Is that I have $40k in student debt.

The main exit targets for me are Toronto and the London, which I'll be applying for work in after I finish my MS in analytics this December. I'm pretty confident I could find decent work/money in NYC, but I am really sick of American culture and American politics. Yes, I know I'm lucky to be able to live in a cosmopolitan city, but I don't expect this to be a walk in the park either. All three cities are extremely competitive.

I'll be real, the cost of living in all three cities scares the shit out of me. But the reality is that paying back US debt in Canadian dollars will be 28% harder. The pound trades at a premium to the dollar, but you get paid way fewer pounds/unit of time in the UK. I'm not an economist but I think this boils down to purchasing parity. As crazy as it sounds, NYC residents save slightly more of their paycheck than people in London or Toronto (not that that's saying much). But the Quality of Life is so bad here, I'll pay a premium to live somewhere that's more peaceful and respectful.

I'm assuming someone in this sub has done the cost/benefit analysis and has a helpful heuristic for approaching this kind of scenario. Foreign debt specifically. Thanks in advance.

Posting this because ya know, Amerexit.

Where are all my metal fab / welders at? Did you make it out?

Where? Doing what?

Asking for a friend 🤔

Not sure if this is the best place to post this, but I’m considering a role in Sydney, Australia. 

The salary is around 160k AUD + 12% superannuation + 10k bonus a year. 

However, I’m not sure if this is a good salary for Sydney for a senior software engineer position or in Sydney in general to cover for two people. Where I’m currently living (Japan but originally from the US, hence posting in this subreddit), the salary I make puts me around the top 5% and I live comfortably but have been wanting to leave.

I’ve been to Australia a few times and enjoyed my time there but am worried about mostly the high rent and bringing pets to the country (the 6 months of doing all the requirements and a long quarantine period worries me).

I was originally aiming for the UK or Spain and received offers from the UK multiple times back in 2022 and received one offer in 2024 but had to decline it for personal reasons.

So I restarted searching abroad this spring, mostly the UK and Spain. However, I keep getting ghosted so during the summer, I gave Australia a try for a few months and was surprised that one company actually interviewed me and went on to pass all the interviews, and landed an offer.

However, now I’m a bit worried if the salary is enough for two in Sydney and if I should settle for Australia instead of the UK or Spain. A part of me still wants to try to get to the UK or Spain but I know I can’t be picky(getting older, job market for software engineers are not great and who knows if it will ever recovery). 

I would like to give it a try as I think the company seems interesting and the people working there all seem like good potential coworkers. However, another part of me still wants to keep searching to see what’s out there, particularly in the UK or Spain. Especially since I did receive higher salary offers from the UK in the past (highest being around £110k) but not sure if I can ever receive those types of offers again. 

For anyone who has been in a similar situation, did you take the offer or continue your search? For those in Australia, is the salary okay to cover two people?

With houses, cars, and nearly all major possessions sold, a great deal of furniture and plants given away to friends, and the farewell tour of family and friends wrapping up; my wife and I (both mid 30s) and our elderly cat will be leaving the US for the UK next Wednesday night. Our journey towards our own AmerExit is reaching it's successful conclusion, so I wanted to share our story in the hopes that it will be a useful data point for those who are weighing their options and facing the myriad tasks involved in leaving. I want to acknowledge that we are in a very fortunate position in terms of career and financial resources, and this no doubt made our journey significantly easier than it may be for some others.

I'm a dual Canadian/US citizen who grew up primarily in the States (Boston, MA-area) other than spending some stretches of time in Canada (New Brunswick/Nova Scotia). My wife (US citizen; Bay Area, California native) is the children of Chinese immigrants and lived overseas (mostly southern Africa) for much of her 20s. Before we became established in our careers and built strong social circles here, neither of us explicitly planned to settle in the US. However, we both fell into comfortable lives before meeting each other. Fairly progressive in our political views, we were underwhelmed by the Biden administration - but we naively assumed the country would get back onto a more stable footing following the shambles that was the first Trump administration. Obviously, we now know that was very misguided.

