# Why do so many Americans assume that they can move to a foreign country on a whim? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 12, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590 "2016-11-12T04:37:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/81 "2016-11-22T09:45:03Z")
[Changes to immigration rules quietly announced a few days after the U.S. election will make it easier for Americans to come to work in Canada, and easier for them to move toward citizenship once they’re here](http://globalnews.ca/news/3075089/new-immigration-rules-make-it-easier-for-americans-to-work-and-stay-in-canada/). Also notice from the graph at the bottom of the article that, despite naysayers proclaiming it a myth, there really was a sharp spike in Canadian emigration in the Bush years that went down after Obama got elected. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/82 "2016-11-23T01:09:00Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Also notice from the graph at the bottom of the article that, despite naysayers proclaiming it a myth, there really was a sharp spike in Canadian emigration in the Bush years that went down after Obama got elected. Nitpick: There was a spike in Canadian _immigration_. It was US emigration. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/83 "2016-11-23T02:56:16Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > In a non-zero number of countries, being a native English speaker is a highly marketable skill. > > The number of countries where being an itinerant English teacher is easy is certainly shrinking, and you may be looking at low pay, remote worksites and occasional visa issues. But if you are healthy, have something that looks like a college degree, and speak English, you can live overseas for a couple years quite easily. A good friend of mine has been, for the last two years, doing just this. After getting three quarters of the way through the Appalachian Trail - hairline fracture of the foot forced her to quit - she left the country for a series of ESL jobs. So far she’s lived in Turkey, Vietnam, Russia, and now Mexico. It’s not a complete walk in the park to arrange the paperwork, but neither is it an unconquerable hurdle, either. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/84 "2016-11-23T04:20:27Z")
So if I read this thread right - 1. Most are not really intending to move out of country. For example, Ruth Bader Ginsberg is not really going to seriously consider moving to New Zealand now that Trump has won despite her joking that her husband would be insisting on it back in July. 2. Many of the people joking that they would really likely could if they really wanted to. They have the education, skill sets, and/or resources that make them marketable to many other countries. Seems pretty straight forward. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/85 "2016-11-24T23:21:01Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > A good friend of mine has been, for the last two years, doing just this. > > After getting three quarters of the way through the Appalachian Trail - hairline fracture of the foot forced her to quit - she left the country for a series of ESL jobs. So far she’s lived in Turkey, Vietnam, Russia, and now Mexico. It’s not a complete walk in the park to arrange the paperwork, but neither is it an unconquerable hurdle, either. You have to pick and choose though. I would never want to be an English teacher in Thailand. Except for a handful of plum positions, they get paid dirt. Less than dirt even, they can only dream of being paid dirt. Even Vietnam pays better. The good teachers teach in Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. ---
**Author:** ![toast\_pakora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/86 "2016-11-25T11:44:09Z")
> [@](#): > > You risk being deported at best, thrown in jail at worst. There are people here (in Indonesia) in prison for immigration violations. Believe me, you do NOT want to be in an Indonesian prison. Funny you should mention that. I was talking to an acquaintance here and he mentioned meeting a woman, American? can’t remember but def western, she had overstayed her biasa tourist visa by at least a year, maybe a year and a half. Had a child with her too, sad. So when I was flying out last year, having overstayed myself by a few days for Reasons, and I went into the little office to pay the per diem, I asked the Immigration guy, _hypothetically_, what would happen in such a case if she were caught, prison? He said no, she’d have to pay and if she couldn’t pay, she’d be deported and her passport stamped with that X mark or whatever they do. He even said she could come back “after six months” or so. I’m not sure I believe that! First she’d have to reimburse the US government thousands of dollars. But I’ve always assumed that there’s a black list for people like that to prevent re-entry. No, Kerobokan is not for the faint of heart. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/87 "2016-11-25T16:59:56Z")
> [@toast\_pakora](#): > > Funny you should mention that. I was talking to an acquaintance here and he mentioned meeting a woman, American? can’t remember but def western, she had overstayed her biasa tourist visa by at least a year, maybe a year and a half. Had a child with her too, sad. > > So when I was flying out last year, having overstayed myself by a few days for Reasons, and I went into the little office to pay the per diem, I asked the Immigration guy, _hypothetically_, what would happen in such a case if she were caught, prison? He said no, she’d have to pay and if she couldn’t pay, she’d be deported and her passport stamped with that X mark or whatever they do. He even said she could come back “after six months” or so. I’m not sure I believe that! First she’d have to reimburse the US government thousands of dollars. But I’ve always assumed that there’s a black list for people like that to prevent re-entry. > > No, Kerobokan is not for the faint of heart. Depends on a number of factors, not least the political climate. It’s the same way in Thailand. They used to be pretty laid back about overstays. Then over the years, with an increase in the foreign population, they started getting tougher. If they caught you on their own, you’d probably spend a few months in jail, then be deported, but if you walked in and fessed up, they’d levy the appropriate fine and deport you. They might or might not have put you on a blacklist, but a stamp saying you’d been deported would be put in your passport. Nowadays however, there are large signs inside the Immigration offices listing detailed timetables showing how long you’ll spend in jail and then be blacklisted for according to how long you’ve overstayed. