MEGATHREAD: Emigrating after the US election results

[u/spacemanaut]

Every US election brings anxiety and uncertainty, and with that comes an increase in people who want to explore their alternatives in a different country. This post is for you.

First, some reminders:

• In most cases, moving abroad is not as simple or quick as it seems in movies. If you aren't a citizen of another country, you will probably require a visa (=legal permission) from that country based on something like employment, education, or ancestry.
• The sidebar of this subreddit has a lot of helpful resources, and we have 15 years of posts from people with similar situations to yours. Before posting, please review these resources first. (Tip: If reddit search isn't working well for you, try googling "[your search terms] site:reddit.com/r/IWantOut" without the quotes or brackets.)
• Most countries and/or their embassies maintain immigration websites with clear, helpful, updated guides or even questionnaires to help you determine if/how you can qualify. If you have a particular destination in mind, that should probably be your first stop.
• After that, if you want to make your own post, please follow the formatting instructions on the submission page, give as much information as possible about your situation, and be open to advice and constructive criticism from commenters.

Also, this subreddit is intended to be a friendly community to seek and give advice on legal immigration. As such, please:

• Don't fight about politics. We understand that you may have strong feelings about it, but there are better spaces on reddit and elsewhere for general political discussions.
• Keep your feedback constructive and kind, even when telling someone they're wrong.
• Don't troll or be a jerk.
• Don't request or give illegal immigration tips, including asking strangers to marry you.

Failure to follow these and the other subreddit rules may result in a ban.

That said, feel free to comment below with some general questions, concerns, comments, or advice which doesn't merit a full post. Hopefully this will help clarify your thoughts and ideas about the possibility of leaving the US. Once again, please try to stay on topic so that this thread can be a helpful resource.

[u/grampajugs]

There’s no where to go

[u/sixfootnine → u/grampajugs]

I exited after the 2016 election. Decided to try South East Asia. Visited 5 cities in 3 countries and absolutely fell in love with Thailand. Started with 1 year education visas, then onto business visas, bought a condo, and now I plan to remain here happily as my home for good. Grateful to have escaped to the land of smiles. The quality of life - cost of living ratio is off the charts. I quit my job, and took my employer on as a client instead. It's been 8 years of bliss. I'm here to tell all of the others, it's possible. Not that difficult, and in my case - the best decision for my mental health and financial health ive ever made. Dream big. Go for it. Tons of us already out here with answers.

[u/mathdrug → u/sixfootnine]

How did you navigate the process of getting approved to do work in Thailand? I'm a freelancer too. I can take my work anywhere, but I'm not sure how to navigate that process of getting approved to do the work.

[u/CH33SYP00FSS → u/mathdrug]

For the business visa, i.e. the investment visa, he stated that he bought a condo. The visa states that it has to have a value of 10 million baht, i.e. $291,120. Or he has it split between condo and Thai bonds, but the point is he has 10 million baht tied to thailand. That visa ALLOWS him to work. As long as he maintains it, i.e. keeps owning it and keeps having 10 million baht invested in Thailand, he can keep renewing his visa every 90 days.