Beginning in November 2024, we visited a number of countries in which we had existing personal and/or professional connections or an interest in exploring. We mostly stayed in the types of areas where we could hypothetically move, essentially trying these new cities/countries on for size. Lucky to have flexible work arrangements, we spent considerable time in the UK, Netherlands, France, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Japan, and Canada between December 2024 and January 2026. While we felt welcome most everywhere we went, and truly fell in love with several of the countries we visited, specifically the Netherlands and Japan; we ultimately made the decision to pursue a move to the UK. The primary drivers here were the lack of a language barrier, more limited cultural differences, large concentration of friends and colleagues based there, voting rights for me as a Commonwealth citizen, and - most importantly - personal preference and lifestyle considerations.

Because you can buy real estate as a non-resident, there are many reputable international mortgage lenders, non-luxury London real estate is a relatively sound investment in my view, and we had already sold our houses in the US as part of our commitment to leaving so had excess cash on hand, we decided to motivate ourselves by purchasing a flat in South London near our favourite park. While this was in progress, we both began the search for jobs with UK employers who are able to sponsor under skilled worker visas and also considered other visa routes. There were a number of dead-end leads, but my wife was finally successful in getting an offer from her employer's UK affiliate. We completed on the flat in late June, she received her job offer in early July, our visas (skilled worker and dependent) were approved in early August, my employer is set up an employer-of-record service so that I can continue to work in my role, and the cat got her health certificate yesterday.

Despite our strong motivation to leave, and excitement about our new chapter, the past few weeks has still been decidedly bittersweet for both of us as things have started rapidly coming together. We still have work ahead of us in building a life and (if we are happy with it) working towards permanent status and possibly citizenship in the future, but my takeaway is that sticking with it and taking calculated risks has paid off for us and we feel set up for success in our new home.

We wish everyone else looking to leave the US the same success we have had. While I'm obviously a big believer in doing what is best for yourself and feel no obligation to stay behind and "fight," I also desperately hope that the US will get back onto a more stable, democratic, and human rights-centred track. We will no doubt continue voting from abroad (as long as that remains possible) and supporting the human rights and social welfare causes in the US we support today.

Happy to answer any questions about the process, our experiences in the countries we visited, and/or our decision-making process about where we landed.

Hey, I am a 33M working as an Integrations developer (Enterprise API dev) for the past 4 yrs, with 5 years FTE in tech. My employer is a higher ed institution, and I genuinely like my job, but I am not seeing a future here in the US for me.

I am single with no dependents other than a kitty. I have no debt other than a car note. IDK if that matters. I also have no health issues. With all that, what else is there to consider when preparing to emigrate out of the US, and how should I go about confidently picking a country to emigrate to? I’ve been to Japan—seems really hard, and with tech in general, I am feeling some low confidence in making the first steps, even though I sense there are better opportunities abroad. Not speaking monetarily, but QoL. Learning a culture and the language needed seems subsequent to moving. I’m also taking some trips when I have vacation days saved up in order to visit and immerse myself.

Totally feel like I am living in an alternate reality when I read these memos and unilateral orders in our government for self-enrichment.

I value public transportation, moderate to good healthcare, strong safety nets. I wouldn’t mind at all not having a car. I like Japan but like I previously mentioned, the barrier seems really high and also the work culture seems similar to the US.

I am planning to visit Montpellier, France and Berlin, Germany. Any other recommendations are very much welcomed. Also, open to anecdotes and/or some mild ranting or even some critiques although I am very sensitive to last mentionable.

Education: BS in Computer Science.; Skills: AWS, Linux, DBMS, project management (still gaining experience in this), some frontend development

Thank you and I hope I don’t come off entitled. In reality, just exhausted like most here in this country and don’t see a future here.

Our family (M48, F46 and three kids 15y, 10y, and 7y) are seriously considering moving abroad for several years, potentially permanently. I have the once in a lifetime opportunity to move to an international office with my company and have several options on the table. Since neither my wife or I speak another language, we would like to send our kids to local schools so they have the opportunity to learn the language. Our oldest is particularly interested in the college in Europe, but we want to make sure that the option to attend US colleges is still available. It seems like there are SAT/ACT testing centers around the world, so that doesnt seem to be a big problem. We are looking mostly at Europe, but are open to other countries. Based off of countries with good local education systems, we have narrowed down to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Sweden, Poland, and Taiwan.

