Move Overseas Now Academy Reviews: What Real Students Are Saying
These are real students, in their own words, walking through the visas they got approved.
Some of these students moved solo. Some moved with a spouse, kids, and a dog. Some are retirees. Some still work full-time from a laptop. They all turned “someday” into an approved visa and a plane ticket, and they'll tell you exactly what that process looked like.
Why real Academy reviews matter more than another visa checklist
Visa research is everywhere. Most of it is generic. No amount of searching tells you what it feels like to sit with your documents at 11pm, wondering if you're missing something. A real person walking you through the next step does.
What this article covers
The Academy solves that. It gives you a plan, a community, and real support from people who've done this before. The stories below are organized by the visa each student pursued.
The Digital Nomad Visa: Jennifer and Tim's move from Florida to Spain
What Spain's Digital Nomad Visa actually requires
Spain's Digital Nomad Visa is one of the more document-heavy pathways in Europe right now, and most people don't realize that going in. You need to prove your income, your remote work relationship, and your professional background. Spain's Digital Nomad Office has tightened its review process, so the requirements keep getting stricter. It's doable. It's not a pathway to wing.
What Jennifer says about the process
That's why Jennifer joined the Academy before she started her application.
“Without the Academy, I would never have been able to complete this process in the timely fashion that I feel like I did. It would have taken me a lot longer. It would have cost me a lot more money.”
Jennifer estimates the Academy saved her five to ten thousand dollars in attorney's fees and unnecessary expenses, and cut her timeline by six months to a year. The community inside the Academy's Slack space mattered as much as the modules: people comparing notes in real time, plus the one-on-one coaching she added once she found her footing.
“Shawna and her whole team, they're like friends of mine, even though we've actually never met, but they're like friends and family. They helped me through a tough road to my dream life.”
Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes the current national visa guidance at exteriores.gob.es.
Tim Rowe's move to the Málaga area of Spain
Tim Rowe is proof you don't need to spend $10,000 to $15,000 on a relocation company to move to Spain.
Tim realized he could work remotely from anywhere, and Spain and Portugal rose to the top of his list. Then he saw what some relocation services charge and went looking for a more affordable path.
He started with one rule: do one thing every week. Get the birth certificate. Get the background check. Handle the apostille. Complete the next document. One step led to the next, and the momentum built.
Along the way he found the Academy. What caught his attention was hearing me say you don't need to spend $15,000 to move abroad. That was what he needed to hear.
Through the Academy, Tim combined his DIY approach with local expertise, trusted contacts, resources, and support. That mix helped him avoid costly mistakes and keep the process moving.
The local support turned out to be one of the most valuable parts for him. You can find a form online. Knowing which box to check, how local authorities expect the form completed, and who to ask when something goes wrong can mean the difference between moving forward and losing weeks to a mistake.
After about nine months, Tim received his residency card. He now lives in the Málaga area on the Digital Nomad Visa.
The free "Abroad in a Year" masterclass covers how to match a visa to your income, your timeline, and your destination.
The Student Visa: Parrie in Barcelona and Jessica in Florence
Most people assume the student visa is only for 22-year-olds studying abroad for a semester. It isn't. Adults who enroll in an accredited language program or degree course can use it as one of the more accessible long-term pathways into Spain and Italy, and a real stepping stone toward a longer life overseas.
Parrie's move from Austin, Texas to Barcelona
Parrie is the first to admit that the research phase almost stopped her before she started.
“When there's too much information thrown at me, I would rather just throw my hands up and say I can't handle this. Like when I was just googling how to move abroad, there's way too many websites, there's way too many options.”
Parrie needed her options laid out clearly, not scattered across a dozen tabs.
“You had everything listed out for me… this is the beaches that you can get in Spain, these are the beaches that you can get in Italy. It just made it so much easier and so much more concise. I would have never been able to do it on my own.”
From the day she signed up for the masterclass to the day she boarded her plane, six to seven months passed. She estimates the Academy saved her five to fifteen thousand dollars in legal fees and visa mistakes. It also saved her forty to fifty hours a month she would have spent chasing conflicting information across different consulate websites.
“You saved so much time and energy and headache and anxiety. It made it so easy… I never would have been able to done it on my own.”
Jessica's move to Florence, Italy
Jessica took the same visa type in the opposite direction on the map, after five years of talking about moving abroad without ever taking the leap.
“I had always thought it would be a very daunting, long process. But I started in June and ended up moving in January. Everything was set and done by November, waited for things to come in in December, and then January, I was here.”
She joined the Academy after her dad gave her a piece of advice that stuck with her.
“He was like, think of this as an investment, just like you would for a hobby. You're learning how to move overseas, just like you'd learn French. No harm, no foul.”
The one-on-one coaching mattered most in the final stretch, when she was staring down her visa appointment and second-guessing every document.
“I was like, is this all of the papers that I need? Are you sure that's all I need? And it was very reassuring to have someone else check it. I liked having that second opinion… no, you got it, you're on the right track.”
Italy's student visa is issued through the country's official visa portal, which you can review at vistoperitalia.esteri.it.
