We ran away.... We left the 5000 miles distance behind!

[Tamarahhansen]

Thanks to you all for your realistic and healthy advice.
I will keep it all in mind as we continue on, but we will never the less continue. We have been traveling for two months and even counting flight tickets (USA-EU + 2 tickets within EU) Alex is saving up money although he works online. Our total spendings add up to 34$ pr day pr person, including accommodation, cost of living, transportation and everything else.

It is true that it is not sustainable in the longer run, and this is what scares me the most. Money aside, traveling will still not make it easier for us to get a VISA for the other's country. But it will allow us to be together for now. What else is there but to keep on moving and fight for it? The alternative is giving up and going home to our respective countries. I'll do anything I can to avoid that.

[Hollandia]

Thanks to you all for your realistic and healthy advice.
I will keep it all in mind as we continue on, but we will never the less continue. We have been traveling for two months and even counting flight tickets (USA-EU + 2 tickets within EU) Alex is saving up money although he works online. Our total spendings add up to 34$ pr day pr person, including accommodation, cost of living, transportation and everything else.

It is true that it is not sustainable in the longer run, and this is what scares me the most. Money aside, traveling will still not make it easier for us to get a VISA for the other's country. But it will allow us to be together for now. What else is there but to keep on moving and fight for it? The alternative is giving up and going home to our respective countries. I'll do anything I can to avoid that.

There is no age requirement like that in USA, if he makes that much money, why are you not just having him file the K1 visa for USA and marry and settle there? You only need about 22K USA a year sustained proof of funds to bring a finacee to USA?

[silvermoonfairy3]

It is true that it is not sustainable in the longer run, and this is what scares me the most. Money aside, traveling will still not make it easier for us to get a VISA for the other's country. But it will allow us to be together for now. What else is there but to keep on moving and fight for it? The alternative is giving up and going home to our respective countries. I'll do anything I can to avoid that.

Exactly, it's not sustainable long-run and won't make visas any easier. So if you're looking for instant gratification, for a way to be together right this second, then yeah, you have that. You say you'll do anything to avoid going home to your respective countries, but in all likelihood that's going to happen, it's just a question of whether it happens now or in a few years.

I disagree with the poster above who said you can't make a living off of online jobs, because I know several people who do it. But, they also work really hard at it, and go through lean times when there's less clients, etc. (If it's a telecommuting full-time/permanent job, that's a little different.)

I'm not knocking the traveling, and like someone said, this is the time to do it, while you're young.. But seriously? What else is there but to stay traveling, never settling anywhere? Well, there's deciding to be responsible and go through the visa process...

[snow]

There is no age requirement like that in USA, if he makes that much money, why are you not just having him file the K1 visa for USA and marry and settle there? You only need about 22K USA a year sustained proof of funds to bring a finacee to USA?

And there is countless ways of how to bring up the money you need - partly through employment, through savings, through belongings - and he would not even have to provide for it himself, most embassies allow co-sponsors.

I don't have information on the other way around, but the K1 visa might be an idea for the future.

[CanGirl]

I wonder what will happen if you guys ever decide to get married and have kids? Where are they going to go to school? Sorry but I don't see this working long term. Do you have plans for the future?

[digitalfever]

What about retirement savings? Healthcare? Stability? These are very real and important things...

[differentcountries]

What about retirement savings? Healthcare? Stability? These are very real and important things...

No, they are not really real issues. She is obviously somewhat under 24, so it is not like she is plunging close to retirementy any time soon. If you have an European Health Insurance card (that you can order for free online and lasts 5 years) as well as an all year travel insurance, you are covered health care wise. And they don't crave stability as of now, they think it is kind of fun...

[digitalfever]

No, they are not really real issues. She is obviously somewhat under 24, so it is not like she is plunging close to retirementy any time soon. If you have an European Health Insurance card (that you can order for free online and lasts 5 years) as well as an all year travel insurance, you are covered health care wise. And they don't crave stability as of now, they think it is kind of fun...

You can jump off the soap box. I had valid questions. I was asking with concern. Thanks.

[Marmalade]

I'd lean towards applying for a visa into the US. And I hate to be that person, but what happens if you get pregnant? Birth control doesn't work 100% of the time and by the time 9 months are up you probably won't have a visa to settle with your s/o.

[Dezface]

You seem to be aware that this is not a long term plan and only for the now. At least you'll have a good story at the end of it all Sounds like fun-Good luck to you both.

[Dezface]

I'd lean towards applying for a visa into the US. And I hate to be that person, but what happens if you get pregnant? Birth control doesn't work 100% of the time and by the time 9 months are up you probably won't have a visa to settle with your s/o.

