Turn “Plan B” Into “Plan A.”
The rumors are true: Americans really are looking to move abroad in record numbers.
US citizens have long been interested in moving abroad, especially to nearby countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama. The US cost of living—especially healthcare—and growing cultural tensions have motivated many to pick up sticks and leave the country.
But Donald Trump’s return to the White House has led to a massive jump in interest in emigration.
Google searches for “foreign residency” and similar terms by Americans have jumped by over 1,500% since November 2024. Even if a small percentage of those people decide to take the plunge, it would still mean a sizeable increase on the 34% of Americans—and 51% of people under 30—who expressed a desire to leave the country in early 2024.
As someone who advises Americans and Canadians looking for a life abroad, I see this myself every day.
During the Obama and Biden administrations, immigration consultants targeted wealthy Americans concerned about taxation and government regulation. Now the driver is political instability, government debt… and above all, concern about political encouragement of negativity towards groups who don’t fit the MAGA mold. There’s also been a big uptick in people at the beginning of their careers and family lives who don’t want to live and raise their children in the current US climate.
That means emigration has moved beyond an elite concern… and the range of solutions has expanded beyond just having lots of money.
Interestingly, however, the current wave includes many conservatives… including those sympathetic to the Trump administration. They tell me they’re worried about Trump’s handling of the economy and national debt; the dollar’s vulnerability; and above all, the potential for social conflict now and political backlash once Trump leaves office.
Most of the people I encounter in my consultation service are interested in traditional destinations like Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and Central and South America. But the mechanics of getting there is just part of the picture I help people paint of their future lives.
The biggest issue is how to convert current and future wealth and income into a pathway to a life abroad. Unlike the very rich, who can often buy their way into a country, the ordinary people I encounter need to think about how to qualify for various types of visas, manage their investments, leverage their retirement accounts to qualify for foreign residency, and when and how to liquidate their US assets and transfer them abroad.
Those are complex personal issues most investment consultants ignore since their typical client doesn’t need to worry about them. In my practice, on the other hand, I’ve developed a keen sensitivity to the important life decisions people must make when figuring out and implementing an achievable path to life in another country. It’s something I’ve done myself, after all.
This trend is not just about the current political moment, however. It reflects vastly expanded awareness of the opportunities of life abroad and how to achieve it. The internet has put opportunities right in front of people’s noses. They aren’t limited to their imaginations when considering living overseas.
The problem is that 90% or more of what you find online about living abroad is either designed for the very wealthy or commits you to an overly expensive process. There are other ways… they’re just harder to find.
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