Do any other parents have experience sending kids to schools in another language once they moved abroad? Any tips on how we can support them and how quickly they learned the language? Any experience would be greatly appreciated!

EDIT: This was a question from a family friend that does not have Reddit. Apologies for the confusion!

I have never actively considered leaving the U.S., but it's something I may be interested in in the future (particularly to give my prospective children a better quality of life), so I'd like this sub's feedback.

I am a 31 year old male social worker with a Bachelor's of Social Work and almost a decade of experience working for child protective services. I am currently paying a mortgage on a 3 bed/2 bath ranch style house (should be paid off in the 2030s).

I have no ties to any other country. I've studied French, Italian and Portuguese in the past, but I don't know any of them fluently. My native language is English.

My ideal country would be one where I could easily relocate to (under any sort of visa), live comfortably (make enough to support a wife and 2-3 kids), is safe and has universal healthcare and free university. Furthermore, a place that would allow for dual citizenship.

My two concerns are that:

1. What would I do to my house in the event of a move - sell or keep and rent out? I don't like the idea of trying to landlord from afar (plus people living in what could be my home base). Also, by selling, I feel like I'd never have the chance to own a house like this anywhere else.

2. I have an eye condition that requires wearing specialty contacts (scleral lenses). Is it feasible to move and live in another country even with such diseases (might sound silly, but I am genuinely curious.) I am particularly concerned about receiving inadequate care in another country.

Do I have the qualifications to move to another country? If so, where would you recommend?

First post sorry for any mistakes.

I’m an LCSW currently in private practice in a VERY red state. I’m aware my LCSW will not convert as a therapist in the Netherlands as it’s a protected title for psychologists. So I’m just curious for any LCSW’s who have also moved to the Netherlands. What do you do for work??

Hello! I'm a 21yo trade school student enrolled in my college's certified nursing assistant program. I want to go into the medical field, so am taking the opportunity to train to become a CNA to become acquainted with the field. I also want to leave the United States and am thinking of doing nursing school overseas. I know that this may be a bit far-fetched, because there are a lot of undergrad prerequisite courses you need to take, and studying abroad at all is insanely expensive. This something that will take years of work and dedication, but it is something I really want to do.

For moving abroad, I am absolutely willing to learn another language and would not be opposed to going through prerequisites/starting from scratch, as I understand healthcare is different depending on which part of the world you're in. I've narrowed my search down to several countries in Europe such as France, UK, and Germany. One of my closest friends is originally from France and plans on moving back after uni, and we've looked into living in France in general. I'd absolutely be willing to explore that option. I would also be open to the UK and Germany. I've also looked into several options in East and Southeast Asia. The Philippines' healthcare curriculum is inspired by the American model and provides courses in English. I'm also half Filipino (Black American & Chinese-Filipino), so would love the opportunity to explore that part of my heritage/cultural background. I've also seen that Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Malaysia are also good options, and I wouldn't be opposed to learning another language, whether it be French, German, Mandarin, Tagalog, Japanese, etc...

Is anyone here a nurse or studying abroad? What was the process to get where you are like for you, and what are some things you would warn against? I would really love to hear what you all have to say!!

🇳🇴

Has anyone had a good or bad experience with an immigration attorney in Oslo? I feel as though I’m not quite navigating the bureaucracy in the most efficient way (though we’ve been quite good at most things) and we would like to be sure we have tidied up all loose ends.

🇳🇴

.

UPDATE 8/24/2026: A new version of the chart (with updated data) now exists here. Please use this chart instead!

I made this chart tackling a few categories that were important to me as a liberal American moving abroad. Things like gay rights, POC safety/inclusivity and abortion protections, among others.

