I'm German and as far as I'm concerned the people who want to flee the current US administration are exactly the type of people you want to welcome with open arms.
Brit here. I'd be happy to accept Dem voters. Fart voters can stay at home and eat their own dogshit. Non-voters too; they knew exactly who FartV1 was and I am genuinely surprised Harris couldn't get in simply on "I'm not Fart". They really thought she'd be worse?
And for those who get over here by lying about their vote; they incriminate themselves, and will be deported the moment we discover the truth.
I'm very concerned that people who choose to go to France will just find themselves in the exact same situation along with the rest of us not too long from now. I'd advise looking for a country with a lower fascism approval rating...
We do have lots of cheese, though, if it's any consolation.
at least currently these countries are mostly looking for PHDs, MDs in specialities, some engineers, but degrees in stem lower than that isnt encouraged at all. because they know there will be a job waiting the moment they set foot in those countries, but its unwise for someone with a undergraduate/MS since you would have to do much more.
i knew a white guy in my CC that "expatriated" to mexico after my semester with him in a stem class this was a long time ago, kinda wierd he even bother going to school in the CC anyways in the USA, he was gone the next semester.
The kind of american that usually comes to Mexico is very nice, very welcome. Maybe the exceptions are the very loud and self absorbed ones that go to resort locations and act like they're better than everyone there.
As long as people want to integrate and cooperate they are more than welcome.
Now, the sad part is the gentrification that comes with a lot of people moving and outpaying rent vs the locals. Now the average cost of living in Mexico city is about 50% higher than the average salary, and about 100% higher than the median salary. Another very negative thing is that now a lot of locals have to communicate in english because American people will come and not learn spanish over multiple years living here. There are zones where everything is in english now. It's okay speaking english, it's not okay expecting english from everyone.
So a few pointers:
Integrate, pay taxes, consume locally
Try and move into already gentrified places, avoid displacing more people
Push for social policy, increased affordable living spaces, invest in the country where you move into to improve the locals' life
Netherlands here. The 862.409 Americans that voted for a better country (Jill Stein voters) are more than welcome here. Also, those who face illegal prosecution and genuine threat from the government, ICE and police. The rest would just move our political compass further to the authoritarian side, dems or reps.
Don't come to Ireland. I've lived in the US for nearly two decades, made lots of friends and even helped some to immigrate here. The harsh reality is, however, that we're going through a really bad housing crisis, with our own homeless numbers growing every month, and house prices and rents exploding (a recent statistic showed that our growth in rents is four times the EU average). So, please, for our sake and yours, try a different country.
So, it's not just theoretical for me. I left the US earlier this year and moved to Iceland. Planning started almost a year before that. It is hard for Americans to move to a lot of European countries, and Iceland isn't an exception.
I hired an immigration attorney in Iceland to help make sure I did everything correctly. That cost about $10k as a retainer. It was worth every penny. If you're taking notes, that's pretty much the only one you need. Every country has different rules and laws regarding Americans moving to their country. And just like in America, if you have an issue with the law, you need to hire an attorney. They will help you understand every relevant law that exists that applies to you that may very well not be available in English. Hire a local expert.
I'm not very young, so I paid to move my stuff here. I also paid to move my electric vehicle because gas costs the equivalent of about $10 per gallon, plus there are some serious CO2 taxes here. That cost about another $20k. About two thirds moving the stuff, and one third moving the car.
In retrospect, moving the stuff was a good idea. I have lots of things that are just incredibly hard to get here, or take forever to get if you want them. And I saved enough money to be worth it. If you look at something like a KitchenAid mixer, it costs the equivalent of $1k here. If I sold my old one for used price and bought a new one here, I'd lose most of a thousand bucks. So you only need to do that a few times to make moving your stuff worth it.
I also saved money on importing my car over just buying a new one, but it was such a fucking hassle that if I were to do it again, I'd have just bought one here. I didn't save enough to make it worth it.
