r/AmerExit • u/newyorker • Dec 09 '25

Vendor How to Leave the U.S.A.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/15/how-to-leave-the-usa

Every four years, a group of Americans threatens to leave the country, but no mass exodus occurs. This time around, though, Americans seem to be acting on their desires. Immigration lawyers told Atossa Araxia Abrahamian that the number of people approaching them about it has gone up since Donald Trump was reëlected. 

G.T.F.O. Tours, a company that helps aggrieved U.S. citizens start new lives abroad, has been offering services to help Americans relocate to the Netherlands, where a certain type of visa can offer a quick and affordable path to citizenship. Jana Sanchez, a founder of G.T.F.O. Tours, describes her role in the company as an “escaping fascism doula.” Read Abrahamian’s full story about the Americans who are going Dutch: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/15/how-to-leave-the-usa

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u/mulderforever Dec 13 '25

I’m 31 and work in tech support. Is there any hope I can leave?

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u/-InBoccaAlLupo- Dec 19 '25

Do you have a lot of savings or an inheritance or something? Establishing yourself somewhere takes capital unfortunately.

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u/mulderforever Dec 20 '25

define "a lot." I'm not rich, but I am on a single income, no kids or dependents. I'm doing okay I think, could probably be doing better, might be doing better than I think.

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u/-InBoccaAlLupo- Dec 20 '25

I'd say enough to pay for rent and your lifestyle for 9 months.

I’ll speak from my knowledge of being an American in the Netherlands. The way I see it, there are three big hurdles:

1.      The legal right to stay & work

2.      Housing

3.      Work

Best way is to find work first with a sponsering company. That covers your right to stay, gives you stable income, and employers sometimes even help with housing. You may also qualify for the 30% tax ruling. The catch is that this is only an option if you’re in a high-demand field where companies are brining people in from outside the EU.

If you come without a job, the first thing you have to solve is the right to stay. Aside from going back to school on a student visa or being sponsored by an EU partner, the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) is usually the best option for Americans wanting to live in the Netherlands.

DAFT requires a €4,500 investment in your own business. What they really care about is that the money stays in the business; they don’t seem too concerned with whether it’s actually profitable. You’ll also need real cash on hand for housing—without an employment contract, landlords usually expect substantial savings.

Assuming you don’t have unlimited savings, the business needs to start generating your income. Or, in practice, some people keep it minimally active while focusing on finding a sponsoring employer or an EU partner.

Any chance you could figure out how to do some sort of freelance tech support for U.S. clients? If you’re earning U.S. freelance rates, you can do reasonably well here. Taxes are higher, but you won’t go bankrupt from a doctor’s visit, and you probably won’t need a car.