如同2016年的情景再現(xiàn),隨著唐納德·特朗普(Donald Trump)再次當(dāng)選美國(guó)總統(tǒng),眾多美國(guó)人正在評(píng)估他們移民海外的選擇。
富有的美國(guó)人已經(jīng)在為移居海外做準(zhǔn)備。他們的律師向《財(cái)富》雜志透露,無(wú)論誰(shuí)贏得總統(tǒng)大選,許多人都將將此視為“備選計(jì)劃”。其他調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn),無(wú)論收入水平如何,越來(lái)越多的美國(guó)人希望離開(kāi)美國(guó),他們最擔(dān)心的問(wèn)題是政治和社會(huì)動(dòng)蕩,其次是高昂的生活費(fèi)用。在過(guò)去的幾年里,越來(lái)越多的美國(guó)人完全放棄了他們的公民身份。移民律師和律師事務(wù)所表示,反移民、反猶太主義和反LGBTQ情緒是主要驅(qū)動(dòng)因素,女性生殖權(quán)利受到侵蝕也是主要原因。
國(guó)際移民律師事務(wù)所衛(wèi)達(dá)仕(Withers)的律師兼咨詢(xún)公司Dasein的首席執(zhí)行官雷阿茲·賈弗里(Reaz Jafri)說(shuō):“特朗普獲勝后,2017年移民人數(shù)出現(xiàn)激增,而在2020年大選期間,這種趨勢(shì)再次出現(xiàn),原因是人們擔(dān)心民主黨獲勝,可能會(huì)提高所得稅、資本利得稅和財(cái)富稅。此外,選舉爭(zhēng)議以及1月6日的國(guó)會(huì)山騷亂也是促使人們考慮移居國(guó)外的重要因素?!?/p>
目前,在全球公民事務(wù)公司Henley & Partners的客戶(hù)申請(qǐng)中,美國(guó)公民所占比例最大。Henley & Partners公共關(guān)系主管莎拉·尼克林(Sarah Nicklin)表示:“我們預(yù)計(jì),在(周二)美國(guó)大選結(jié)果揭曉后,這一趨勢(shì)將進(jìn)一步加劇,美國(guó)公民提交的申請(qǐng)量將會(huì)持續(xù)上升?!?/p>
根據(jù)Henley & Partners的數(shù)據(jù),大多數(shù)選擇移居海外的美國(guó)人將目光投向了北部的加拿大或大西洋對(duì)岸的歐洲,其中熱門(mén)目的地包括希臘、意大利、馬耳他、葡萄牙和西班牙。但移民到一個(gè)新的國(guó)家并不像在國(guó)內(nèi)遷移那樣簡(jiǎn)單。大多數(shù)國(guó)家對(duì)移民都有嚴(yán)格的要求,美國(guó)公民只有在滿(mǎn)足特定條件的情況下才能移居。
視所在國(guó)家而定,美國(guó)公民通常可以在以下情況下獲得移民資格:在當(dāng)?shù)卣业揭环菥o缺職業(yè)的工作;進(jìn)行大額投資;購(gòu)買(mǎi)房產(chǎn)或進(jìn)行其他形式的房地產(chǎn)投資;擁有退休收入;配偶或伴侶是該國(guó)公民;或者具備遠(yuǎn)程工作的能力。
例如,在加拿大,那些沒(méi)有公民配偶的移民申請(qǐng)人通常需要具備技術(shù)行業(yè)或相關(guān)專(zhuān)業(yè)的工作經(jīng)驗(yàn),而且這些移民項(xiàng)目競(jìng)爭(zhēng)激烈:申請(qǐng)人之間進(jìn)行評(píng)分比較,只有得分最高的人才能獲得移民資格。某些行業(yè)和職業(yè)相對(duì)于其他行業(yè)和職業(yè)更受歡迎,不同省份對(duì)于不同類(lèi)型工人的需求也各不相同?!敦?cái)富》雜志的萊拉·麥克萊倫(Lila MacLellan)整理了一份包含63個(gè)職業(yè)的清單,這些職業(yè)的人才能更輕松地移居加拿大。
墨西哥是一個(gè)相對(duì)容易移居的國(guó)家,移居墨西哥的美國(guó)人指出,當(dāng)?shù)氐闹饕獌?yōu)勢(shì)是生活成本更低,而且氣候宜人。事實(shí)上,根據(jù)墨西哥政府的數(shù)據(jù),自疫情以來(lái),墨西哥城已成為美國(guó)僑民的主要目的地,從2019年到2022年,申請(qǐng)或續(xù)簽居留簽證的美國(guó)人數(shù)量激增了70%。美國(guó)公民可以在無(wú)需簽證的情況下在墨西哥停留長(zhǎng)達(dá)180天;許多人逾期居留。
