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I enjoy these type of comments. They mostly come from Americans who have never looked into the requirements to "leave" legally. It turns out the rest of the w
by abduhl 13y ago
I enjoy these type of comments. They mostly come from Americans who have never looked into the requirements to "leave" legally. It turns out the rest of the world has immigration laws that are just as strict or more strict than America's so unless you're young and you're filthy rich, in a very specialized field that country needs, or ridiculously good looking you're probably not welcome in country X.
- kibwen 13y agoExactly this. If you think it's so simple to emigrate from the US, go ahead and try. I'm sure it wouldn't be too onerous for the types that frequent HN, but for the 99.9% of the population that's less affluent and less technically skilled, you're stuck here.
- TillE 13y agoI did it five years ago, to Germany. No problem, you just need a job offer. It has to be mildly specialized to justify hiring you over a local, but this is a very loose requirement that's easy to bend if your employer so desires. Germany also has no shortage of relatively unskilled Turkish immigrants who are simply working at restaurants.
- sneak 13y agoI did, and it was. Also, I was speaking to HN when I suggested it. Please keep your comments relevant and productive. A snarky "this" doesn't add a lot to the discussion, especially when your silly claim is exactly at odds with reality.
- tjmc 13y agoHarper's magazine gave a detailed and amusing guide on "Electing to Leave" the US after Bush's reelection. It covers everything from emigrating to Canada to founding your own micronation. I finally found a copy here: http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1103-29.htm http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1103-29.htm
- refurb 13y agoGood lord! Moving to Canada? I grew up in Canada and the amount of political apathy there is astounding. The US might have a lot of crappy laws and politicians, but Americans seem much more politically involved than.
- sneak 13y agoI emigrated five years ago. It's tough, no fuckin' foolin'. The alternative is to go to bed every night knowing that a double-digit percentage of your value and productivity that day went to fund building bombs and buying and installing fiber splitters. I just couldn't do it any longer. FWIW, I have none of those circumstances you describe, and it was relatively easy, practically speaking— and I moved to Germany, one of the best places on Earth to live. The hard part was leaving my job, family, friends, and girlfriend behind on a different hemisphere.
- youngerdryas 13y agoI assume you got your national ID card and register at the police station every time you move.
- flyinRyan 13y agoYou think the US doesn't do this? They don't make you register when you move because they'll update their databases when you file your taxes.
- youngerdryas 13y agoI've never registered anywhere and I have moved a lot. In the states we have at least 20 million undocumented. In Germany you legally have to report someone that doesn't have an ID card.
- flyinRyan 13y agoYou don't have a social security card or drivers license? You don't file taxes? You don't have to register anywhere because they don't need that. They update all that kind of information when you file taxes.
- youngerdryas 13y ago>You don't have to register anywhere because they don't need that. That is not a very good argument. Why do the Germans need you to register at the local police station?