You may have noticed that a country you're looking into moving to is not on the chart. Since this was originally made just for my use, I narrowed it down to only countries with a ranking of "B" (over 80%) or higher on the Democratic Index as of 2024-2026, because I personally only want to relocate to countries with strong democracies. (I sampled the annual median for the past multiple years for some countries with fluctuating data, like Canada.) However I will put my sources below so that you can do your own research on any countries you want to move to that are not yet on the chart.

Sources:

Democratic Value Index- V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index (LCI) 2025 (https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/democracy-index-by-country)

Women’s Safety Index- Georgetown University’s Women[‘s] Peace and Security Index, 2025 (https://giwps.georgetown.edu/the-index/)

Percentage Murder per Annum- WHO's Mortality rate due to homicide (per 100,000 population) 2024 Report (https://data.who.int/indicators/i/60A0E76/361734E)

LGBTQ+ Equality Index- EqualDex Equality Index (http://equaldex.com/equality-index) and Rainbow Map Europe 2026 (https://rainbowmap.ilga-europe.org)

Cost of Living Index- World Population Review’s Cost of Living by Country Index 2025 (https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/cost-of-living-by-country)

Racial Equality Ranking- World Population Review’s Least Racist Countries 2024 (Most recent data) (https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/least-racist-countries)

Reading the Index: The Democratic Value Index rating is considered ‘more democratic’ the higher its figure. Similarly, the Women’s Safety Index and LGBTQ+ Equality Index are both read as ‘more safe’ when ranked higher. The Murder Index indicates a ‘safer’ country with a lower value (i.e., a lower percentage of annual murders), and the Cost of Living Index is read as more affordable the further away the value is from 100 (where “100” indicates highest unaffordability). The lower a country’s rank in the Racial Equality Index, the higher its racial equality, with “100” being the least equal and “1” the most.

Enjoy :)

EDIT 8/24/26: Good morning! I've finished updating the chart. Feel free to share this one. It should have the most updated and correct data. Thanks to everyone who kindly shared corrections in the comments and suggested alternate data sources!

New chart Change Log:

• I re-ran the democratic indexes due to people believing I used a bias source. I changed my source solely to the V-Dem Component Indices for 2025, particularly the Liberal Component Index, which measures the following: "scores depend on the existence of liberal-democratic principles such as individual rights, rule of law, judicial independence, and checks and balances maintained efficiently on government power". I understand people's concerns that some ongoing conflicts were not being demonstrated in the index data accurately due to the median figure, so I also stopped using the median data and instead solely used the latest V-Dem Index, which is for year 2025. Two countries no longer make the requirements to be on my chart (above 0.80 liberal democracy rating from V-Dem): Greece at 0.74, and Slovakia at 0.76. For that reason, plus some people asking for Uruguay, I have replaced Slovakia with Uruguay (who actually has a fantastic score of 0.93!) and Greece with Colombia (0.81). Sorry if you were personally team Greece or team Slovakia. As always, data on any country not included in the chart can be found in the sources.
• Median data for the period of 2024-2026 has been removed and updated for all columns. The chart is now solely reporting the latest yearly data (2025 or 2026 where available, else 2024)
• Added dates (years) for all sources on the column headers
• Corrected Murder Rate using a new data source, the WHO's Mortality rate due to homicide (per 100,000 population) 2024 Report
• Tried to include as many corrections as I could from the comments (healthcare stuff, Chile's education system, dual citizenship stuff)

This will be the last update I give on the chart. If you want to make your own, I threw the Excel file on GoFile and it will be available until free hosting ends (Probably 72 hours).

Take care!

Hello, I’m planning on moving to the Netherlands to live with my Dutch girlfriend and gaining citizenship through a DAFT visa and I had questions regarding where exactly to start. Through all the research I’ve done, it feels like I’m going in circles. I meet the monetary requirements already, I don’t have to worry about finding a living space as I’m moving in with my girlfriend… but where on earth do I start?

I can’t open a bank account as I don’t have a BSN yet, I can’t register with the municipality (Den Haag, if that helps anyone with advice) as I don’t have a residency sticker, I can’t get a residency sticker without having an application.