There are methods of birth control that work well enough that this shouldn't be an issue. Hopefully the OP is using said methods. I don't think a .1 chance of pregnancy is a reason to not do something such as this.

[silvermoonfairy3]

No, they are not really real issues. She is obviously somewhat under 24, so it is not like she is plunging close to retirementy any time soon.

Actually that's exactly why it *should* be a priority.. just sadly, for many young people, it's not. People think they don't need to plan for retirement until they're much closer to it, and then all of a sudden its upon them and they haven't saved nearly enough.
The US, in particular, wildly underestimates and underprepares for retirement, expecting our increasingly-tenuous social security to cover it, when it won't and in fact was never intended to.

But also, there are charts that show the HUGE amount of difference it makes if a person starts saving for retirement earlier. Even starting at 25 vs. 35 can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars more, because of compounding.

I wish someone had been able to drill into my head the benefits of starting to save for retirement in my 20s.

Unfortunately I, like most younger people, was more caught up in the immediacy than in my long-term future. Now, I try to balance more evenly between the present and the future, and I'm always trying to get younger people to start saving for retirement. Even modest amounts. The sheer amount if grows, when you start earlier, is literally staggering.

f you have an European Health Insurance card (that you can order for free online and lasts 5 years) as well as an all year travel insurance, you are covered health care wise...

Her partner is American, I doubt he has that, and if his only employment is online, I'd guess he doesn't have insurance through work. It's unlikely he'd have a plan on his own from the US that would cover indefinite travel abroad.
That said, the younger, the less likely to need it, but if he does, he could be up the creek with big medical bills. It also could bite him at tax time in terms of penalties.

I know you're advocating "ignore adult responsibilities, you're under 24!" but if the partner is a US citizen and living in the US (which, for these purposes, he is, since he doesn't have a permanent address and valid visa elsewhere) he's going to owe taxes on the online money he's making, and he's going to be bound under current US laws like the healthcare mandate.

[Marmalade]

I'm aware and I'm not suggesting that it'd be a reason to stop. It's wonderful that they get that time together, but unexpected things can happen. I was just asking out of concern.

[CynicalQuixotic]

I'd lean towards applying for a visa into the US.

Why? You say that with no reasoning or context.

[differentcountries]

Actually that's exactly why it *should* be a priority.. just sadly, for many young people, it's not. People think they don't need to plan for retirement until they're much closer to it, and then all of a sudden its upon them and they haven't saved nearly enough.
The US, in particular, wildly underestimates and underprepares for retirement, expecting our increasingly-tenuous social security to cover it, when it won't and in fact was never intended to.

But also, there are charts that show the HUGE amount of difference it makes if a person starts saving for retirement earlier. Even starting at 25 vs. 35 can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars more, because of compounding.

I wish someone had been able to drill into my head the benefits of starting to save for retirement in my 20s.

Unfortunately I, like most younger people, was more caught up in the immediacy than in my long-term future. Now, I try to balance more evenly between the present and the future, and I'm always trying to get younger people to start saving for retirement. Even modest amounts. The sheer amount if grows, when you start earlier, is literally staggering.

Her partner is American, I doubt he has that, and if his only employment is online, I'd guess he doesn't have insurance through work. It's unlikely he'd have a plan on his own from the US that would cover indefinite travel abroad.
That said, the younger, the less likely to need it, but if he does, he could be up the creek with big medical bills. It also could bite him at tax time in terms of penalties.

I know you're advocating "ignore adult responsibilities, you're under 24!" but if the partner is a US citizen and living in the US (which, for these purposes, he is, since he doesn't have a permanent address and valid visa elsewhere) he's going to owe taxes on the online money he's making, and he's going to be bound under current US laws like the healthcare mandate.

I very much doubt they can do this for a long time. There are people here who did this for months, maybe a year, but there is a reason people are not doing it much. At some point it stops being fun and becomes tireing. There is no need for us to be moral or "adult" about it, that they will find out for themselves as it is a very material experience.

I agree he should have some kind of health insurance, since he is not covere through her. But she is good.

Obviously she will have to get a fulltime job before the age of 24, otherwise they will have to wait because of the income request. Another option would be them getting married before 24, even if they can't do spouse visa at that point they can still have the wedding over with. But hey, what is a good advice when they just want to be together for a while? I hope they have fun. I bet half of us wish we could do it, if not for the house, or the pets, or the kids, the job etc. I mean, I travel to Turkey one week a month because of my deal with studies/work and most people are not happy for me when they hear about it, they are pretty openly jealous about it.