Why More Americans Are Looking for a Way Out

I’ve always liked the phrase “voting with their feet.”

It reminds us of the truth that no matter what people may say, what counts is what they do.

In that respect, US citizens are sending a clear message: many of them want out.

Six years ago, Investment Migration Insider (IMI) began surveying the global migration market. For five of those years, countries like China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia dominated the demand side of investment migration. These countries had plenty of wealthy citizens, but their passports require visas for key destinations like the European Union and the United States.

This year however, investment migration professionals around the world reported that Americans are their fastest growing market segment. Industry leaders Henley & Partners say they are now processing more US applicants than the next four nationalities combined.

As recently as 2019, North Americans didn’t even register as a market segment, scoring 0% in the IMI survey. But demand from the region increased to 11% by 2021, more than doubled to 25% in 2023, and now sits at 40% of the global market.

So… what’s changed?

The IMI survey also includes information about the demographics and motivations of American applicants:

• The number one motivation for investment migration applicants is no longer the desire for increased travel freedom. In 2025, the main issue is “concern about military conflict or political unrest in the home country.”
• Relatedly, people seeking second residencies and citizenships are no longer worried about improved access to global markets and business opportunities. Instead, they want to be able to live in the country where they get their second passport. This makes sense, since Americans already enjoy travel freedom with their native passport.
• 75% of respondents say the average client is between 45 and 54. This is a notable increase in the average age—largely due to US applicants, who tend to accumulate wealth more slowly than those in middle income countries.
• The primary source of wealth amongst American applicants is their investment portfolio. In previous years, it was the applicant’s own business.
• Overall, and here’s where it gets really interesting… investment migration is shifting from rich clients in middle income countries to the upper middle class in rich countries.

I’ve noticed this trend as well. I recently wrote about a significant expansion in countries offering passports per sale. Few wealthy people would want to live in most countries that are planning new programs, like São Tomé and Principe or Sierra Leone.

This reflects a strategic shift by investment migration companies, who create such programs on behalf of governments. For anyone looking for a travel document only, these countries make more sense, since Americans will crowd them out of traditional destinations like the Caribbean.

I welcome this move. Since I began writing for International Living, I’ve argued that investment migration should be available to everyone, not just the super-wealthy. Most of the people who consult with me at Global Citizen are ordinary folks who’ve made enough wealth to move abroad, not gazillionaires.

Such people need support as well. But they’re unlikely to get it from the big investment migration companies, who see dodgy passports from failed West African states as the solution for their traditional client base.

In fact, I would argue that International Living nowstands alone in the global migration market.

We’re virtually the only outfit that caters to ordinary people, the fastest growing segment. We don’t charge tens of thousands of dollars to finagle a passport from a tiny island nation somewhere… Instead, we provide information sourced first-hand from fellow expats, people with boots on the ground, firmly backed up by advice and consultation services from people like me, who can help you come up with a practical plan which suits your needs, meets your concerns, and perhaps most importantly, is something that you can realistically afford.

Make no mistake—the world is changing. Migration patterns are changing. And by offering pragmatic, actionable solutions to people like you—now the source of most demand for migration services—so are we.