Irish relatives could be enough to get you citizenship in Ireland.Reuters
- Amid the most divisive political climate in recent memory, some Americans are looking to escape the country, with searches like "Can I move to Canada" spiking.
- However, there are plenty of other places that US citizens can move to relatively easily.
- Foreigners don't need a visa or any kind of permit to live and work in Svalbard, Norway.
- Irish relatives could be enough to get you citizenship in Ireland.
- Keep in mind that due to the coronavirus pandemic many of these visas and immigration programs may have been put on hold temporarily.
If the most divisive election in recent memory has got you dreaming of making an escape to a less discordant place, you're not alone.
Around election time, some nervous Americans reliably start Googling ways they can move to Canada. This year, such queries on Google started as early as one hour into the first presidential debate, according to The New York Post, but it also happened during the 2016, 2012, and 2004 US presidential elections, per Google trends.
However, you don't have to look to the north to make your escape: There are plenty of places around the world that make it easier for US citizens to move there, at least temporarily.
Keep scrolling for some of the easiest ways to leave the US behind — keeping in mind that coronavirus restrictions might delay visas and permits.
You could become a temporary resident in Mexico in a matter of days.
Tulum, Mexico.
AGF / Getty Images
You can stay in Mexico for up to 180 days with a simple tourist visa, according to MexLaw. However, if that's not long enough for you, you can apply for a temporary resident visa, which will allow you to stay for four years and even work in Mexico. If you want to stay even longer than that, you'll have to apply to become a permanent resident.
Applying for the temporary resident visa is pretty simple: It involves an interview with an immigration officer in which to present your basic application and identification forms, as well as bank statements proving that, per the Consulate of Mexico Abroad, you make at least $2,072 a month ($24,864 a year), or that you have $103,616 in savings.
Owning property in Mexico worth more than $124,991 could also enough to secure the visa.
Once you have all your documents together and a consular officer has reviewed them, you could be approved immediately, according to International Living. This was pre-pandemic, however.
There are currently no travel restrictions for Americans traveling to Mexico, though the US Embassy has issued a level 4 advisory saying not to travel there due to the coronavirus, as well as crime and kidnapping.
Irish relatives could be enough to get you citizenship in Ireland.
Dublin, Ireland.
Sam Mellish/In Pictures/Getty Images
Got any Irish relatives? Having an Irish parent or grandparent, in some cases even great-grandparent, could help you snag Irish citizenship, according to Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs,
However, this process took an average of around 12 to 18 months pre-pandemic, has been put on hold "until Dublin returns to a Level 3 on the National Framework for Living with COVID-19."
Otherwise, Americans can visit Ireland for up to three months without a visa.
There's also something called the "working holiday agreement" between the US and Ireland, which allows Americans, if accepted, to work in Ireland for up to a year. The catch? You must have graduated from college within the last 12 months, or be about to graduate and provide proof of at least $2,000 in savings and a return ticket, or $4,000 in savings.
The processing time is usually six to eight weeks, according to Visa Guide, though, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ireland is currently not processing new applications.
Either way, US citizens are still banned from entering member countries of the European Union, which includes Ireland.
New Zealand and Australia offer "working holidays" for recent graduates.
Queenstown, New Zealand.
Matteo Colombo/Getty Images
Similar to Ireland, New Zealand and Australia both also offer one-year working holiday visas, though they both have an age requirement: Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30. And, for New Zealand, they must have "enough money to pay for a return ticket."
Both countries allow short-term work, and both have a processing time of one to three months, at least pre-pandemic.
In Australia, you can apply for this year-long visa three times, thus being able to stay in the country for three years, per its Department of Home Affairs.
Both New Zealand and Australia have temporarily suspended applications due to the coronavirus pandemic, and both countries have closed their borders to foreigners until at least 2021.
You can easily move to Svalbard.
Longyearbyen, Svalbard.
Shutterstock
Despite being part of Norway, Svalbard, an archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole, does not adhere to the same rules and regulations as the rest of the Schengen area in Europe.
Thus, according to the website of the Governor of Svalbard, foreigners don't need a visa or any kind of permit to live and work in Svalbard and could move there practically overnight.
According to the same website, all you need is to prove that you can afford to live there, though it does not specify a minimum amount of savings or income necessary to do so.
Currently, Svalbard is not open to visitors from the US.
Costa Rica has a plethora of visas to choose from.
Laguna del Hule, Costa Rica.
Kryssia Campos/Getty
US citizens don't need a visa to enter Costa Rica, where they can stay for three months.
To stay longer, all you need to do is leave Costa Rica and return — and this can usually be done by simply crossing the nearest land borders to Nicaragua or Panama, according to International Living.
This isn't sustainable for a more permanent move, however.
Costa Rica offers a variety of visa options, ranging from temporary residency to permanent residency.
A retirement-focused visa requires you to make at least $1,000 a month from some sort of pension plan, while a rentier visa needs you to prove that you have an income of $2,500 a month for at least two years from properties or rentals.
The rest of the temporary and permanent residency visas have no such requirements or minimums, however.
US citizens are currently allowed to travel to Costa Rica but must fill out an online Health Pass, and have proof of health insurance that will cover any COVID-19 related expenses while there.
The Czech Republic is perfect for freelancers and remote workers.
If you're a freelancer or able to work remotely, the Czech Republic, which has been offering a zivno visa, or long-term business visa, for years, might be for you.
The application is pretty straightforward, the only requirements being that you have at least $4,469 in your bank account (101,000 CZK), travel medical insurance, and proof of accommodation, according to the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington D.C.
The visa will allow you to stay for up to a year. The visa's processing time, pre-COVID, was anywhere between two weeks and four months, per Move To Prague Relocation Services.
However, US citizens are still banned from entering member countries of the European Union, which includes the Czech Republic.
Teaching English will get you into South Korea.
Seoul, South Korea.
Shutterstock
While you can stay in South Korea for up to 90 days without a visa, according to the US Embassy and Consulate in the Republic of Korea, moving there temporarily could be as easy as having a bachelor's degree and speaking English (provided you have citizenship from an English-speaking country).
South Korea has a "teaching visa" (the E-2 visa) that allows native English speakers to stay in the country to teach English. That said, different schools might have different requirements, and you'll have to find your own teaching position once you're there.
The processing time, under normal circumstances, is around four weeks, according to KorVia Consulting, which recruits English teachers abroad.
US citizens are allowed to travel to South Korea at this time but will be required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, according to the US Embassy and Consulate in the Republic of Korea.
All you need to live in Montenegro is to own some property or a yacht.
St. George Church, Montenegro.
Shutterstock
US citizens can visit for up to 90 days without a visa and can refresh it indefinitely by leaving the country and coming back every three months, according to Montenegro Pulse.
A safer, more permanent solution, however, is applying for a temporary residence permit, which allows you to stay for a year, but can be renewed. The processing time was around six weeks pre-COVID, according to Total Montenegro News. After five years in Montenegro, you can apply for permanent residency, and for citizenship after 10 years.
You can obtain a temporary residence permit by either working for a local company, or owning a business there.
A simpler — albeit more expensive — way to get a temporary residence permit is to either own a yacht or residential property in Montenegro.
US citizens can travel to Montenegro as long as they can present a negative coronavirus test taken no more than 72 hours ahead of their arrival, according to the US Embassy in Montenegro.