美國(guó)人移居巴拿馬也相對(duì)簡(jiǎn)便,尤其是對(duì)于希望暫時(shí)移居的人群來(lái)說(shuō)。巴拿馬提供了一種臨時(shí)遠(yuǎn)程工作簽證,允許遠(yuǎn)程工作者在當(dāng)?shù)鼐幼¢L(zhǎng)達(dá)18個(gè)月(申請(qǐng)者需要提供醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)和至少3000美元的月收入證明)。此外,巴拿馬還有易于獲得的退休簽證,退休人員在當(dāng)?shù)乜梢韵硎芤欢ǖ拿舛惔?。此外,美?guó)公民無(wú)需簽證即可訪(fǎng)問(wèn)該國(guó)長(zhǎng)達(dá)6個(gè)月時(shí)間。
Henley & Partners的董事總經(jīng)理朱迪·加爾斯特(Judi Galst)指出,哥斯達(dá)黎加是一個(gè)更為經(jīng)濟(jì)實(shí)惠的目的地。對(duì)于美國(guó)公民而言,只要每月最低收入達(dá)到3000美元,或者家庭最低收入達(dá)到4000美元,便有資格申請(qǐng)數(shù)字游牧民簽證,在該國(guó)進(jìn)行遠(yuǎn)程工作與生活。此外,退休人員和投資者也將發(fā)現(xiàn),哥斯達(dá)黎加提供了一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)便的居住選擇。
西班牙為遠(yuǎn)程工作的外國(guó)人提供數(shù)字游牧民簽證,允許他們?cè)诋?dāng)?shù)鼐幼¢L(zhǎng)達(dá)一年,之后還可以申請(qǐng)居留許可。根據(jù)西班牙政府的規(guī)定,申請(qǐng)者必須擁有本科或研究生學(xué)位,或者在當(dāng)前領(lǐng)域有至少三年的工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)。意大利還向高技能人才提供數(shù)字游牧民簽證。
葡萄牙正日益成為美國(guó)人青睞的移居地,對(duì)于想要移居那里的人來(lái)說(shuō),該國(guó)提供了幾種不同的途徑,其中包括針對(duì)退休人員的D7簽證計(jì)劃,以及葡萄牙黃金簽證項(xiàng)目。
全球金融服務(wù)公司Chase Buchanan的財(cái)務(wù)顧問(wèn)亞歷克斯·英格里姆(Alex Ingrim,協(xié)助美國(guó)人移居海外)表示,對(duì)于退休人員來(lái)說(shuō),法國(guó)是另一個(gè)不錯(cuò)的選擇,因?yàn)榉▏?guó)有優(yōu)惠的稅收制度。
英格里姆說(shuō):"哪個(gè)國(guó)家最容易移居通常取決于個(gè)人的具體情況,但現(xiàn)在人們有很多選擇?!?/p>
為美國(guó)富人提供更多選擇
對(duì)于那些擁有大量資產(chǎn)的人來(lái)說(shuō),獲得居留權(quán)甚至公民身份的選擇更加多樣化。從葡萄牙到西班牙,再到加勒比海地區(qū)的國(guó)家,它們?yōu)楦邇糁等耸刻峁┝丝焖佾@得居留權(quán)或公民身份的途徑,投資額從10萬(wàn)美元到幾百萬(wàn)美元不等。對(duì)于富有的投資者來(lái)說(shuō),泰國(guó)是另一個(gè)不錯(cuò)的選擇。
最后,澳大利亞和新西蘭對(duì)像億萬(wàn)富翁彼得·蒂爾(Peter thiel)這樣擁有大量財(cái)富的人越來(lái)越有吸引力。據(jù)Henley & Partners稱(chēng),澳大利亞推出全球人才獨(dú)立計(jì)劃,這是一條為“高技能管理人員、商人、企業(yè)家和專(zhuān)業(yè)人士提供的途徑,旨在促進(jìn)澳大利亞的創(chuàng)新和科技經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展”。新西蘭推出了積極投資者+簽證計(jì)劃,要求投資數(shù)百萬(wàn)美元才能在那里無(wú)限期地生活和工作。
顯而易見(jiàn),并非每個(gè)人都能移民到他們選擇的任何國(guó)家。每個(gè)國(guó)家和項(xiàng)目的處理時(shí)間也不盡相同——自疫情爆發(fā)以來(lái),許多國(guó)家的移民申請(qǐng)?zhí)幚砗团鷾?zhǔn)時(shí)間都有所延長(zhǎng)。
美國(guó)人移居國(guó)外前的其他注意事項(xiàng)
