3 Ways to Leave the USA

It's one thing to want to leave, but actually making it work is a whole different ballgame. Here are three options to consider when trying to make your move.

Option 1: Go back to School

This is the option I chose to get me both to Edinburgh and now Austria. Student visas are powerful in that they get you multiple years in a country, give you a built in community when you move, and you get the chance to learn something new. Here are some myths about going back to school:

• I'm too old: no you aren't. I've found being the oldest in my classes to be incredibly rewarding.

• It's too expensive: this depends on where you enroll. My University of Vienna Master's degree will cost less than $5000. Total. At a top 100 global university.

• I don't speak the language: that's okay, most every school has degrees in English

• I haven't been to school, I'll do poorly: this isn't true, but if it is, it doesn't matter. Who is looking at your GPA?

  
  

Going back to school is a great way to get to another country on a multi year visa and get a head start on building community. 10/10 recommend.

Option 2: Use Your Passport

Depending on the country, you can stay for months to years by just using your passport. Here are just a few examples of where you could go TOMORROW, without any added steps.

• Europe: your passport gets you 90 days every 6 months to bounce around the EU.

• United Kingdom: you have 6 months without lifting a finger. Combine this with the EU and you've got 9 months to spend across the pond.

• Mexico, Panama, Peru, Canada: three countries within USA timezones that gives you 6 months without any special application.

• Albania and Georgia: both of these countries offer American citizens one year in their respective country without having to apply

  
  

These are just a handful of the options you have with an American passport. There are many more with slightly more complex rules, but the bottom line is to understand there are simple options that do NOT require difficult steps.

Option 3: Visamaxxing

Though it takes a little travel savvy, combining your passport and certain visas can be a great way to test the waters of moving abroad or just take a sabbatical from the USA. Here are a few examples of how you can Visamaxx your way around the world.

• 15 Months in the EU and UK: applying for a Visa D allows you to stay in the EU for up to 6 months, which is 3 months longer than your passport gives you without an application. The Visa D is for something like studying a language. So, that's 6 months in a country (let's say Spain) + 6 months in the UK (no application needed) and THEN another 3 months in the EU on your basic Schengen Visa (which is built into your passport). Voila, you've got over a year in Europe!

• 1 Year in India: you have to apply for an e-Visa through the Indian government, but within about 48 hours you can be granted a visa to stay in India for 365 days with a cap on how often you can enter and exit.

  
  

Disclaimer: As with EVERYTHING visa related, you should double check what you read online, especially in terms of updates over time. If you are using AI, I can just about guarantee it's giving you wrong information in some form. I am not an immigration lawyer, so while I do my very best to give you the most accurate information I've gathered, if you want to confirm the legality of one of the options above, your best bet is to find an immigration lawyer or contact the government of the country you want to enter. No