Have you ever thought about how to become a digital nomad? No? That’s the right time to do so. Check all the details here – from income levels to visa application process.
The digital nomad lifestyle is just booming. It’s a great option for those who are looking to live abroad without having to work from one location. As long as you are willing to accept the trade-offs, the digital nomad lifestyle is a great thing to consider. Since most digital nomads are not stuck in a single city and able to work anywhere in the world, the number of people who give preference to this type of lifestyle is growing day by day.
Aside from having limitless travel opportunities, digital nomads may also live a more economical and flexible lifestyle than the average in-office professional. The following nomad statistics will help you understand the entire scope of the digital nomad movement:
- Prior to the pandemic, just 7% of employees worked from home. However, by July 2020, this figure had risen to 42% by the end of the pandemic;
- A whopping 81% of digital nomads are extremely happy with their job and lifestyle arrangements;
- For organizations and businesses, digital nomadism has enhanced employee productivity by 35%;
- 69% of people aged 25 to 40 would choose the flexibility to work remotely over any other workplace advantage;
- Only 18% of remote employees earn more than they would if they worked in an office. The majority of digital nomads (46%) report making less money.
For many freelancers, company owners, and workers, digital nomadism is an appealing way of life. As more people become digital nomads, we may expect this lifestyle adjustment to become a more commonplace way of working.
Top Career Opportunities Digital Nomads Can Pursue
Do you want to work for yourself? Would you like to travel around the world while still being your own boss? Would you like to quit your job and set out on your own? We asked our panel of nomadic-focused experts about the top career opportunities for digital nomads you can pursue today. Pick a “profession” that matches your interest and check the Blueground startup to rent an apartment today and move in tomorrow.
1. Freelance
While you may not need a degree to freelance, you’ll need some skills in certain fields. There are a few requirements for freelance work, although it’s not as easy as it once was. Freelance was great in the 90s – you had a chance to work where you wanted, on your own time, for as little or as much as you wanted, as the need was. Nowadays, it’s a difficult market to break into.
And for those who do make it there, the rates are very low, and that’s on top of the lack of control over your time, and so on. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth a try. So if you have some knowledge of SEO, have been working as a video editor, or can write good marketing texts, then feel free to step right up here and choose from the best travel jobs.
2. Virtual Assistant
If you are looking for a flexible part-time remote job, a position of a virtual assistant can be a perfect fit. It’s not quite ‘hot’ yet in terms of professional growth or development, but it’s growing fast, and there are lots of people looking to hire help. Virtual assistant jobs require little to no prior experience. You may sometimes need a strong portfolio and a set of specific skills. For example, some employers may require you to be able to create a video presentation in iMovie on Windows or other tools, make site performance reports, proofread content, and so on. But it is not the case in 100% of situations.
3. Freelance Travel Writer
Freelance travel writers are in high demand – and they’re in good standing with most travel sites because they consistently provide valuable information. The demand for travel writers is huge. You can make more money as a travel writer (blogger) than with a lot of other jobs. What is more, you can work when you want, and you don’t even have to live in an exotic place.
The great thing about the freelance travel writing market is that it is more inclusive and wide-open. You won’t need any formal training or previous writing experience. The great thing about it is that you can work as long as you can find clients in your niche, and there is no need to limit yourself to a single project. Thus, apart from writing content, you can also benefit from teaching English abroad.
4. Transcriptionist
The job of a transcriptionist can seem like a lot of work, but it isn’t. Writing transcripts is an easy thing to do, and it can even be done part-time and from home, with no experience required. You will only need to listen to audio files and type it into a computer with proper voice recognition software. It is far from being a complicated job, but it is very rewarding.
And you can transcribe everything – from music to live videos. You will always have a good opportunity to get in and move up to higher paying projects. The only real requirement is to have a good ear for listening and a good typing hand.
Obtaining Digital Nomad Visa – Key Terms
While travel can be considered a part of the lifestyle, earning money by digital nomad visa in the form of side income while traveling has been cited as a means to avoid the cost of owning a permanent residence. The digital nomad visa is a passport privilege that allows digital nomads to stay and work in another country as long as the business purpose is not to earn income.
While several visa types exist, most are specific to employment within a country. To work legally in a country with no residency requirements, one requires a specific visa known as the digital nomad visa. This visa type is different from the normal work permit visas available. A work permit grants a person the right to stay in a specific country to work as a normal resident of that country. A digital nomad visa allows a person to stay in that country to earn money as a digital nomad. As such, this visa can be considered a visa specifically designed for digital nomads.
Brazil digital nomad visa and other similar visas are not always as easy to obtain as they seem. They are designed to suit the purpose of their being, namely freelancers and people who make their income through their own business. Therefore, there are restrictions on their use and eligibility criteria that need to be met in order to make a visa. However, we do believe that the process of application for a digital nomad visa will be simplified in the future and the more people will have an opportunity to travel freely and work from any country, with no restrictions.
Digital Nomad Predictions
People are getting more and more interested in the life of a digital nomad, and the Digital Nomad Community is growing day by day. From January 2019 to April 2021, the search volume for “digital nomad” query increased by 247% on Google Search. And this is just the beginning. Sixty-four million Americans want to join the digital nomad lifestyle, with 19 million intending to do so within the next three years. With this in mind, it is expected that the number of individuals embracing the digital nomad lifestyle will exceed one billion by 2035.
