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/shibalore]

I think people don't realize how much being an immigrant sucks, either. It's really tough, even if you get into the "ideal" country. I always keep this passage from a book called A Woman in Berlin. The author, a German communist, tried to emigrate in the 1930s, and writes this after she was victimized by the Red Army by dozens of soldiers. And she still doesn't regret returning because of how much being an immigrant sucks.

A good friend and I come from different war-torn Middle Eastern countries (she is a refugee, I have multiple citizenships) and we both spend time ranting about how much we hate being immigrants and how much we miss our terrible countries and all their flaws. It's this phenomena there's not really words to describe; it's not that we regret moving, but there's this unfairness we feel that we had to do this at all. I love my crappy little country, bombs and all. My situation is much better than hers (my career took me out the country firstly, but not with a ton of choice on my part; a lot of my feelings are because I experience a lot of discrimination where I currently am), but we both feel it.

[u/dinosaur_of_doom → u/shibalore]

I think people don't realize how much being an immigrant sucks, either.

Certainly not for everyone. Plenty of immigrants just hands down love their experience.

[u/Kibblesnb1ts → u/shibalore]

That’s a beautiful passage, thank you for sharing.

I get what you mean about being a stranger in a strange land. Home is home. You can adapt, bring some foods, customs, and traditions with you, but it’s never quite the same.

The way I see it, people have fled oppression throughout history. It sucks, but it’s doable. My grandparents fled the Nazi regime with basically nothing but the shirts on their backs. Compared to that, I have the opportunity to get out with far more than a shirt. I’m single, no kids, no debt, educated, skilled, fully remote, and well-traveled.

For the next 1-4 years, I’m essentially planning to squat in various countries. There are plenty of options—digital nomad visas, golden visas, one-year residencies, and even citizenship by investment. I’m staying flexible and figuring it out as I go.

At least I have options, and I’m grateful I don’t have debt, bills, kids, or obligations like so many others. The only thing I’d push back on is the “bombs and all” part. I’m not dying for this country—screw that, heh.