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It's pretty hard for Americans to immigrate anywhere. Europe really doesn't want you, at least. Anywhere else is just a huge culture/language barrier and you'd probably never be accepted.
I studied abroad in my undergrad years, you should go on a student visa for a year or two to see if you'd even like to live there. If you're simply interested in fleeing the US, I guess liking the location doesn't matter, but Europe, Canada and Japan are all vastly different in living experiences and cultures. Have you ever traveled outside of the US before? More important to get some travel experience first and see what you like/don't like than to just move somewhere and hope you get residency and possibly end up hating it.
I don't want to sound like a downer at all, I am encouraging you to travel more. I've traveled to 13 countries and lived in 3, and there were only a couple I absolutely hated and wouldn't go back to BUT, through all of my travels, I DID learn that I loved living in the US despite its downfalls Just my two cents...
So many people seem to think that just because they WANT to move to another country, that other country will want to take them. The world (literally) doesn't work that way.
OP, if you have any close relatives who are from another country, you MAY be able to get citizenship that way. (EG my mother is British so I am a dual US/UK citizen. I think Ireland allows citizenship for anyone whose grandparents [or more recent relatives] are from there, but I could be wrong.)
It's very difficult to permanently move elsewhere unless you marry someone from there or (as I noted above) get citizenship through a close relative.
Save up $200,000 and buy a flat/house outright in Spain. You won't get citizenship, but you'll basically get the equivalent of a green card. Spain is part of the EU, and I think that with the equivalent of a Spanish green card, you would be eligible to live anywhere in the EU, which means you could then move to the UK without much trouble. I think Ireland has something similar, but it's closer to $800,000.
It is very difficult to move to another country (legally, at least). You either need a LOT of money (hundreds of thousands), or you need a very specific skill that is desirable in addition to being something not easily found by a citizen there, or you have to marry a citizen there. And you have to remember that when going to the UK, your money is not exchanged favorably - meaning your $45,000 here would only end up being around 27,000 pounds there, which is not much at all.
Having a student visa won't guarantee that you'll be able to work over there, either. And upon graduation, the only way you could stay there legally would be if a company over there hired you, which I think would cost them time and money, because they would have to request a visa for you. It would be easier for them just to go with a British applicant, or at least someone from the EU.
Your best bet would be to look at what US companies have offices in the UK/Europe/Japan, etc., then go to school and get at least a Bachelor's Degree in a subject that could get you a job at one of those companies. Get a job at one of those companies, and eventually ask for a transfer to an office abroad. It will be a long process, but other than that, you'll either need to have hundreds of thousands in fluid funds that you can invest in UK businesses and put in a UK bank, or you'll most likely need a Master's Degree and enough experience that someone over there would actually sponsor you as their employee, or you would need to marry someone from the EU.
As someone else pointed out, you could possibly get citizenship depending on if your parents or grandparents were citizens of the country you're trying to move to.
I think it's been said before but this is very important - if you do decide to study abroad, choose a degree that is highly in demand. Do something like engineering (if you're good at science, of course). I know a few international students who got undergraduate degrees in engineering and then managed to get jobs in industry. You must have an amazing resume to succeed like that - but it's not impossible.
Finish your 4 year Degree in the US and then move to Europe for Masters degree thru some scholarships. If you just want to live outside, citizenship is not required and student route is also not necessary. Have you ever been abroad? Go to some country like Germany, Ireland and see how it is living there as a tourist for few weeks. Then make a decision.
Unless you can give specific information - there is no way to even make a halfway intelligent guess. No matter where you go to school - it does not qualify you for citizenship.
My dad set up a trust for my schooling before he passed. That's why it's not included in with the 45k. But yes I realize that it wouldn't qualify me for citizenship.
Macysdayparade, you don't say what subject your degrees will be in. This is critical. The developed world is stuffed full of people with interesting but useless degrees. To have any hope of getting a work visa for a foreign country, you must be qualified to do something usefull. Engineering, science or medicine are your best bets.
I'm still not sure as to what I want to get my degrees in. I'm currently taking general classes that will apply to most degrees. I do agree that many degrees are useless though, unfortunately. I'll look into different careers in those fields. I wonder if vets are in demand in other countries?
It's pretty hard for Americans to immigrate anywhere. Europe really doesn't want you, at least. Anywhere else is just a huge culture/language barrier and you'd probably never be accepted.
I'm glad that other countries don't want Americans. (: haha. I'm moving to get away from the crazies. (; I know I'll make a move somewhere eventually. And I think it's good they don't just let anybody in.
I studied abroad in my undergrad years, you should go on a student visa for a year or two to see if you'd even like to live there. If you're simply interested in fleeing the US, I guess liking the location doesn't matter, but Europe, Canada and Japan are all vastly different in living experiences and cultures. Have you ever traveled outside of the US before? More important to get some travel experience first and see what you like/don't like than to just move somewhere and hope you get residency and possibly end up hating it.
I don't want to sound like a downer at all, I am encouraging you to travel more. I've traveled to 13 countries and lived in 3, and there were only a couple I absolutely hated and wouldn't go back to BUT, through all of my travels, I DID learn that I loved living in the US despite its downfalls Just my two cents...
That's pretty rad that you got to see 13 different countries! (: I would love that. I'm going to compare the cost of schooling in the U.S and abroad and then I'll go from there. If I stay here for school and get the chance to visit somewhere in Europe I will. But depending on cost, it might be best to save up my money and continue to do research-Unless someone wants to house swap with me! Lol.
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Just my two cents...
