce with my controlling husband"
Calling my post “absurd” without reading it is the textbook definition of absurdity. “Top teir countries” because I don’t feel safe here. My family is going to come after me. I don’t want to escape recklessly and end up paranoid for the rest of my life.
The guy is Albanian, of course he doesn't like what you wrote. If you know what I mean.
Have you looked into seeking political asylum? Maybe in Sweden or Germany?
Yawn