當(dāng)然,在移居國(guó)外之前,美國(guó)人還應(yīng)該考慮很多問(wèn)題。安全、社區(qū)、醫(yī)療保健和機(jī)會(huì)都是重要的考慮因素。許多移居國(guó)外的美國(guó)人都強(qiáng)調(diào)了適應(yīng)新文化的難度,尤其是在你不會(huì)講當(dāng)?shù)卣Z(yǔ)言的情況下。
另外:除非你放棄國(guó)籍,否則你有義務(wù)在美國(guó)報(bào)稅(至少),因?yàn)槊绹?guó)是為數(shù)不多的根據(jù)國(guó)籍而不是居住地征稅的國(guó)家之一(由于免稅和抵免的原因,很少有外籍人士會(huì)被雙重征稅,但文書(shū)工作往往費(fèi)用高昂且令人困惑)。
賈弗里說(shuō):"盡管美國(guó)公民需要對(duì)其全球范圍內(nèi)的收入進(jìn)行納稅,而且美國(guó)的稅率相對(duì)較高,但潛在的稅務(wù)問(wèn)題并不會(huì)造成太大的阻礙,尤其是因?yàn)槊绹?guó)與大多數(shù)歐洲國(guó)家都簽訂了良好的稅收協(xié)定,從而避免了雙重征稅問(wèn)題。”
如果你確定放棄國(guó)籍,請(qǐng)注意你的遷移目的地。據(jù)悉,美國(guó)禁止放棄國(guó)籍的人再次入境,即使是訪(fǎng)問(wèn)也不被允許,這取決于他們放棄國(guó)籍的原因。
最后,移民法總是在不斷變化,世界各地各種居留計(jì)劃的規(guī)則也是如此。由于黃金簽證計(jì)劃對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)亟?jīng)濟(jì)造成了意想不到的影響,許多歐洲國(guó)家的政界人士已經(jīng)開(kāi)始反對(duì)黃金簽證計(jì)劃。那些有意移居國(guó)外的人可能會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn),尋求全球公民服務(wù)公司的幫助,以找到最適合自己的移民方案,顯得尤為重要。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
如同2016年的情景再現(xiàn),隨著唐納德·特朗普(Donald Trump)再次當(dāng)選美國(guó)總統(tǒng),眾多美國(guó)人正在評(píng)估他們移民海外的選擇。
富有的美國(guó)人已經(jīng)在為移居海外做準(zhǔn)備。他們的律師向《財(cái)富》雜志透露,無(wú)論誰(shuí)贏得總統(tǒng)大選,許多人都將將此視為“備選計(jì)劃”。其他調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn),無(wú)論收入水平如何,越來(lái)越多的美國(guó)人希望離開(kāi)美國(guó),他們最擔(dān)心的問(wèn)題是政治和社會(huì)動(dòng)蕩,其次是高昂的生活費(fèi)用。在過(guò)去的幾年里,越來(lái)越多的美國(guó)人完全放棄了他們的公民身份。移民律師和律師事務(wù)所表示,反移民、反猶太主義和反LGBTQ情緒是主要驅(qū)動(dòng)因素,女性生殖權(quán)利受到侵蝕也是主要原因。
國(guó)際移民律師事務(wù)所衛(wèi)達(dá)仕(Withers)的律師兼咨詢(xún)公司Dasein的首席執(zhí)行官雷阿茲·賈弗里(Reaz Jafri)說(shuō):“特朗普獲勝后,2017年移民人數(shù)出現(xiàn)激增,而在2020年大選期間,這種趨勢(shì)再次出現(xiàn),原因是人們擔(dān)心民主黨獲勝,可能會(huì)提高所得稅、資本利得稅和財(cái)富稅。此外,選舉爭(zhēng)議以及1月6日的國(guó)會(huì)山騷亂也是促使人們考慮移居國(guó)外的重要因素?!?/p>
目前,在全球公民事務(wù)公司Henley & Partners的客戶(hù)申請(qǐng)中,美國(guó)公民所占比例最大。Henley & Partners公共關(guān)系主管莎拉·尼克林(Sarah Nicklin)表示:“我們預(yù)計(jì),在(周二)美國(guó)大選結(jié)果揭曉后,這一趨勢(shì)將進(jìn)一步加劇,美國(guó)公民提交的申請(qǐng)量將會(huì)持續(xù)上升?!?/p>