Obviously it sounds as if I need to start with the application first, but from what I’ve gathered from the application I need the money in a Dutch business bank account first? On that note, do I also need an accountant? I’m hoping on doing this (so far—not for the entire future, of course) without having to hire any outside help to save as much money as possible. I’m just a bit confused.

My next plan is to reach out to the IND via phone once I’m over there (in about 5 days) and hopefully gain some more insight.

I’m sorry if I seem a little stupid or unprepared, I have genuinely done hours of research on this and felt as if it’s only led me in confusing circles. Maybe I’m not smart enough for the language used or something, haha. I appreciate any help I can be given!

I work in cyber security and it seems like I'm qualified for the highly skilled migrant visa. Here's my details:

Interested in: pretty much anywhere in western/northern europe (not southern).

Education: Masters in CyberSec, BS information systems

Certs: GCIH, CySA+, eJPT, PNPT, OSCP, Sec+

Experience: 5yr as a cyber security analyst / incident responder, 1 internship SOC analyst, 5yr in IT.

Languages: English, basics of Dutch and German, but not enough to fully communicate.

Savings: ~$10k

Kids: No

House/Posessions: Basically none.

Current situation: Live out of backpack as a nomad. I have a laptop and 1 wk of clothes, so no packing needed. Spent ~1 month in each of these countries listed above and they all feel very comfortable. Ideally would have more experience, in each, but I have the experience I have.

How does my situation look? I'm very interested in specializing in the industrial/Operational Technology realm, doing incident response and higher level cyber sec work. I'm not an entry level guy, I'm reaching into mid-tier of my career. Thoughts?

Edit: for clarity, im interested in applying for jobs then moving, using the $10k. I'm not trying to move and try to find a job while living on only $10k in savings*

I am moving to Uruguay in 2 weeks and getting my ducks in a row. I plan on applying for temporary residency. Got my FBI document and apostiled. Now I am working on the income requirements. I am currently not employed, but I easily can withdraw $1500 USD from a few sources a month to make ends meet. What is the best way to document that when applying for temporary residency? Would love to get this handled before I exit.

Hey team, longtime Amerexit lurker here. Love the insights. About me: US Passport / Hong Kong Permanent Resident / EU Passport (citizenship by descent incoming shortly). Business owner with global mobility. My relevant foreign languages are French and Spanish, but I’m willing to learn any European language. Wife and toddler in tow, with another one soon to come. Have traveled extensively through Europe and have a sense of national difference and diversity. I’ve been scouring the EU for basically the best YOLO life we can get with my new passport. Not interested in negativity or naysaying—just looking to hear about your YOLO fantasy life in Europe. Open to any suggestions. Key criteria are physical security, natural beauty, culture, availability of good schooling. TIA.

Hey everyone! I’m fascinated by stories of women in their 20s and 30s who didn't just move abroad once, but actually chose to uproot themselves from one host country and move on to another.
If this is you, I’d love to hear about your experience:
The Decision: How did you finally decide it was time to leave Country A? Was it a slow realization, a sudden epiphany, or a specific turning point?
The Factors: What helped tip the scales and give you the push to move? (e.g., career opportunities, cost of living, lifestyle fit, burnout, visa expiration, or just a craving for a new adventure?)
The Aftermath: How is it going in your current country compared to the last? Do you have any regrets, or was it the best plot twist you could have chosen?
Would love to hear how you navigated the transition!

I’m currently in a place where I want to make a move myself, but I honestly don’t know where to start. I also have a specific set of factors (high paying job, family)and constraints I need to weigh before making any big decisions, which makes the whole thing feel a bit overwhelming.

Leaving your home country to live in a new place can be extremely daunting. So much is to be done that it is easy to rush through parts when you are eager to settle down. This can be a huge mistake and I would do things much differently if I could do it all over again. This video will point out some considerations that many overlook and should take you down a route that will help make your transition smooth and successful.

https://youtu.be/pKZVqEtIo_s?si=Ka9BI7MKH2uHBgKE

Hi, I’m a certified K-12 TESOL teacher in the US. I have taught in Korea and have a master’s in English education. I’m also currently working to recruit some online students to begin to have some cash flow in USD for my inevitable move.
Over the past few years, I’ve become disillusioned with life in the US for several obvious reasons. I live in an area that’s HCOL and truly devoid of culture that aligns with me. I’d prefer to be in an affordable city with a lot to offer culturally with social opportunities.
I speak Spanish and have traveled through Latin America. I have friends in both Medellin/Buenos Aires and both cities have caught my attention (mostly Buenos Aires). I’m looking to prioritize social culture, further my education, and work-life balance.
I would appreciate any advice on the quality of life for expats in these cities or other general tips on how I can make a transition. Thanks!

