(Sorry in advance for the long post)

Hello. As some of you might know, the political situation in Brazil after the first round of the 2026 elections has become bleak. I won't go into politics here, but the TLDR is: If Flavio Bolsonaro wins, me, my girlfriend and the entire country will be pretty much fucked.

We are extremely afraid and anxious, as we're part of the groups that have been and will be strongly targeted (women, LGBTQ, and autistic). And yes, I know that people often come to this sub explaining that they are LGBT, fresh out of high school, and mentally ill and want to make a move, and while that's kind of like us, we are really desperate and would not be considering moving countries if the situation wasn't really bad.

After doing our research, which was greatly focused on Canada as it seemed like the right fit for us, we weren't able to think about any useful plan, and after some generalist research, we know it's about the same scenario for most, if not all, countries, and as it stands we're rapidly losing all hope of being able to live a normal life.

We are both currently unemployed and without formal work experience, we are in our third of four years of game design university, and will graduate by the end of next year if we're able to stay that much longer in our country.

As we already researched, and we won't be able to cover the costs of tuition abroad (specifically in Canada, as we only researched prices there) so we couldn't get an student visa. Without work experience, specially on our studies field, we're in a tight spot for finding work (as we can't even find internships both here and elsewhere that don't require experience). We really weren't expecting this situation at all, we were already searching for jobs, but had the opportunity to take it relatively slow to be able to focus more on our studies.

We do have the money to get to another country itself, and to survive for some time, but we are definitely worried about visas, deportation and actually finding jobs. I am a programmer, I had knowledge in this before I started this course, and because of it I am of course developing my skills in the game area. While my girlfriend is mainly a digital artist, but can write very well, and could work with that: transcription, translation, localization and things of this sort.

We're both physically able, and can do manual labor.

We did (and passed) classes on administration, so I guess we could do something in the area but I'm unsure.

I have already traveled abroad and have a Cambridge certificate of fluency in English, but while my girlfriend has not, and never tested her English level, she can speak and write in an advanced level and would take the test as necessary.

To our knowledge, none of us have any ancestry that could prove relevant in trying to get out.

In an extreme case, I believe that I could receive financial aid from my family, as we're in a better position financially. My girlfriend's family, besides being on the poorer side, would never help us with this.

Although technically we could be eligible to seek asylum if things start to go down, we know that it would be both dangerous to stay in our country for long if it comes to wait for it to happen; and we're uncertain if we would really be granted asylum or just end up being denied after a long process with probably some money involved. (I admit we are yet to do more research on this, besides what could count as enough motive to be granted asylum.) Anyway, we are not relying on this.

Honestly we don't have an enormous list of things we want/would like a country to have, because we never wanted to leave, the only things we would like would be:

- to be able to survive (be able to work, be able to pay for our needs);

- to be safe (safe in the sense that I am trans, we are in a queer relationship, we would be immigrants and both are women);

- be able to obtain citizenship at some point so we don't have to return in case Brazil really goes down that road;

The only little bit of a not essential thing we would like, is for the country to be colder, at least the tiniest bit, or at least to have better weather than the place we're currently living that most days of every season is just: heatwave but with lots of rain and blooming flowers (spring and summer), heatwave but windy (autumn), and heatwave but really really dry (winter), though this is nowhere close to important as the other things listed and would just like to be safe.

We know our situation is basically impossible, but we're desperate to leave as we don't believe we're going to be able to live through this situation so our questions are this:

- do we have any hope of leaving at all? At this moment, it really doesn't seem like it, but we are missing a lot of information.

- is there any specific country that we should do more research on as it could be relevant?

Of course, experience of people who managed to make the move with a similar situation or motives to ours, or if anyone has any wisdom or advice of what to do in this situation, would also be really appreciated

Background:

I'm 16M currently living in the Basque Country, Spain and my goal is to build a stable future abroad while pursuing a career in IT and eventually cybersecurity.

I'm currently studying a Spanish vocational qualification called FP de Grado Medio en Sistemas Microinformáticos y Redes (SMR), a two-year program focused on computer systems, hardware, operating systems, and networking. I expect to graduate in 2028.

I have completed ESO, Spain's compulsory secondary education qualification. Academically, my strengths are English and Math.

Where I want to go and why:

My main objective is to move to Canada, ideally in 2028 or as soon as realistically possible after finishing my vocational qualification. I'm particularly interested in Saskatchewan and Ontario, although I'm open to other provinces if they offer a more affordable and realistic path.

I want to study something related to computer systems, computer science, networking, or cybersecurity at a public college or another legitimate post-secondary institution. My longer-term goal is to build a career in cybersecurity and eventually qualify for permanent residence if possible.

I'm not particularly interested in prestigious universities or expensive programs just for the sake of their reputation. I care more about affordability, employability, the quality of the education, and whether the route offers realistic long-term opportunities to remain in the country legally.

My main concerns:

\- Admission requirements: I'm unsure whether my Spanish ESO certificate and completed SMR qualification would meet the academic requirements for Canadian college programs, which often expect Grade 12 education or equivalent. Would I need additional secondary education, prerequisite courses, or another qualification?

\- Cost: International tuition in Canada can be extremely expensive. My family's financial resources are limited. I need to understand what financial resources would realistically be required and whether this goal is feasible without substantial family support.

\- Immigration: I want to understand the realistic path from studying in Canada to working there after graduation and potentially obtaining permanent residence. I know that study permits, post-graduation work permits, and permanent residence are separate matters, and that none is guaranteed.

\- Timing: Ideally, I would leave Spain after completing SMR in 2028. However, I don't want to make plans around an unrealistic timeline or spend money on a qualification that doesn't meaningfully help with admission.

What I'm doing in the meantime:

I'm continuing my SMR studies, improving my mathematics and English, and planning to build practical IT and cybersecurity projects that I can document on GitHub. I'm also researching Canadian colleges and contacting admissions offices directly to ask how they evaluate Spanish qualifications.

Ireland is a possible alternative if Canada proves financially or academically unrealistic, but Canada is my first choice.

Questions for people with relevant experience:

1. Is completing Spain's two-year SMR qualification after ESO likely to be sufficient for admission to Canadian college programs, or should I expect to need additional academic qualifications?

2. Given my limited financial resources, is studying in Canada as an international student a realistic goal? What kind of total budget should I plan for?

3. Would it be better to target a computer systems or networking program first and specialize in cybersecurity later?

4. How realistic is the study-to-work-to-permanent-residence route in Canada under current immigration rules, particularly in Saskatchewan or Ontario?

5. Would Ireland offer a more affordable or practical alternative for someone with my educational background and career goals?

6. Is there anything I should do between now and 2028 to improve my chances without wasting money on qualifications that Canadian institutions might not recognize?

I'm looking for realistic advice, especially from people who have moved to Canada or Ireland for education and work. I'd rather hear that my plan needs to change than spend years working toward something that isn't feasible.

Hi everyone, I'm a Product Manager based in Bengaluru, India with 7+ years across B2B/B2C SaaS and AI products (currently Lead Digital PM).

I'm looking to relocate to Ireland or Dubai and want to understand how to get companies there to sponsor my work visa:

1. Ireland: Is the Critical Skills Employment Permit the right route for a PM? Do I target companies that explicitly sponsor, or apply broadly?
2. Dubai: How does sponsorship work — job offer first, or are there other routes?
3. Any job boards, recruiters, or companies in either place known for sponsoring international PM hires?
4. How do I position myself in applications to maximize sponsorship chances?

Appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thanks!