The Long-Stay Visa: Arlene and Charlie's move to France
France's long-stay visa is one of the most requested pathways we help people with. It's also one of the most document-sensitive. There's a real process and real paperwork behind it, and it doesn't bend because you're American and used to things moving faster.
Arlene, who moved with her husband Charlie, put it better than I could.
“There's a part of me, I was a good student. I like being told what to do. I like instructions that tell me how to assemble things and put them together.”
The checklist helped. Understanding why the process works the way it does helped more.
“It doesn't matter as the United States person what I think of this process. I need to have the papers in order. There's a reason for all of that.”
She and Charlie got their documentation organized and their application approved on the first try, something she pointed out doesn't always happen. She also credited the Academy's modular structure for letting them skip what didn't apply to them.
“We're not moving a household of goods. We only moved just our suitcases… so I like that you could pick and choose what was important to you at any given time.”
You can review France's current long-stay visa requirements through the government's official portal at france-visas.gouv.fr.
The Entrepreneur Visa: Traci's move from Colorado to France
Traci didn't retire, and she wasn't working remotely for a U.S. company. She moved from Colorado to France on an entrepreneur visa, building her own path to residency by starting a business on French soil. This route asks for a real business plan and proof that your venture can support you. It rewards students who come in prepared instead of improvising along the way.
The Non-Lucrative Visa: Luna's move to Madrid
Luna spent a long stretch trying to piece her move to Spain together on her own before she found the Academy.
“I've been trying to do this on my own, you know, trying to just look at all the search engines… What do I need to do? I just felt like this was the right thing for me. I felt a connection to her and to the program, and it just seemed very structured.”
Once she joined, the community kept her going through the low points every relocation brings.
“There was a certain point in the process where I really wanted to give up, throw in the towel. Having someone to reach out to and say, these things happen, these are not anomalies, let's continue to push through it… without that, I do believe I would have just said the universe is telling me this is not meant for me.”
Luna thrives on structure, and she leaned into the Academy's
“I set those timelines for myself, that I'm going to complete these modules in a week. Every day, at the end of the workday, I would log in and go through as much as I could.” modules the same way.
She estimates the Academy saved her about five thousand dollars in attorney's fees alone, plus months of research she would have spent building her own checklist from scratch.
“Knowing that at the end of it, here's the checklist, these are the things that you need to do… it definitely saved me months of going down rabbit holes where I would have just been beyond frustrated.”
Now settled in Madrid, she still refers back to the Academy's resources and recommends it to anyone who asks.
Panama's Pensionado Visa remains one of the most generous retirement programs anywhere in the world. It requires a modest guaranteed lifetime pension, and in exchange it grants permanent residency along with a long list of retiree discounts on everything from healthcare to entertainment.
Kim used this pathway to build a life she describes as her best one yet, with a condo on the beach in Panama. You can find the current official requirements through Panama's National Immigration Service at migracion.gob.pa.
Portugal's D7 is a passive income visa, and it's one of the most popular ways for Americans to move there. It asks for proof of income, Portuguese health insurance, and a Portuguese tax number (NIF). Plenty of people hire an attorney to file it. David and Jana didn't.
They moved to Portugal on the D7 after 40 years together, and they estimate the Academy's guidance and resources saved them at least $10,000 to $12,000 across the move.
Before they joined, they did what many aspiring expats do. They searched the internet, found information scattered everywhere, and couldn't tell what was accurate or what to do next. The Academy gave them a roadmap.
Instead of paying $3,500 for an attorney to file their application, they used the Academy's resources and handled it themselves. Instead of paying someone to find an apartment, they learned where to search, what questions to ask, and how renting in Portugal differs from renting back home.
For David and Jana, the biggest value came from having support when the move got overwhelming. They worked full-time while they sold their house, dealt with their belongings, gathered documents, found housing, and got ready to start over. There were moments they wanted to give up. Weekly steps, coaching, resources, and a community kept them moving on the days the whole thing felt like too much.
“When you have a coach, you have a plan, you have something to follow. You're not on your own.”
Today they live in Portugal, and the move they once struggled to piece together from internet searches is their daily life.
Mexico is the top destination for Americans living abroad. UN migrant stock data for 2024 counts more than 823,000 Americans there, and proximity plus relatively straightforward residency pathways explain much of the pull.
Ashley and Jeff spent years thinking about and researching a move abroad. Saving posts and googling visa requirements is a long way from saying, “Okay, we're doing this.” When they got serious about Mexico, Ashley joined the Academy to turn all that research into a step-by-step plan.
Today they live in Mexico on Temporary Resident Visas.
“Without the Academy, I never would have been able to make this move as smoothly as I did.”
That's Jeff. The biggest difference for them was having someone to ask when they didn't know what to do next. Questions came up. Roadblocks happened. Things didn't always go according to plan. Instead of spending hours searching the internet for conflicting answers, Ashley turned to me and the Academy community, got guidance, and kept moving. That support also gave them the confidence to keep going when the process felt difficult.
“Once you're serious about this, you don't have to do it by yourself.”
