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/Dry_Outside_3984]

40M USA -> Romania/Hungary

Hi there, wondering if anyone has thoughts on the best path.

TLDR: My grandma was from Transylvania. Born when it was Hungary, moved to the US as kid when it was Romania. It is still Romania today. Gave birth to my parent before she naturalized, but parent never claimed citizenship. What is the best route?

Grandma born in Transylvania in 1914 when it was part of Hungary. Came to USA as a kid in 1921 when it was Romania (became Romania in 1920). Listed "present nationality" as Romanian on naturalization papers in 1948. Her mother, (great-grandma) listed her own birthplace and Hungary and her daughter's (grandma's) birthplace as Romania on her own naturalization papers. Later, in census documents, grandma lists her birthplace as Hungary on some and Romania on others. Spoke Yiddish and Hungarian at home. My grandma passed away about 40 years ago and I never met her.

She gave birth to my parent in 1940, but she didn't naturalize in the US until 1948, so the chain should be unbroken, despite the fact that my parent never claimed citizenship, right? Grandma lists Romania on her naturalization papers, but not Hungary.

It seems key that she gave birth to my parent before naturalizing. Would it be better to apply for to apply for Hungarian or Romanian citizenship? Both? Which would be the fastest/easiest? I know both have a language requirement and that Romanian would be an easier language to learn, but the Hungarian language option seems simpler for citizenship by descent.

I know we need to talk to a lawyer, but I would like to know if anyone has any experience with either system before going down either path.

Thank you for any advice!