I'm not sure how useful my experience will be now. When I started talking to my immigration attorney, I explained that it seemed likely to me that after trump was reelected that Americans were going to panic and rush for the exits. I felt that it was likely that the countries would respond by doing exactly what America does: freak out about having too many immigrants and change the rules to make it harder to get in.
Based on a recent conversation with my attorney, it seems that I was right. The rules have changed enough that the path that we used for residency has now been more more seriously restricted. The attorney's office was inundated with requests from Americans and they were working 12+ hour days for a few months just trying to respond to all the requests.
I know some folks have strong feelings that people should stay and fight. But I feel like we have fought the good fight for a long time. That went all the way from starting non-profits, to being involved locally, and all the way to running for public office. I'm not interested in identifying myself too much, but I will say that that the person we lost that election to was openly known to have been fired previously for having embezzled money, but voters didn't care because they got to vote for team (R) in our red state.
So from my perspective, there is a cancer that is eating America. I've tried hard to remove it. I've tried hard to treat it. Ultimately, it seems to have metastisized to the point that it is incurable. You can either keep up with the radiation and chemo and be miserable until you die, or you can stop treatment and do your best to enjoy the time that is left.
For me, moving to Iceland is my version of stopping treatment to enjoy what life I have left. And if you want to fight to the bitter end, or if you want to search for a better life in another country, I wish each and every one of you the very best on your journey.
Germany. I might be able to claim ancestry rights. Ironic that my great grandmother fled fascism in Germany but I'd flee America to return to the motherland.
For anyone who's thinking UK, I'd advise not - we're about 4-5 years behind you in terms of imminent fascism and whilst there's still technically a chance to avert it, its very unlikely - especially since Starmer is being even more awful than the Tories.
Non-murican - strongly feel preference should be given to genuine refugees fleeing war, famine etc where they have absolutely no ability to influence their fate other than escape. The US is a failed democracy but the people there have barely begun to challenge their government compared to what we have seen elsewhere in the world. And there is still refuge available in blue states. US citizens need to stand up and fight. Then if they fail, only then do they get to go in the queue with the genuine humanitarian refugees. I don't like queue jumpers. Sorry but impingement on your civil liberties doesn't compare with families in war torn parts of the world living in fear fear of having their limbs blown off every night.
Ofcourse business around the world would like to cherry pick talent for in demand jobs. They prefer not to invest in developing local people when they can import experienced talent for less. So people with in demand skills will get in that way, not as refugees.
Ireland. I'm a firm believer that if you move to a region that speaks a different language, you need to make a genuine effort to learn that language. After having 3 years of foreign language (including a year of Gaelic when I lived in Ireland as a child for a year), I know it's not my thing, so an English speaking country is a requirement for me. Ireland is gorgeous, and still in the EU. Scotland would also be top of the list if they split from the UK and joined the EU.
I always wanted to live in a country that was totally different from America when I was a kid. I thought either India, China, or Japan back then, but now I’m not sure I’d want to live in any of them right now.
I guess I could go to nearby countries that don’t have global headlines like them say like Bangladesh, Thailand, or Indonesia, but I don’t really know anything about them.
I think the smart option would be somewhere in Europe, but I kinda want to get away or at least take a break from “western” culture.
I guess I can’t name a dream country, but somewhere with a totally different culture. I’d also want it to have a bunch of ruins and historical sites to visit. I’ve never seen anything older than like 150 years in person.
Morocco or Jordan. Been trying to learn Arabic for a few years and would love to be forced to take it more seriously. Mostly can just read the letters. They are relatively safe countries that are in areas of the world I have studied extensively. Also means closer travel to many of the old cities I want to visit.
I’m taking Spanish right now, both to better support immigrants in my community and to possibly move to Oaxaca Mexico if necessary. I plan to visit a few more times in the next year or so, just to figure out things just in case. I don’t feel like it’s the time to leave yet - I have a pretty good intuitive sense for disasters.