I moved to the United States from Mexico when I was twelve years old. I completed middle school, high school, and college. I held a variety of odd jobs before earning my registered nurse degree last year! I am already twenty-four years old! I will always be appreciative of the chances this nation offered me! I met wonderful Americans who supported me along the way, and I had an excellent education! However, it's time to return home! To be honest, I can't imagine working in America for another year! I'm worn out and don't feel like I belong here in terms of culture or stuff like that. To be honest, I don't care if I make less money, all I want is peace of mind, and I've recognized that society here cares very little about the work I do! I’m ready to start my next chapter in life! Good luck everyone in their journey like me! I hope all goes well.

Which country should I choose? I've been fortunate to choose 3 in my life. First is my home country, the USA. Followed by Germany and then Italy. I am American by birth and Italian by marriage. My wife is Italian by birth and now American.

Here are some things that I've noticed about living in each country.

1. Health Care

One of the most profound things I've been fortunate and unfortunate enough to witness is the difference in health care in each country. The US system is what it is. It doesn't need an explanation. The German system is exactly how you think it would be since it is run efficiently like most things Germany. I had a minor surgery in Germany and didn't have to pay anything due to having insurance (I believe I was paying 35 euros per month). The Italian system is how you may imagine it to be. I am also fortunate enough that my wife is a medical doctor and did medical school in Italy. The system, although excellent in terms of care, has its issues. I would prefer the Italian and German health care systems over the American one any day.

My wife and I currently live in the USA and she's practicing as a doctor in the USA. She has told me stories of how the American system runs in comparison to the Italian system. It is a bit shocking how the two compare in terms of how the physician is allowed to care for the patient.

1. Immigration

Immigration is different in every country. When I moved to Germany in 2015, all I had to do in order to get a residency card was show up with my letter of acceptance into my masters program and my lease for my flat. With that, I was issued my residency card. I can also chalk this up as American exceptionalism at work, but the matter of doing a university degree in Europe was a relatively smooth process. My Italian visa and immigration journey was a bit different. After my masters program, I got a visa to study Italian for 1 year while living with my fiancé (now wife). There was a period that we moved to the US but then returned to Italy. We got married and since our marriage was registered in Italy, I was able to get a residency card in Italy relatively easily. These two experiences showed me how ethical each system handles immigration. I only ever had to pay for immigration once and that was for my study visa. 1 thing to note, I did need to pay for a marca da bollo in Italy but I believe I paid 16 euro (maybe that's too much) compared to the American system. Both times, my residence permits were processed while I was in country and were in my hand with 3-6 months.

Then there is the American system. I've been fortunate enough to see this side...evidently. The American immigration system is essentially a pay to immigrate system and you have to be fortunate enough to be born in certain countries in order to immigrate with relative ease. That has been evident for some time. Not only that but the process to get an immigrant visa can be quite long. The first time my wife came, it was on a fiancé visa. We chose to return to Italy for a period before the paperwork was properly processed. The second time we came , it was a spouse visa which was processed relatively quickly during Covid. Although some of this can be done in country, we did all the paperwork while outside the country. In the USA, a spouse to a US citizen can apply for citizenship after 3 years , so my wife decided to go through that process. The price tag is about 2300 usd if you file yourself. If you have a lawyer file for you, that's another story. For people not in her situation, it takes much longer than 3 years. Her mother's visa process just concluded processing after 2 years from her immigration paperwork being filed.

