Since this wasn’t apparent the last time I asked… no, I’m actually not a US citizen or green card holder (permanent resident). Just happened to be in this country for a long time due to career reasons.
Get an FBI background check, and get it apostilled. Easy to do from your local post office in the US, difficult and expensive to do outside the us, and you will need it for many things you might want to do in other countries
Why would you need an FBI background check outside of the US?
you need it if you apply for citizenship in some countries. they’ll ask for full criminal records of all the countries you’ve lived in.
Actually the only time I’ve ever needed one is outside of the country. You need a police report from anywhere you lived for more than six months to apply for residencies, get teaching jobs, etc etc. the only authority in the US that can do this and provide a report acceptable outside the country is the FBI.
This is a pretty important step!
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Imagine a collateral 😩
Buy some non US-based cloud storage and copy all your sensitive data to it, and delete said data from personal devices before leaving the country, so you can safely allow customs access to devices if required.
Retrieve data from the cloud when you arrive in the destination country.
You don’t go through US customs to leave the country.
Yet
This is true, however you can still be targeted for extra checks by both customs and immigration if they have a reason to suspect you, even when departing the US. Both CBP and ICE have access to departing passenger lists.
For example you are required to declare larger sums of cash being carried out of the country (over $10k). You are supposed to go to customs and fill out a form, but many people do not know this, often legal immigrant workers taking cash back to their home countries. CBP uses dogs trained to smell cash and patrols departure lounges in airports, and if they pick you out, you can be searched, and any undeclared cash will simply be seized if found.
It’s easy to imagine with the current administration they could start targeting people based on social media posts or some kind of previously compiled political profile or “enemies” list or whatever, if they aren’t already.
Has anyone seen customs ever actually search an electronic device before? I travel internationally nearly every month and have never seen this before, even in China.
According to CBP’s own stats they conducted 42725 basic and 4322 advanced searches of electronic devices at US ports of entry last year (so before any new policies of the current administration took effect)
“Under a basic search, a border agent physically inspects your phone and reviews what they can, while an advanced search means the agent can potentially download all of your files using an external device.”
or just encrypt it, in case you have the technical knowledge to do that reliably.
Yes but you could be compelled to decrypt devices, and detained for failing to do so
yeah true i guess
If you have the money to leave. Buy a couple people on the street loaves of bread or a sleeping bag or something.
- consider keeping your US phone number until all banking stuff is done since many banks do 2fa and this can be a giant pain after moving. Try to switch to an app if possible. Many providers also disallow known VoIP numbers.
- driving license was another one mentioned. Having it not expire before you can transfer it is preferable (assuming the target country allows transfer. Japan didn’t until after two years after I got here and my license expired so I had to start from zero despite driving for 15+ years in the US). You may need to get notarized driving records which is also easier before you leave.
- go through and change/cancel anything with an address on file – can be much easier from within the US. I went through the past year’s bank records to find anything sneaky that doesn’t renew monthly. If you have things that only renew every N years, don’t forget to cancel or update those (domain names, for instance).
- Make sure all city, municipal, county, state, and federal tax stuff will be OK to do after leaving (sometimes, some prep is needed)
- If you have any retirement plans like 401ks, IRAs, etc. see about rolling them over or whatever
- maybe do something with social security with regard to your target country if an agreement is in place, particularly if you didn’t work long enough to claim it. You can get US SS overseas in the vast majority of countries, but there are also certain provisions where you wouldn’t or it would be reduced based on what you have in the target country.
- Freeze credit reports at the agencies as others mentioned
driving license was another one mentioned. Having it not expire before you can transfer it is preferable
This is a giant, often overlooked issue. My home country of the Netherlands for example doesn’t allow a simple transef and makes you take a test (because road safety is important to Dutch people!). In Germany it’s even worse. There it depends on the state you obtained your US license in, since Germany has agreements with some states but not all…
In Germany it’s even worse. There it depends on the state you obtained your US license in, since Germany has agreements with some states but not all…
Wow, I did not expect that. Is it more with or without agreements?
Honestly, I can’t blame them. Some states are true shit holes without a functioning government.
Kentucky and Mass are both approved drivers’s licenses in France among others. It’s kinda random which states actually put in the work to have reciprocity.
There’s more with an agreement. Some also have a partial agreement, where only a written test is necessary. Here’s the full list, if you’re interested: https://www.german-way.com/for-expats/living-in-germany/german-drivers-license-reciprocity/
Cool you moved to Japan? How has it been?
I’ve been happy most of the time. It’s not for everyone, but I’m a decade in and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
Glad to know you’re doing well!
Thanks!
What’s the cost of living like compared to the US? I’m guessing you speak the language if you’ve been there that long?
