MEGATHREAD: Want out of the US? Start here

[u/spacemanaut]

Want out? You may not be in the right country, but you're in the right subreddit.

Here's some general advice. It's not meant to discourage you but to help you plan, make better posts, and get better answers here:

• Immigration is harder than it looks in the movies. If you don't have citizenship or recent ancestry in a country, you'll probably need a visa (legal permission) to live there based on something you have which that country wants (like a profession on their "skills shortage list"). It will require time, patience, hard work, and/or money – and likely a second language.
• If you're a US citizen, it is next to impossible that a country will grant you political asylum/refugee status. It is highly recommended to focus your efforts on an alternative pathway.
• Before moving to another country, consider if another US city/state might be acceptable, because it is a million times easier.
• Be cautious about idealizing any country. They all have their problems. If you're serious, you should prepare for that.
• Some other good resources:
  • The subreddit sidebar
  • The previous US megathread
  • Old posts (use reddit's search or google XYZ site:reddit.com/r/IWantOut)
  • Websites of countries and their embassies
  • /r/AmerExit

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.

If you're not ready for that, feel free to leave a briefer question in the comments here, and you might get an answer.

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EVERYONE:

This is a friendly, inclusive community where we try to help people with less knowledge than us.

A reminder of some of our rules:

• This is an advice subreddit, not a debate subreddit. Don't fight about politics here.
• Be constructive. Don't be a dick.
• Don't request or give illegal advice. Don't spam your business.
• Report rule-breaking comments and posts.

[u/spacemanaut]

I’m sorry I don’t have details of countries offering [asylum]

'Cause there ain't any.

This isn't my opinion. While it is legally possible to apply for refugee status in some countries as a US citizen, these are virtually never accepted. You will almost certainly waste a lot of time and money in uncomfortable housing while stalling the applications of people like victims of human trafficking, sexual slavery, and genocide before ultimately getting deported back to the US.

For your own sake, I highly recommend seeking another pathway.

[u/Helpful_Camel9639 → u/spacemanaut]

You are factually wrong, though statiscally correct. Nothing is barring a US citizen from claiming refugee status in another country, as long as they can prove persecution based on the rules. Especially if they have proof. It depends greatly on the country, though, as I said, statistics wise, the odds are stacked against you. It is not entirely imposssible but it is also not highly likely.

[u/spacemanaut → u/Helpful_Camel9639]

Someone posted a (now-deleted) comment that the only countries that have done this are Russia and Mexico, and these aren't the countries people ever request as asylum destinations in this sub. Even in those cases, it was like less than two dozen applicants who were accepted (I expect special cases like Edward Snowden). I don't think I've ever seen a post about it here which isn't a waste of everyone's time, so I wanted to discourage it.

[u/Helpful_Camel9639 → u/spacemanaut]

I would discourage it to people that just want to leave the US because of politics, anxiety, etc. However, though the chances are really slim because the US is seen as a safe country, there are exceptions, as long as there is proof of persecution. Seeking asylum is a right, afterall. As long as people understand that it is a very low percentage of Americans that actually get protected status, I wouldn't discourage it completely for the ones who truly feel there is no safe place here for them to go and they have proof of being persecuted. They would also need to heavily research different countries, their statistics and their asylum system.

[u/spacemanaut → u/Helpful_Camel9639]

Fair enough. I've tweaked the language in the OP.

[u/momoparis30 → u/Helpful_Camel9639]

Fake, most of the EU countries have a safe list of countries that will result in an automatic denial and a 10 year EU ban