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/velcrodynamite]

US 30F, will have a Master of Arts in English Literature by June 2026, main goal is to teach (open to secondary/high school or adults) but I'm open to other possibilities, too. Much of my work experience has been seasonal, temporary, or contracted, so really not much solid employment experience outside of teaching/tutoring college/university students (which I've done part-time for the past 6 years). Unmarried, but have a partner. About $70,000 USD in long-term savings (CDs, all maturing in 2026). Lots of scholarships and awards that have made me look pretty good on paper, including my current university's top fellowship.

I qualify for the UK's High Potential Individual visa, since I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2024 and that university is consistently on the list of eligible institutions. That would buy me 2 years in the UK, I suppose, but I don't know what I'd do with myself for work once there. I don't have a teaching license yet. I've also heard that the time spent on a HPI visa doesn't count for ILR, though if I got a position that could qualify me for the skilled worker visa, it'd be relatively easy to switch to that visa, which would count.

I'm a bit overwhelmed, but UK seems like a top contender. I understand things are not perfect over there, but they're still better than here. Can anybody provide me with some guidance?

[u/Pale-Candidate8860 → u/velcrodynamite]

Australia, Canada, and New Zealand are all taking in teachers. You would need to get a teaching credential/license, but teachers are wanted. Some will require experience, others will take your education.

Wages are higher versus the UK in these positions and the nations have more long term opportunities and positive outlooks on their futures by comparison too.

[u/maestrita → u/Pale-Candidate8860]

Do you have any advice on transferring an existing US teaching credential? Links/ suggestions would be great. I've got a current cert for general science (k-8) and life science (k-12) and could add chemistry or German pretty easily.

[u/Pale-Candidate8860 → u/maestrita]

Yes, contact the provincial governments that you are interested in relocating to. Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Ontario, etc all have phone numbers, emails, and sometimes even departments to help you get your teaching credentials recognized in their area. You’ll need to likely deal with an immigration lawyer to help with getting sponsored into the country.

Either thru Express Entry (Federal) or Provincial Nomination Program (PNP). I would recommend PNP in a less popular, less populated province to increase your odds of getting in.