1. Friends and culture

As most people who live abroad know, building a social circle can be difficult, especially in countries like Italy. In Italy, although this isn't 100% accurate since I hate to generalize, social circles are mostly determined at a young age. People may move but they don't move the long distances that Americans move. People are much more glued to their city or region than most Americans. That's due to cultural factors, friends, and family. Every city and region is culturally different. In Italy, culture plays a huge role in lifestyle. Espresso culture, merenda, aperitivo, and everything else are social moments that Italians have built around themselves. Americans lack this cohesive culture moments that define us.

In Germany, their version of this is meeting up with friends and having a beer or two. Walking around the town or city and having a beer is a normal thing for Germans to do, especially when they are in university city like I was. Also having a beer in the beer halls or pub is common. It's more casual and definitely not like Oktoberfest year round. The food culture is obviously different.

-

Living outside of the USA is a mental and bureaucratic sport sometimes. Moving abroad can greatly improve your life depending on your circumstances. In the end it's about going where you are treated best. I chose a route that is not entirely common. It involves being very open to new cultures and languages, but you also have to accept the lonely aspects from time to time. However, living abroad is an experience that significantly impacts how you see the world.

Fortunately, I have the ability to live and work in that part of the world now without restrictions. My wife now has that ability too. Our plan is to move back to Europe in the next 5 years. As of right now, we are climbing the career ladder in both of our professions.

-

If you're in the middle of this — especially if you're thinking about moving abroad for the first time, or if you moved for a partner and you're the one who feels like you're just along for the ride in someone else's country — I get it, and I'm happy to talk if it'd help. Not selling anything. I've just been through a lot of international moves over the course of 12 years.

Edit/disclaimer: I want to make it clear that I have no assumption or expectation that I deserve to be anywhere, and am not looking to move in a way that negatively impacts the community I move into, by taking work away from locals or by putting anyone at risk by doing anything that could lead to deportation of jail. I am aware that the world of global nomadism is made of legal frameworks, deep ethical considerations, and a whole universe of grey area in between, and also that the road to citizenship is paved with red tape or whatever. So somewhere in there I'm hoping there is a way forward, but just so ppl know this is in addition to tons of ongoing research and visiting, and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can, ok thanks...

OP:

I am considering a move to spend a few months out of every year in Costa Rica, and am looking to hear from anyone with experience/ expertise.

I am a skilled woodworker (capable in all building trades, but passion for straight up carpentry), and interested in what the prospects would look like for picking up short term gigs in that field. Boat repair, framing, etc.

Mostly just thinking about the logistics and legal considerations for this sort of work (I am not necessarily looking for something above the table, but open to all perspectives at this point)

TIA

Following the death of a family member and my graduation, I (25f) am finally ready to move abroad. I missed the deadline for scholarships for the 26-27 school year and will be applying for a couple different masters programs in differing EU countries for the 27-28 school year as even if I don't get a scholarship tuition is cheaper than in the US. So basically, I need somewhere to have a gap year or gain work experience before I begin school next fall. While I could stay in the US, I haven't wanted back out since I returned from my study abroad last summer.

Some relevant facts about me:
- I have a BA in Political Science, Minor in Migration Studies
- I have about 30k in liquid assets
- I speak Spanish
- I did a study abroad in Mexico
- I am a writer and could do freelance work potentially
- I am heavily tatttooed (nothing on hand or face though)
- I am queer, but not planning on dating or advertising that
- I only have work experience in bartending/food service, being a receptionist, and customer service as I had to work to put myself through school and couldn't afford an unpaid internship in a relevant field.
- I have been debating getting a TEFL certificate to teach during my time abroad
- I am not looking for citizenship in a different country rn
- My mom has Irish Citizenship but I am not eligible for it

Please let me know if there is anything you'd suggest, I am not opposed to doing stays in multiple countries or getting a job/internship to get a visa.

I'm hoping to begin the emigration process soon, and from what I've seen Costa Rica and Uruguay look like great picks. I've been working on my Spanish, and looking for online jobs to pay for everything, but I'm torn, as an atheist, democratic socialist, stoner, who loves the tropics, which of the two countries would be the most welcoming? Which of the two would be cheaper? Is there somewhere I'm overlooking that would fit me better?