根據(jù)Henley & Partners的數(shù)據(jù),大多數(shù)選擇移居海外的美國(guó)人將目光投向了北部的加拿大或大西洋對(duì)岸的歐洲,其中熱門(mén)目的地包括希臘、意大利、馬耳他、葡萄牙和西班牙。但移民到一個(gè)新的國(guó)家并不像在國(guó)內(nèi)遷移那樣簡(jiǎn)單。大多數(shù)國(guó)家對(duì)移民都有嚴(yán)格的要求,美國(guó)公民只有在滿(mǎn)足特定條件的情況下才能移居。
視所在國(guó)家而定,美國(guó)公民通??梢栽谝韵虑闆r下獲得移民資格:在當(dāng)?shù)卣业揭环菥o缺職業(yè)的工作;進(jìn)行大額投資;購(gòu)買(mǎi)房產(chǎn)或進(jìn)行其他形式的房地產(chǎn)投資;擁有退休收入;配偶或伴侶是該國(guó)公民;或者具備遠(yuǎn)程工作的能力。
例如,在加拿大,那些沒(méi)有公民配偶的移民申請(qǐng)人通常需要具備技術(shù)行業(yè)或相關(guān)專(zhuān)業(yè)的工作經(jīng)驗(yàn),而且這些移民項(xiàng)目競(jìng)爭(zhēng)激烈:申請(qǐng)人之間進(jìn)行評(píng)分比較,只有得分最高的人才能獲得移民資格。某些行業(yè)和職業(yè)相對(duì)于其他行業(yè)和職業(yè)更受歡迎,不同省份對(duì)于不同類(lèi)型工人的需求也各不相同?!敦?cái)富》雜志的萊拉·麥克萊倫(Lila MacLellan)整理了一份包含63個(gè)職業(yè)的清單,這些職業(yè)的人才能更輕松地移居加拿大。
墨西哥是一個(gè)相對(duì)容易移居的國(guó)家,移居墨西哥的美國(guó)人指出,當(dāng)?shù)氐闹饕獌?yōu)勢(shì)是生活成本更低,而且氣候宜人。事實(shí)上,根據(jù)墨西哥政府的數(shù)據(jù),自疫情以來(lái),墨西哥城已成為美國(guó)僑民的主要目的地,從2019年到2022年,申請(qǐng)或續(xù)簽居留簽證的美國(guó)人數(shù)量激增了70%。美國(guó)公民可以在無(wú)需簽證的情況下在墨西哥停留長(zhǎng)達(dá)180天;許多人逾期居留。
美國(guó)人移居巴拿馬也相對(duì)簡(jiǎn)便,尤其是對(duì)于希望暫時(shí)移居的人群來(lái)說(shuō)。巴拿馬提供了一種臨時(shí)遠(yuǎn)程工作簽證,允許遠(yuǎn)程工作者在當(dāng)?shù)鼐幼¢L(zhǎng)達(dá)18個(gè)月(申請(qǐng)者需要提供醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)和至少3000美元的月收入證明)。此外,巴拿馬還有易于獲得的退休簽證,退休人員在當(dāng)?shù)乜梢韵硎芤欢ǖ拿舛惔?。此外,美?guó)公民無(wú)需簽證即可訪(fǎng)問(wèn)該國(guó)長(zhǎng)達(dá)6個(gè)月時(shí)間。
Henley & Partners的董事總經(jīng)理朱迪·加爾斯特(Judi Galst)指出,哥斯達(dá)黎加是一個(gè)更為經(jīng)濟(jì)實(shí)惠的目的地。對(duì)于美國(guó)公民而言,只要每月最低收入達(dá)到3000美元,或者家庭最低收入達(dá)到4000美元,便有資格申請(qǐng)數(shù)字游牧民簽證,在該國(guó)進(jìn)行遠(yuǎn)程工作與生活。此外,退休人員和投資者也將發(fā)現(xiàn),哥斯達(dá)黎加提供了一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)便的居住選擇。
西班牙為遠(yuǎn)程工作的外國(guó)人提供數(shù)字游牧民簽證,允許他們?cè)诋?dāng)?shù)鼐幼¢L(zhǎng)達(dá)一年,之后還可以申請(qǐng)居留許可。根據(jù)西班牙政府的規(guī)定,申請(qǐng)者必須擁有本科或研究生學(xué)位,或者在當(dāng)前領(lǐng)域有至少三年的工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)。意大利還向高技能人才提供數(shù)字游牧民簽證。
葡萄牙正日益成為美國(guó)人青睞的移居地,對(duì)于想要移居那里的人來(lái)說(shuō),該國(guó)提供了幾種不同的途徑,其中包括針對(duì)退休人員的D7簽證計(jì)劃,以及葡萄牙黃金簽證項(xiàng)目。