I LEANfired at 44 so I can’t really go somewhere that requires a work visa, and I’m not rich enough for a golden ticket in many places.
France is actually a possibility because I’m fluent, I lived there briefly- but I prefer the art and culture in Mexico, and generally people are easier to get to know.
I’m also visiting my friends off grid in Montana, and may discuss with them rolling my tiny house up there someday. I know there’s a lot of crazy people up there but where they are is a bit away from that.
My grandfather was Finnish, so that seems like a natural choice, but I would probably say Uruguay because it seems like a nice relatively affordable place and I could improve my (terrible) Spanish (i don't speak any Finnish).
The Netherlands probably, but with the massive grain of salt that I suspect that choosing a "ideal place to live" without actually having been to that place is likely to result in a skewed idea of what a place is truly like, and as I've never been outside the United States I have that issue when thinking about any other country. I also doubt they or anywhere else that might make my list of ideal places would want me, seeing as I'm just some random factory worker without any especially rare skill.
When America sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with them. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some, I assume, are good people.
If I wasn’t locked into this contract with my house I would be applying for work programs in New Zealand on my way to citizenship. When Trump was elected, the first thought that went through my head was, I don’t like winter, so Canada and the Nordics are out. Europe is 0-2 for getting destroyed in World Wars and WW3 is heating up. Africa has its own problems right now, as does South America, and regardless of where you go in Asia it’s not looking good for WW3. So options were Central America or Oceania. I know passable amounts of Spanish, and lived in Central America for a while and I would definitely be OK going back. But if I’m going to move somewhere might as well be somewhere new.
I pursued an engineering BSc with the desire to emigrate but got distracted by the success of SpaceX and wooed by the challenge of Mars colonization. Then the US health insurance industry got in the way, I failed out and didn't make it back until COVID. I graduated in 2022 with the first university degree in my family but was crippled by student loan debt and unable to save to leave. Was finally able to escape the rural Midwest a year ago and made it to a city with plenty of aerospace companies right as everyone stopped hiring. The cherry on top was the CEO of the company whose engineering feats initially inspired me throwing fascist salutes at inauguration.
Odd jobs and parental support have mostly kept me afloat, but they can't help forever and I am a few months out from having to move back. The military industrial complex slid into my DMs recently with the offer of a fat paycheck and loaded resume in exchange for my ethics and morals. They even dangled a carrot of potential transfer to a NASA climate science project after the contract is up, but I'll be surprised if it's still funded by then. Frankly, I broke down when I realized the project I'd be working on.
I'll hear back about the position early next week and I'm desperately hoping it's a no and I'm back to the drawing board, but if it's a yes I'll be starting in a couple weeks. The BBB will very likely lead to losing the best, most effective and enabling healthcare I've received so far, and the salary would cover the insurance plan I'd need to maintain that care. Its a short contract and the salary would also enable me to save enough to emigrate but I already feel compromised. I've dreamed of contributing to space exploration and am instead being bullied into contributing to it's militarization by a country I've opposed for the entirety of my adult life.
I've looked into joining the Ukrainian Foreign Legionnaires and would much rather contribute to European defense against Russia, but I honestly just want to pursue an MSc or even PhD and turn my brain towards mitigating and adapting to climate change. I've worked so fucking hard, dreamed so fucking big and bounced back from defeat time and time again for this? Fuck.
Tl;dr: Masters/PhD in Sweden or Germany but barring that I'll work for any European defense company that will take an american immigrant.
the country i was to go to is the imagined America of our ancestors like Langston Hughes, the land of equality and opportunity and liberation and diversity, full of immigrants working for their own and their shared futures
I'm Canadian. I don't mind accepting American refugees as long as we also learn to accept refugees from other countries and value them all equally, but our current government isn't doing that.
I think I’d like to move to Canada. However, I have no money, and do not have a degree or anything like that. I think the plant I work at has operations in Canada, so there might be the possibility of transferring there. Even if the opportunity presented itself, I refuse to leave my son, so I am stuck here.