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/88 "2016-11-25T20:29:03Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Me with my medical history would be problematic as keeping my sorry ass alive takes a fair amount of doctoring and pills [well and insulin] so while he could go lots of places with a much lower cost of living would be golden as a single, adding me into the mix would bar many of the lower level third world countries [I need excellent doctors and hospitals as I do bloodwork every 3 months and have health issues.] I’m afraid your health issues would bar you from plenty of developed countries too, which have pretty strict conditions about passing stringent health checks as a condition of residence. With stresses on the health system due to increased immigration over the last decade or so without ensuring that we have the infrastructure to cope, public health is under pressure and patience is getting thinner with people who want to rort the system by assuming that they can move here with an expensive condition and receive free treatment for life. While we do have good public health care, with an increased number if immigrants and visitors, there’s an increasing tightening of rules ensuring that you are eligible to receive taxpayer funded sevices, to the point where even when you’re registered with a local GP, you’ll still have to provide a copy of your passport. If you don’t and you show up at the hospital, expect to get a hefty bill at the end. And every so often there’s a furor when somebody with a debilitating and expensive condition and no residence status is sent back to the Pacific because we won’t fund treatment. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/89 "2016-11-25T20:38:11Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > We foreigners can read now and some of us have toilets and electricity now. Cite? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/90 "2016-11-26T05:59:45Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Me with my medical history would be problematic as keeping my sorry ass alive takes a fair amount of doctoring and pills [well and insulin] so while he could go lots of places with a much lower cost of living would be golden as a single, adding me into the mix would bar many of the lower level third world countries [I need excellent doctors and hospitals as I do bloodwork every 3 months and have health issues.] Bangkok would be perfect for you. They have some really first-class doctors and facilities. EDIT: And, um, we just happen to have a nice condo for sale there. Just in case you’re interested. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/91 "2016-11-26T12:00:22Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > I’m afraid your health issues would bar you from plenty of developed countries too, which have pretty strict conditions about passing stringent health checks as a condition of residence. With stresses on the health system due to increased immigration over the last decade or so without ensuring that we have the infrastructure to cope, public health is under pressure and patience is getting thinner with people who want to rort the system by assuming that they can move here with an expensive condition and receive free treatment for life. While we do have good public health care, with an increased number if immigrants and visitors, there’s an increasing tightening of rules ensuring that you are eligible to receive taxpayer funded sevices, to the point where even when you’re registered with a local GP, you’ll still have to provide a copy of your passport. If you don’t and you show up at the hospital, expect to get a hefty bill at the end. And every so often there’s a furor when somebody with a debilitating and expensive condition and no residence status is sent back to the Pacific because we won’t fund treatment. Exactly! Though I can get treated at military bases [career Navy retired husband so I haz benefits] I would not expect to be handed everything by some other country. Now if said country could somehow manage ot charge TriCare for my treatment, then we could talk … > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Bangkok would be perfect for you. They have some really first-class doctors and facilities. > > EDIT: And, um, we just happen to have a nice condo for sale there. Just in case you’re interested. 😃 That would also be if Rob got a job, and I could restrain my sarcasm in public … I wouldn’t want to get arrested for smartmouthing against a Royal or someone that could get me in trouble. Save ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/92 "2016-11-26T17:37:21Z")
From this past Sunday’s column by Stickman, a New Zealand writer for all things Thai, regarding present-day Thai visa rules: **"Frustration is setting in amongst those who game the visa system as they struggle to get a clear understanding of the algorithm in the immigration computer system which alerts the officer that a visitor has spent too much time in the country and instructs them to pull that person aside and question them before allowing them to enter, or otherwise. Visa rules have been reasonably clearly understood until now but no-one knows whether the new algorithm relates to the number of visa waiver entries someone has had already. Or is it the total amount of time spent they have spent in the country? Or is it a combination of both? And what is the period in which the algorithm applies – and does it ever reset? Those gaming the system hate not knowing how it works which makes it difficult for them to continue to game the system. It seems that loopholes are (slowly) being closed and the enforcement of existing laws that used to be overlooked are now being applied. You wouldn’t say it’s difficult to stay long-term in Thailand if you’re not working legally and not married to a Thai, but then neither is it as easy as it once was."** ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590/93 "2016-11-27T08:28:28Z")
I am an American, and I have spent the past 15 years living outside the USA legally in 4 different countries. It only takes a little planning, and it is easy to do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-americans-assume-that-they-can-move-to-a-foreign-country-on-a-whim/771590.md?page=4)