全球金融服務(wù)公司Chase Buchanan的財(cái)務(wù)顧問(wèn)亞歷克斯·英格里姆(Alex Ingrim,協(xié)助美國(guó)人移居海外)表示,對(duì)于退休人員來(lái)說(shuō),法國(guó)是另一個(gè)不錯(cuò)的選擇,因?yàn)榉▏?guó)有優(yōu)惠的稅收制度。
英格里姆說(shuō):"哪個(gè)國(guó)家最容易移居通常取決于個(gè)人的具體情況,但現(xiàn)在人們有很多選擇。”
為美國(guó)富人提供更多選擇
對(duì)于那些擁有大量資產(chǎn)的人來(lái)說(shuō),獲得居留權(quán)甚至公民身份的選擇更加多樣化。從葡萄牙到西班牙,再到加勒比海地區(qū)的國(guó)家,它們?yōu)楦邇糁等耸刻峁┝丝焖佾@得居留權(quán)或公民身份的途徑,投資額從10萬(wàn)美元到幾百萬(wàn)美元不等。對(duì)于富有的投資者來(lái)說(shuō),泰國(guó)是另一個(gè)不錯(cuò)的選擇。
最后,澳大利亞和新西蘭對(duì)像億萬(wàn)富翁彼得·蒂爾(Peter thiel)這樣擁有大量財(cái)富的人越來(lái)越有吸引力。據(jù)Henley & Partners稱(chēng),澳大利亞推出全球人才獨(dú)立計(jì)劃,這是一條為“高技能管理人員、商人、企業(yè)家和專(zhuān)業(yè)人士提供的途徑,旨在促進(jìn)澳大利亞的創(chuàng)新和科技經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展”。新西蘭推出了積極投資者+簽證計(jì)劃,要求投資數(shù)百萬(wàn)美元才能在那里無(wú)限期地生活和工作。
顯而易見(jiàn),并非每個(gè)人都能移民到他們選擇的任何國(guó)家。每個(gè)國(guó)家和項(xiàng)目的處理時(shí)間也不盡相同——自疫情爆發(fā)以來(lái),許多國(guó)家的移民申請(qǐng)?zhí)幚砗团鷾?zhǔn)時(shí)間都有所延長(zhǎng)。
美國(guó)人移居國(guó)外前的其他注意事項(xiàng)
當(dāng)然,在移居國(guó)外之前,美國(guó)人還應(yīng)該考慮很多問(wèn)題。安全、社區(qū)、醫(yī)療保健和機(jī)會(huì)都是重要的考慮因素。許多移居國(guó)外的美國(guó)人都強(qiáng)調(diào)了適應(yīng)新文化的難度,尤其是在你不會(huì)講當(dāng)?shù)卣Z(yǔ)言的情況下。
另外:除非你放棄國(guó)籍,否則你有義務(wù)在美國(guó)報(bào)稅(至少),因?yàn)槊绹?guó)是為數(shù)不多的根據(jù)國(guó)籍而不是居住地征稅的國(guó)家之一(由于免稅和抵免的原因,很少有外籍人士會(huì)被雙重征稅,但文書(shū)工作往往費(fèi)用高昂且令人困惑)。
賈弗里說(shuō):"盡管美國(guó)公民需要對(duì)其全球范圍內(nèi)的收入進(jìn)行納稅,而且美國(guó)的稅率相對(duì)較高,但潛在的稅務(wù)問(wèn)題并不會(huì)造成太大的阻礙,尤其是因?yàn)槊绹?guó)與大多數(shù)歐洲國(guó)家都簽訂了良好的稅收協(xié)定,從而避免了雙重征稅問(wèn)題?!?/p>
如果你確定放棄國(guó)籍,請(qǐng)注意你的遷移目的地。據(jù)悉,美國(guó)禁止放棄國(guó)籍的人再次入境,即使是訪(fǎng)問(wèn)也不被允許,這取決于他們放棄國(guó)籍的原因。
最后,移民法總是在不斷變化,世界各地各種居留計(jì)劃的規(guī)則也是如此。由于黃金簽證計(jì)劃對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)亟?jīng)濟(jì)造成了意想不到的影響,許多歐洲國(guó)家的政界人士已經(jīng)開(kāi)始反對(duì)黃金簽證計(jì)劃。那些有意移居國(guó)外的人可能會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn),尋求全球公民服務(wù)公司的幫助,以找到最適合自己的移民方案,顯得尤為重要。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
In a repeat of 2016, the re-election of Donald Trump as president of the United States has many Americans taking stock of their options to leave the country.