I'm thinking either Finland or Norway. But the only way I could ever emigrate to either of those countries would be as an asylum seeker. I don't make enough money, nor do I have any skills they want. I've got plenty of skills...just not any that are in 'high demand'.
Canada if possible. My family only speaks English, but willing to "do the thing" to fit in even if that's learning a new language.
I'd also be ok with UK, Australia, New Zealand.
last places would be Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, Japan. I know living in these places would be an extreme challenge for my family so that's why they're bottom of my list.
I'd be in Aukland now if I hadn't met my partner between deciding in 2021 and the election. She is a refugee and can't leave or she'll lose status. She is a political enemy of her government for advocating for democracy there. Did a phone interview and everything.
Even though things aren't going as they should, I wouldn't be likely to leave. I don't agree with a lot of what's happening here, but there's no nation I know that supports more of my beliefs and lifestyle than the USA. Plus, my family, my friends, and my loved ones are all here. Leaving would mean losing them, and that's totally unacceptable.
In this thread: unimaginative white people mentioning popular European countries or places that will not welcome them due to restrictive and xenophobic immigration policies. Meanwhile I'll be content in Chile, Faroe Islands, Guam or Jordan.
Large population of the Chinese diaspora, so I don't feel too much like a minority (I am Chinese American).
The other choice is Australia.
EU is great, but since the UK isn't in EU anymore, I'd have to chose a non-English country, meaning, I'd have to learn another language. My brain can't handle that. Already have 3 spoken and 2 written languages stuck in my head (mostly dormant, haven't used some those languages for a while), I think my brain will explode if I try to learn more. Population of the Chinese diaspora is too small. So I'd also feel alone, because like... Imagine living in a place where nobody looks like you. Like a Black American kid in the deep south of the US and all your classmates are white, that's how it feels basically. As for the UK, I wouldn't need to learn another language, but UK just had a xenophobic riot in 2024, doesn't seem too friendly in my opinion. If the UK was in EU, I could just pack up and to go another EU country if Shit Hits the Fan, its what I like about the EU, options. But too bad UK isn't in EU...
There is also Singapore, which has like over 70% ethnic Chinese, and the official languages include English and Mandarin, which I already know.
Not technically "dream countries", but the most realistic countries that would be livable for me. Because I doubt I can speak Norweigian or Finnish. (Even tho I would love those countries)
TLDR: As a Chinese American, Canada as first choice, Australia as second place. Then probably Sinapore.
(Sorry if I'm rambling, can't express it coherently since ICE raids are on my mind)
Edit: I would probably also say Taiwan as an option, well... other than the fact that they are constantly on the verge of getting invaded, and I am not fond of the CCP.
Chinese. I... don't think China accepts immigration, so I don't think it matters what most Chinese people think of Americans. Not that I think China would be an ideal expat destination for most Americans anyway... China also have most of the problems US have. Maybe for some highly accomplished scientists/business executives who can be offered a job (since China is spending a lot on R&D), but that's probably it
As someone who lived in the US for a long time and actively considered this?
Northern European countries are nice for anyone who doesn't mind living like a vampire; there is basically no sunlight in winter, but they are probably the best in terms of providing what an "average person" wants and needs
There are countries here and there which have low cost-of-living and high quality-of-life, assuming that I only want to be an "expat" who wants to live temporarily and am not trying to find work there (remote work, savings, or something else). My parents insist that Thailand fits this category; I believe several South American countries fit the bill as well
Realistically, if I actually want to immigrate, it will probably end up being one of the random EU countries, whichever I can get in via ancestry or find a job in...
Finland first, New Zealand second. Both have gun rights. Finland has a lot of empty space in the north, and Finns are, in general, not super interested in being highly social, despite historically having pretty solid social safety nets (although I hear the right is rising there, and that may not last). The largest barrier is that Suomi is a very difficult language to learn.