According to survey results, individuals who have never been to the EU have a very strong desire to migrate there, whereas all of the respondents who have been there said they don't plan to move there any time soon, according to EU Helpers.

In particular, 50.9% of respondents have visited the EU before, whereas the remaining 14.5% would be making their first visit.

15% of all respondents earn more than €1,000 per month, with the bulk of those who have confirmed relocating to the EU earning between €500 and €1,000 per month. The percentage of respondents who plan to leave Kosovo after visa liberalization and who earn less than €300 monthly as well as those who earn between €300 and €500 monthly is also 18.4%, indicating that the higher the percentage of people who want to leave is, the lower the monthly income must be.

This assertion is further backed by the fact that only 2.6% of respondents overall had plans to visit the EU and earn an estimated €1,000 per month, which is above Kosovo's average pay.

Women made up the majority of respondents (61.4%), and the bulk of them were working, according to 88.5 percent of them, while 59.6 percent had a tertiary education or more.

The majority of respondents (46.5%) work in the fields of information technology, technology, and communication media.

When asked why their families were the most significant reason for staying in Kosovo, 57% of respondents said it was because of them, followed by friends (27.2%), and nationalistic motives (17.5%).

People who intend to leave the country cite employment (74.5%) and tourism (53.2%) as their main reasons for doing so. Germany, Switzerland, and France are the most popular destinations, with 55.3% of respondents saying they plan to move there within a year of visa liberalization (76.6%) and within the next five years (10.6%), while another 12.8% are still unsure.

In terms of the labor market, 95,7% of respondents think that the easing of visa restrictions will have an effect on Kosovo's workforce, while another 24.5% disagree, saying that visa easing benefits Kosovars.

When asked if they would be willing to leave their current work if it gave a better possibility for employment in the EU, 78.7% of respondents replied yes, while 21.3% said no.

However, as confirmed by 78.7% of respondents, the key factor driving Kosovars to migrate to the EU is a better quality of life. Kosovars primarily migrate to the EU for three reasons: higher wages (68.1%), better employment prospects (55.3%), and the presence of the rule of law (51.1%).

According to a recent post by EU Helpers, company owners and industry experts have urged Kosovo's government to improve working conditions for employees immediately because failing to do so could result in a reduction in labor force once visa liberalization starts in January 2024.

"With a smaller workforce, Kosovar firms would have it harder to run, and there will be a greater need for alternative employment opportunities. However, I want to express my optimism that this won't happen and that visa liberalization will give people the chance to travel within the Schengen region in accordance with the standards that define this right, as stated by Arian Zeka, the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, for EU Helpers.

According to Schengen Statistics, Kosovo will be among the top 20 nations worldwide in terms of the number of Schengen visa applications submitted in 2022. Kosovo was placed 18th last year with 121,972 Kosovar visa applicants, and 16th in 2021 with 44,666 Kosovar visa applications submitted overall.