Wealthy Americans have already been making the preparations, their attorneys have told Fortune—and many were doing so as a “Plan B” regardless of who won the presidency. Other surveys have found that an increasing number of Americans at all income levels want to leave the country, with political and social unrest being a top concern, followed by the high cost of living. Over the past few years, more and more Americans have been renouncing their citizenship altogether. Anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBTQ sentiment are major drivers, as is the erosion of women’s reproductive rights, say immigration attorneys and firms.
“We saw a spike in 2017 after Trump won, and then again in 2020 due to concerns about a Democrat winning and the potential for higher taxes on income, capital gains and a wealth tax, the contested election, and the January 6 riots,” says Reaz Jafri, an attorney at international immigration law firm Withers and CEO of advisory firm Dasein.
U.S. nationals now make up the largest portion of client applications at Henley & Partners, a global citizenship firm. “We expect this now to go into overdrive and increase even further following the results of [Tuesday]’s U.S. election,” says Sarah Nicklin, Henley & Partners’s head of public relations.
Most Americans moving abroad look north to Canada or across the Atlantic to Europe, where popular destinations include Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, and Spain, according to Henley & Partners. But moving to a new country isn’t as a simple as it is domestically. Most countries have stringent requirements, and Americans can only move under certain circumstances.
Depending on the country, Americans are typically able to move if they get a job there in an in-demand profession; make a considerable investment; buy a home or other real estate investment; have retirement income; have a spouse or partner who is a citizen; or are able to work remotely.