The Mexican consulate network publishes Temporary Resident Visa requirements on its site. This page from the Consulate General in El Paso is one example. Details can differ by consulate, so confirm the current requirements with the one that handles your application.
Italy's Elective Residency Visa is for people who want to make Italy their main home and can support themselves without working there. The Italian consulate expects a detailed document checklist, and Jan Weber's story shows how much that detail matters.
Jan went from Bainbridge Island, Washington to her own apartment in Florence in less than three months. She knew she wanted to move to Italy. She also knew a decision that big needed more than information pieced together from the internet. She needed to know exactly what to do and how to do it correctly, so she joined the Academy.
“Without the Academy, I never would have been able to complete the checklist from the Consulate in the detail that they really wanted.”
The Academy also connected her with specialists who helped with financial guidance and with the apostilled documents the process required. Jan estimates she saved thousands upon thousands of dollars, plus an immeasurable amount of time.
“This would not have happened, period, without the input, the counseling, and the guidance from the Academy.”
Jan's biggest message goes beyond visas and paperwork. It takes courage to do this. You only get one life, and if living in Italy or anywhere overseas is something you've been dreaming about, she doesn't think you should spend years waiting for the perfect moment. Come with an open mind, be willing to embrace a new adventure, and invest in the guidance you need to make it happen.
The Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C. publishes an Elective Residency Visa document checklist. Requirements change, so confirm you're looking at the current version before you start gathering papers.
Not every story fits neatly into one visa category. Some of my favorite moments are the small ones that happen in real time inside our Slack community.
“My D7 was approved today. I am in Portimao now. My lease started November 1st… Just under 7 weeks since I applied.”
That one came from a student on Portugal's D7 visa, one of the most popular passive income pathways into Portugal.
“YASSSS! I have been on a high all weekend! Now reality hits and I must start on my Padron… I truly could not have done this without you.”
“Making the flight to Italy today with my kids and dog! It's been a long journey to get here but one I am very excited to continue on! I am moving to Florence!”
That message came from one of our students the day she boarded her flight, kids and dog in tow, a reminder that families make this move too.
“Just received Visas for Spain!! Thanks so very much to Shawna Lum, Eileen, Jesus, and Max for all of your patience and assistance!!”
Match your situation to one of these.
Digital Nomad Visa (Spain): For remote workers with a foreign employer or client base. Jennifer moved from Florida to Spain, and Tim now lives in the Málaga area.
Student Visa (Spain, Italy): For adults enrolling in an accredited language program or degree course, not just traditional students. Parrie moved from Austin to Barcelona; Jessica moved to Florence.
Long-Stay Visa (France): For passive income earners who will not work locally in France. Arlene and her husband Charlie used this route.
Entrepreneur Visa (France): For students building a business on French soil. Traci moved from Colorado to France.
Non-Lucrative Visa (Spain): For people supporting themselves through savings, pensions, or passive income without local employment. Luna moved to Madrid.
Pensionado Visa (Panama): For retirees with a guaranteed lifetime pension of at least $1,000 a month. Kim built a beach life in Panama.
D7 Visa (Portugal): For passive income earners and retirees. David and Jana moved after 40 years together, and another student was approved and moved to Portimão in under seven weeks.
Temporary Resident Visa (Mexico): For longer stays in Mexico than a tourist visit allows. Ashley and Jeff live there on Temporary Resident Visas.
Elective Residency Visa (Italy): For people who want to make Italy their main home and can support themselves without working there. Jan moved from Bainbridge Island, Washington to Florence.
Many people assume each relocation story is unique, too personal to learn from. After helping thousands of people move abroad, I've found the opposite is true. The stories above span different countries, visas, ages, and family situations. The same three things show up again and again.
They had a clear plan instead of scattered research. Arlene called it “the whole picture.” Parrie called the info overload of googling it alone “way too many websites, way too many options.” Both are describing the same relief: knowing what to do next instead of guessing.
They had real people to ask. Documents alone don't answer follow-up questions. Jessica leaned on one-on-one coaching to double-check her paperwork before her visa appointment. Luna leaned on the community when she wanted to quit. Jana said a coach gives you a plan, so you're not on your own. Jeff said that once you're serious, you don't have to do it by yourself. Jennifer compared it to being able to call your mom and ask how to bake a chicken. That's not a small thing when you're filling out paperwork for a foreign government.
They respected the process instead of fighting it. Arlene's point about the French bureaucracy applies everywhere. The countries approving your visa won't change their rules because you're in a hurry. Students who succeed are the ones who plan around that reality instead of against it.
If you've been sitting on this idea for a while, quietly researching countries and visas without taking the next step, you're in good company. Jessica talked about moving abroad for five years before she did it. Every student in this article started where you are. The difference between “someday” and an approved visa is a plan and a bit of support, not luck.
There is always a path. If you're ready to find yours, join the free live Q&A, where you can ask your biggest questions about moving abroad. I'll help you choose your visa, your destination, and a realistic timeline. From there, you can book a call with a relocation advisor on our team to talk through your situation.
You do not have to figure this out alone.
