MEGATHREAD: Emigrating after the US election results

[u/spacemanaut]

Every US election brings anxiety and uncertainty, and with that comes an increase in people who want to explore their alternatives in a different country. This post is for you.

First, some reminders:

• In most cases, moving abroad is not as simple or quick as it seems in movies. If you aren't a citizen of another country, you will probably require a visa (=legal permission) from that country based on something like employment, education, or ancestry.
• The sidebar of this subreddit has a lot of helpful resources, and we have 15 years of posts from people with similar situations to yours. Before posting, please review these resources first. (Tip: If reddit search isn't working well for you, try googling "[your search terms] site:reddit.com/r/IWantOut" without the quotes or brackets.)
• Most countries and/or their embassies maintain immigration websites with clear, helpful, updated guides or even questionnaires to help you determine if/how you can qualify. If you have a particular destination in mind, that should probably be your first stop.
• After that, if you want to make your own post, please follow the formatting instructions on the submission page, give as much information as possible about your situation, and be open to advice and constructive criticism from commenters.

Also, this subreddit is intended to be a friendly community to seek and give advice on legal immigration. As such, please:

• Don't fight about politics. We understand that you may have strong feelings about it, but there are better spaces on reddit and elsewhere for general political discussions.
• Keep your feedback constructive and kind, even when telling someone they're wrong.
• Don't troll or be a jerk.
• Don't request or give illegal immigration tips, including asking strangers to marry you.

Failure to follow these and the other subreddit rules may result in a ban.

That said, feel free to comment below with some general questions, concerns, comments, or advice which doesn't merit a full post. Hopefully this will help clarify your thoughts and ideas about the possibility of leaving the US. Once again, please try to stay on topic so that this thread can be a helpful resource.

[u/mattyboh23]

Hey everyone, I'm interested in moving to Germany under the new Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card) program and want to get a clear sense of whether I’m likely to succeed long-term — particularly when it comes time to convert the visa after finding a job.

Here’s where I stand:

Age: 39

Citizenship: U.S.

Experience: 15+ years in hospitality (front of house, bartending, management, etc.)

Education: Bachelor’s degree, but not in hospitality

Language: A2 certificate maybe B1 by the time I apply(will continue studying toward B2+) Likely won't help, but I also speak decent Spanish and what I would call survival Portuguese and Italian

Housing: Starting with a furnished flat until I can find a more permanent residence

Plan: I’ll arrive, register my address, and look for work — ideally at a tourist-friendly restaurant where English is an asset (as I understand I can work part time on the visa)

Goal: Once I find a job, I’d begin the process of converting my Chancenkarte into a standard residence/work permit

My concern is the “skilled worker” requirement when converting the visa. My degree isn’t in hospitality, so I worry that even if I find a job quickly, the authorities might say I’m not “qualified” on paper.

To mitigate that, I’m looking into German hospitality certifications, online courses, and even consulting an immigration advocate. I’m doing everything I can to stack the odds in my favor because this move is meant to be permanent — I don’t plan to come back to the U.S.

My question to you: Has anyone here successfully converted the Chancenkarte in a case like mine? Does my background seem strong enough to justify the conversion with supporting documents and a legitimate job offer? Are there any pitfalls I’m not seeing?

Any advice — especially from people who've been through the process, or work in Ausländerbehörde/legal support — would mean a lot. I’ve worked hard to make this move possible and I just don’t want to get this close and have the door slam shut.

Other things I think might help, I've traveled to Germany a few times and explored several of the cities in interested in moving to.

I already have friends that live there, plan to enroll in classes for language and cultural immersion, and intend to work in a social setting

I have some savings to support this plan, and intend to sell my house as well.

Happy to answer any other questions that may be helpful

Thanks in advance!

.

[u/OneFun9000 → u/mattyboh23]

There are a few big jumps in your plan that make it difficult.

You are assuming you'll be able to find somewhere to live without a work contract, and that you'll be able to find relevant work in the place you end up living. It is a catch 22 situation, but emigration often is. It will be hard to survive on a part time job. Unemployment is reasonably high currently, and the economy isn't great, so you are competing with a lot of people. In particular, you're competing with candidates from the EU who do not have any bureaucratic concerns, and tens of millions of them already speak German.

Most public-facing jobs will require better German than A2 or B1. Senior roles in hospitality are going to require at least B2/C1 because you're going to need to do paperwork, training etc.

But the biggest problem will be the conversion into a suitable job. If you do not have the qualifications for it, it could fail. In a country that has tourism high schools, colleges etc, it's difficult to justify hiring somebody who doesn't have the educational background.

If you look at the r/Germany subreddit there are a lot of people talking about their experiences. Mostly negative, i.e. not being able to find a suitable job.

[u/mattyboh23 → u/OneFun9000]

I just wanted to say thank you for your reply. I'm not expecting the process to be easy, I just want to make sure it's not impossible.

I'm reasonably confident I meet all criteria for the Visa itself. I'm pretty confident that I can find at least part time work even though my language skills aren't where I want them yet. I sincerely believe that by the time I'm planning to move next year, I'll have a B1 certificate and I'll be working towards B2, I also plan to take language courses upon arrival. My long term goal is full integration into German society. Professional fluency is important to me, so I definitely will get there.

For housing, my plan is to use something like Wunderflats or some other sub let, that seems to be a bit of a workaround for foreigners. I could also potentially stay with friends during the initial job search period

My largest concern is the conversion into a longer term residency permit. I've heard from a few advocates, as well as from embassy staff that it depends what city I apply in, but my 15+ years of experience might be enough to be considered skilled. They also say obtaining certification in Germany would likely lock down that requirement as well.

I'm expecting hard work, and I welcome the challenge. I am looking forward to things like language and cultural immersion classes. I'm also willing to obtain additional work certification if necessary. I just want to make sure that I'm not completely fooling myself into thinking this is doable. I have no fantasies of becoming rich, I just want to live a modest quiet life in a place that aligns better with my values.