In Canada, for example, immigrants who don’t have a citizen spouse typically need to have experience in a skilled trade or profession, and the programs are competitive: candidates are scored against each other, and only those who score the highest are able to immigrate. Certain trades and professions are more in demand than others, and different provinces have demand for different types of workers. Fortune‘s Lila MacLellan put together a list of the 63 jobs that make it easier to move to Canada.
Mexico is easier to move to, and Americans who do so point to the cheaper cost of living and weather as major perks. And in fact, Mexico City has become a major destination for American expats since Covid-19, when the number of Americans who applied for or renewed residency visas surged by 70% from 2019 to 2022, according to data from the Mexican government. Americans can live in Mexico for 180 days without a visa; many overstay them.
Panama can also be fairly simple for Americans to move to, at least temporarily. There is a temporary telework visa, that allows remote workers to reside there for up to 18 months (requirements include having health insurance and a monthly income of at least $3,000). It also has an accessible retirement visa, and retirees are eligible for certain tax exemptions there. Additionally, American citizens are able to visit for six months without needing a visa.
Costa Rica is another more affordable option, according to Judi Galst, managing director of private clients at Henley & Partners. Americans can qualify for a digital nomad visa there, which allows them to live and work remotely so long as they have a monthly minimum income of $3,000, or $4,000 for families. Pensioners and investors will also find simple options here.
Spain also offers a digital nomad visa, which allows remote foreign workers to move there for up to one year, with the possibility to apply for a residence permit afterwards. According to the Spanish government, workers must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, or have at least three years of work experience in her current field to qualify. Italy also offers a digital nomad visa to highly-skilled workers.
Portugal is an increasingly popular destination for Americans, and offers a few different routes for those who want to move there, including the D7 visa scheme, for retirees, and the Portugal golden visa program.
And for retirees, France is another great option, says Alex Ingrim, a financial advisor with global financial services firm Chase Buchanan who helps Americans move abroad, because of its favorable tax jurisdiction.
“The easiest country usually depends on someone’s particular situation, but there are plenty of options available these days,” says Ingrim.
More options for wealthy Americans
For those with considerable assets, there are many more options to gain residency and even citizenship. From Portugal to Spain to countries throughout the Caribbean, investments of a hundred thousands dollars or so to a few million can expedite the immigration process. Thailand is another good option for wealthy investors.
Finally, Australia and New Zealand are increasingly attractive spots for those—like billionaire Peter Thiel—with plenty of wealth to spare. Australia offers the Global Talent Independent Program, which is a pathway for “highly skilled executives, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and professionals, designed to grow Australia’s innovation and tech economies,” according to Henley & Partners. New Zealand has the Active Investor Plus visa program, which requires a multi-million dollar investment to be able to live and work there indefinitely.
Clearly, not just anyone can move to any country they choose. And each country and program will have different processing times—since Covid, it has taken many countries longer to process and approve applications.
Other considerations before an AmerExit
Of course, there are many considerations that Americans should make before moving abroad. Safety, community, health care, and opportunity are all big ones. Many Americans who move abroad highlight how difficult it can be adjust to a new culture, particularly if you don’t speak the local language.
Another: Unless you renounce your citizenship, you will be on the hook to at least file taxes in the U.S. as well, because America is one of few countries that taxes based on citizenship rather than residency (Few expats are actually taxed twice due to exclusions and credits, but the paperwork is often costly and confusing).
“Because U.S. citizens are taxed on their worldwide income and because our taxes are relatively high, potential tax implications are not much of a deterrent, especially because the U.S. has good tax treaties with most European countries which avoids double taxation,” Jafri.
If you do renounce your citizenship, be careful of where you move. The U.S. has been known to ban ex-Americans from reentering the states even for a visit, depending on why they left.
Finally, immigration laws are always changing, as are the rules for various residency programs across the globe. Politicians in many European countries have started pushing back against the golden visa programs, due to unintended effects on local economies. Those interested in moving abroad may find it useful to contact a global citizens firm to help them find the best options.