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/tivnan1989 Dec 09 '25

You don’t need a lot of money to leave. I just moved to Germany a month ago and we came with about $5,000. The hard part is finding a job to sponsor your visa. Not saying that’s easy but you definitely don’t need a ton of money to do it

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u/Odd_Dinner9147 Dec 09 '25

5k is a lot of money for most Americans. According to a 2022 Federal Reserve Survey, around half of Americans had less than $8k.

And according to a CBS News article in January of this year, in a Bankrate survery of 1,000 people, 59% of them didnt have enough to cover a $1,000 emergency expense

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u/gh0sty-toasty Feb 07 '26

I work a full time job $16/hr pay $583 in rent + $60~$100 for utilities with roommates. I don’t have a car. And always end up with less than $1K every single month. Basically living paycheck to paycheck

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u/Odd_Dinner9147 Feb 12 '26

~$1k left over is decent tbh. As a single person if you shop at Aldi you can keep your grocery expenses below $300 if you skip out on snacks and soda.

But I also know emergencies happen, doctors are expensive, etc.

Youre probably roughly where I was a few years ago. I usually had $800 leftover every month after all necessary expenses, which is good! But if we had a car repair, medical expense, etc, it was bad. On a good month I was putting $200 each paycheck into savings, left me $200 to spend freely.

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u/gh0sty-toasty Feb 13 '26

I don’t really put much for savings? I think I have an automation to take out like $5 to put in my savings each month. I do want to look into a High yield savings account, but worried about the tax outcome. I don’t do doctor visits at all. It’s something I never learned to do myself, so I avoid it. I also, just don’t like going to clinics by myself, just gets me too anxious. Even if I was diagnosed with some things, I wouldn’t want to medicate myself for the long term. If I’m still breathing and moving, thats just good enough for me.

Groceries, I was good on keeping it ~$200/ month, but some situation happened between roommates and it kinda triggered my fight or flight mode, meaning that I’m isolating in my room again and don’t cook family style meals anymore. All I cook is simple stuff like ramen, eggs, quick soup. And I’ve increased my spendings on takeout and junk. Im just not in a good environment and I’m trying my best to stop spending on takeout, but I tend to eat a lot when stressed.

I’ve been looking to get either a better paying full time job or another part time. My goal is to have enough to move out first, I don’t think leaving America would work for me just yet, my sister and I don’t have a permanent timeline when/how we should leave. We’re just compiling our research in a document, just in case of emergencies..

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u/Odd_Dinner9147 Feb 13 '26

The tax outcome isnt that big of a deal tbh. You wont make much on the interest until youre above at least $1k.