People used to compare and evaluate national passports in terms of what they offered and how many doors such a document would open for them. Now it’s not so much about countries competing against one another; instead megacities are trying to appeal to skilled workers by throwing numerous benefits into the mix.

The first signs of this revolution appeared in 2019 when, after Brexit, trade and financial services in London were allowed to attract foreign workers to their industries in exchange for long term residency permits, as long as these skilled workers lived and worked within the City of London. Since then, the trend has caught on quite significantly and evolved with some detail. It’s no longer just a visa or diplomatic document that is on the line.

The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan government is desperately looking for ethical tech judges and is willing to pay them double what Los Angeles is offering, if they agree to train an intern every year. Corporate disruptors should best consider going to New York – for every company that you successfully disrupt, they’ll give you a vial of the high end, broad-spectrum Juhu antiviral that has been shown to be effective against all known viruses on earth.

It’s not coming so easy for all; Lagos is struggling to meet the basic needs of its inhabitants, unless the whole idea is to entice newcomers with unpredictable adventure and complex humanitarian problems, that if addressed, could have massive positive impacts.

Individual motivations and priorities differ and that is exactly what megacities are targeting, be it in a structured and organized way or simply by muddling through. So, where will you go next?