Easiest EU countries to get work permits in?

[giblet]

I'm a US citizen and holder of a UK HSMP and an Ireland work permit. I'm considering uprooting again, but am hoping to avoid going through another year of paperwork.

Which countries would be the easiest for me to be able to legally live and work? Is the UK the only place where one can get a work permit without being sponsored by a particular employer?

[Dawie]

Is the UK the only place where one can get a work permit without being sponsored by a particular employer?

Yes.

[global gypsy]

giblet: if you are looking to move to another European country, Dawie's answer is correct. (There are other non-european ones such as Canada, OZ, NZ that allow immigration without requiring an employer to sponsor you.)

Your best bet would be to obtain your UK/Ireland citizenship - you can then move to and work freely in any of the EU countries.

[sakura]

How long have you been in the UK?

Do you speak any other languages? I'd advice you to follow global gypsy's sound advice - if you are able to obtain British citizenship (or Irish, if you're in Ireland right now), do so before moving.

Some other resonable EU economies have a much longer timeline to naturalisation - although France, Sweden and Netherlands are 5/6 years like the UK, but Spain is anything from 2-10, Italy 4-10, Portugal 6-10 (Spain, Portugal and Italy: depends on nationality), Germany 7-8, Denmark 9, etc etc....(not sure about other Scandinavian or A8/A2 countries...). And obtaining a work permit might be a nightmare!

Also, in some countries, especially Germany and Italy, bureaucracy can be irritable and a long process (all in their languages, of course). Not to be biased or anything, but the HSMP is probably the easiest (and only unrestricted) working visa to apply for and obtain anywhere in the EU: http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=22336

[JAJ]

How long have you been in the UK?

Do you speak any other languages? I'd advice you to follow global gypsy's sound advice - if you are able to obtain British citizenship (or Irish, if you're in Ireland right now), do so before moving.

Some other resonable EU economies have a much longer timeline to naturalisation - although France, Sweden and Netherlands are 5/6 years like the UK, but Spain is anything from 2-10, Italy 4-10, Portugal 6-10 (Spain, Portugal and Italy: depends on nationality), Germany 7-8, Denmark 9, etc etc....(not sure about other Scandinavian or A8/A2 countries...). And obtaining a work permit might be a nightmare!

Also, in some countries, especially Germany and Italy, bureaucracy can be irritable and a long process (all in their languages, of course). Not to be biased or anything, but the HSMP is probably the easiest (and only unrestricted) working visa to apply for and obtain anywhere in the EU: http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=22336

And on top of that, some countries (eg Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Austria etc) would want him to formally renounce his U.S. citizenship, in order to become a citizen there, which is a significant issue.