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Amidst the impact of tariffs, massive deportation and cancellation of visas for students, some Americans have expressed their desire to leave the country for good and set up a new life somewhere.
While the idea of ”American worry-free life” may seem appealing, experts who promote cross-border movements say the process is tougher than many imagined, and those experiencing it are replacing concerns in one set with another.
“The idea that grass is green somewhere else is not always true,” said Christine Dahl, an American lawyer who lives and practices in the Netherlands.
Focusing on international tax law and expatriates, Dahl said that when her family moved from Oregon to Europe, the issues of America, primarily Americans, are less concerned. For example, gun valence extensions – problems such as housing shortages, cost of living and the fear of immigration exist overseas.
“You can replace the horse, but you still get saddle pain,” Dahl explained. “You know, they may be in a different part, but it’s a quiet life and life can become life.”
Who is moving?
People working with Americans and residents looking to move abroad say many are on the brink of or at least dipping their toes in water.
The political situation in the United States is certainly motivating, but those looking to leave the United States also need a way to do so.
For those with deep knowledge and graduate degrees, work can be key to unlocking access abroad.
In some cases, this is because the country promotes itself to highly educated professionals as an alternative to the uncertainty of other universities. Certain universities and research centers bring out experts from around the world, including Americans.
For example, a considerable number of engineers and climate scientists have moved to Australia, while some biological scientists are heading to Switzerland, said Leslie Sobol, an accountant who is a partner at Pasadena-based Lucas Horsefall.
“If you’re 22 and just graduated with a degree in molecular biology, why not go to Switzerland for three years and work in a high paying position and come back? It’s a great opportunity to go to work somewhere when you’re young and not attached.”
Different languages, different cultures
Work can take someone else abroad, but it’s up to them to adapt to their new home, and once life becomes “life”, as Dahl explained, some of the already difficult problems can be exacerbated by language barriers and cultural differences.
Tobias Polka, a German accountant, works for international taxes and expatriates.
Even within Europe, the cultural attitudes of one country may differ from other countries, such as the climate, health care system, and schools.
“I think moving from California to Europe is very familiar with moving from California to Spain in a cultural way,” Polka said. “But, if you move from California to Norway, for example, it feels like you’re moving from California to Canada.”
And when you are trying to adapt to a new country, the language barrier can be more difficult to overcome than many people think.
After all, navigating international holidays with a quick reference dictionary or Google Translation is one thing, but important readings of everyday life – government documents, school and work assignments, contracts – require more flow.
Polka says having basic knowledge of foreign languages is helpful, and those considering the movement would be wise to see not only where they want to live, but also the language they want to speak and how well the language they want to speak.
For example, Italian is spoken only in Italy, but fortunately for many Californians, Spanish is spoken in Spain and Latin America, and is sufficiently similar to be understood functionally in other countries such as Portugal and Italy.
That said, Dahl said if you are not yet fluent in the language of the country before you move, you are hoping for some hurdles.
“come [to Europe] And being a guest in another country was authentic. It was a new experience,” she said. I read and speak Dutch now, but putting my kids in a Dutch-speaking school was a challenge for me as a parent. ”
The need for professional guidance
Sobol and other experts stressed the need to seek the help of knowledgeable people in international tax law, as provisions are in place to prevent the same money from being taxed in both the US and in the new foreign home.
Additionally, foreign bank accounts must be disclosed to the US government, even if they are not generating taxable income.
And it is one item in a list of considerations for those looking for a new home abroad.
“What strikes people as a big surprise is that if you have trust for some reason, most people do, especially Californians have something called living trust. “You’re not thinking about it.”
return
As Sobol pointed out, some of these Americans heading to foreign coasts have done so for a limited time, but Polka said that even those who think they are on their way forever find themselves looking for a way back to the US at times
“I know a lot of people who have moved from Europe to Australia and Asia,” Polka said. “And then, two, three, four years later, they’ll get rid of it. They want to come back. And when you cut all the roots in your country, it’s hard to come back from there.”
Polka suggested instead start by creating a bank account in your preferred destination country
“I’m trying to establish a second life, and then you can switch countries,” he explained.
For some, the process can be relatively simple. Because they can utilize the family ties necessary for other countries to seek to establish double citizenship. For others, the key to a new home might be to find a new job.
But waiving US citizenship, regardless of where you want to head or what you intend to do there, is probably not advisable for most people, regardless of the ongoing political turmoil.
As experts pointed out, every place has its own problems and if someone who can make a difference can spend time from them, none of them will be fixed.
“When people say, ‘I think I need to go somewhere else,’ and then, well, really, nowhere else. Other countries have the same problem, difficult problems. It’s sad if all critical thinkers just pack their bags and go elsewhere,” Dahl said.
And no matter how terrible the present may seem, the only constant in life is change, and this current confusion will not last forever.
“It’ll take some time after this and maybe people want to go back,” Polka said.
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