this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
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Hello, all! Longtime lurker on Reddit and now on Lemmy. I’ve tried looking into getting out of the US as things aren’t looking too great as I’m sure many of you know, but wanted some tips from those of us who have gotten out. Where did you decide to move to, and what were the things you looked at when deciding to move there? How did you go about the process? What are some stories you can tell about the immigration process? Where can I start? How can I realistically make it happen? I hope this isn’t silly to you all, as it matters quite a lot to me and I’m genuinely interested in getting away from here for good. Thank you all for your time!

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (8 children)

I moved from USA to Australia for university, then got permanent residency and later citizenship. I had a pathway because of (1) having completed my tertiary degree in Australia, and (2) having a close relative who was a citizen and could sponsor my application.

Without those things, my only viable option if I wanted to stay after uni would have been to go back to the USA to work for several years in my field of study, then apply for residency on the basis of being skilled in an in-demand industry. Australia maintains a list of in-demand skills, and if your field is on the list then that pathway is open to you - but you would also need to line up a job with an employer willing to sponsor your application ( I think this is mostly just about showing that you will have employment in the relevant field, not a financial burden on the employer, though I could be wrong about that).

My advice would be to make a short list of countries you would consider living in, and then look up their immigration websites and find out which ones you might have a pathway in to (each country is going to be different). If you have family with citizenship in any other countries, begin your search there.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What's it like going from the US to Australia on a more personal level? It was probably a year ago, but on the Australia subreddit there was a post relating somehow to the US. I don't remember what it was. I left a comment saying me and my boyfriend wanted out, and were looming at places to move to. Everyone was really helpful, and it's atm towards the top of the list of places.

But I also haven't heard much of anything what it's like going from our culture to there's, how people treat people moving there, etc. I imagine it's not a super huge change, but still curious as to what sort of things I shoukd expect if we do go there.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

It's not a huge change, and day-to-day the differences will be smaller things like words that are used differently. You get used to that without even realizing it. I remember feeling very pleased the first time I naturally used the word "jumper" the way Aussies do (meaning "sweater" or "sweatshirt").

Aussies are generally friendly toward Americans, and thanks to Hollywood they tend to feel like they know a little bit about the USA which makes them interested. (When we visit my family in the US, my Aussie husband says he feels like he is in a movie. 😆)

I have never had any problem with people here not accepting me at face value despite being a foreigner and my accent giving me away. If anything, it's a talking point when getting to know a person I haven't met before. They'll often ask because they are curious, but they aren't hostile. If anything, they tend to be intrigued that I chose to live in their country instead of my country of birth.

There are systemic differences that may or may not be difficult to get your head around. For example, I didn't find the health care system very strange, because I was young enough when I moved here that I hadn't really gotten my head around how it worked in the US. But when my parents come here, they won't consider going to a doctor if they need one because insurance, even when I tell them it's a flat fee and give them the amount the local practice charges. It's just not the system they know.

As noted by others, Australia has its own issues with racism. You won't escape that by coming here, though it is different. Here it's rooted in historical treatment of Aboriginals as sub-human, and "white Australia" policies from the early 20th century. Basically white people have a superiority complex wherever you go in the world of former European colonies.

I'm not sure whether any of that actually answers your question... Please feel free to ask more if need be.

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