Both the US and Japan have extremely varied costs of living depending upon where you’re talking about. I live in the countryside and things are generally fairly cheap, though inflation has been hitting hard since corona and a poor rice harvest last year. I studied the language a bit before I moved, came over as a language student (probably second-oldest there in my 30s), and found a job a few months later. I’m conversational, but my reading is pretty crap. I generally do all my own medical stuff and the like, though definitely run documents by my wife to make sure of some things (particularly government and finance). We basically only speak Japanese at home.
Tokyo can be expensive or not totally depending upon the experience you want to have. No need to own a car so no inspection, tax, insurance, gas, and parking spot cost. I lived there for 8 years without driving at all but did end up getting a motorbike after moving to the suburbs. I had to get a car when we moved to the countryside. Houses are going to be much smaller and much closer than most of the US. I earn well above the median salary (which is something like 4-6 million JPY/year for someone in their 40s) and pay roughly 26% of that out to pension, taxes, etc. Healthcare is far cheaper than in the US but not free at point of service like other countries. There are out-of-pocket maximums over some periods and tax rebates on the year if you go over 100k yen.
Thanks for the thorough reply!
Yosemite
Grand Canyon
Yellowstone
Avenue of the Giants
Add to this list any national parks you were thinking about visiting. After this administration, they may not be around anymore.
I’m just imagining them filling up Grand Canyon just because.
Borrow a lot of money and then declare bankruptcy. If you’re feeling generous, buy up people’s medical debt for pennies on the dollar.
Open as many credit cards as you can and spend all the money and don’t worry about paying it back it’s all good
I mean the banks most likely gonna carsh in a few years anyway.
yeah I wonder why
we could do the silliest thing if we all did it at the same time! Wouldn’t it be so funny?
yea
Russia is sinking, so they grabbed onto America and pulled us down with them, only they’re in our pockets stealing everything so once a rescue is done, they now own the American brands being hurt by the tariffs.
Years? Maybe for for all of them to fold but I wouldn’t be shocked for several to start shuttering this year
Get a few public library cards. Then abroad you can use it to borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free.
Those libraries won’t be around much longer, unless heavily curated and basically useless.
Mine are 95 percent county funded in a blue zone. State is already trying to lay down the law only to discover they don’t give much in the way of funds. No bucks no leverage. Only law they passed got overturned.
I have to renew mine in person every 3 years or so.
Libraries are not a US only thing.
Libraries with access to the enormous amount of English language content are usually only found in English speaking countries, though.
Good luck finding more than a few books on niche topics in, say, Dutch (ask me how I know).
I deeply regret not hanging onto my US library card.
Understandable, just another reason to learn the country’s language then.
He just said there weren’t any in Dutch on his niche topic. Your suggestion to learn more Dutch doesn’t make sense.
She, but thank you, this was my point exactly.
Yeah, I completely misread the comment, I’ll just take the L sorry.
I speak the language fluently; that’s not the problem.
It’s the fact that there are a much smaller number of books available on most topics because the country is so small.
My bad, I misread your comment, sorry.
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Visit some national parks if you can (while they still exist).
The Grand Canyon is amazing
Visit some of the National Parks, aka America’s best idea.
Some amazing ones (they’re all amazing, tbh) in no particular order:
- Yosemite
- Arches / Canyonlands (close to each other)
- Yellowstone
- Grand Tetons
- Glacier
- Denali
- Olympic
Grand canyon isn’t even on here, I’m disappointed
Bryce canyon is superior for a day trip. Grand Canyon isn’t really that beautiful unless you can hike or ride down into it.
hard disagree
If you’re in Utah then I suggest Lower Antelope Canyon as well
Not in Utah, but close enough.
Mbad ur right. It’s near paige arizona. My last trip there I kinda went back and forth between arizona and utah so things got blurred
Plenty of countries have national parks btw. Many of them had them before America. While the American ones are indeed geographically amazing, I am tired of thinUS exceptionalism that the US is the only country that has national parks.
Perhaps I’m illiterate, but I saw nothing in their comment suggesting that the US is the only country with National Parks.
I don’t think they even implied that they’re better than any other National Parks.
They said it was our best idea… I don’t think that implies we were first, just that it was a good idea for us to do it.
I don’t think the person above meant anything by it, but if we’re just discussing grammar: if I say something is “my idea” that does suggest that I thought of it. It is reasonable to read the sentence that way, and Americans do have a tendency to reflexively think we are exceptional.
Both readings are perfectly cromulent.
I acknowledge your point. Maybe I came across too harshly due to some baggage about it. Especially an episode from the podcast 99% invisible about the US national parks.
While many (if not most) countries have national parks, the policies surrounding them are different. A simple thing like camping is often restricted in European parks, mixed land use is allowed so you are more removed from pure non human nature. As a result, the experience of visiting one may be vastly different - depending on what you are doing. American national parks are exceptional not because they are the only country that has them - which isnt true as you pointed out, they are exceptional because of the governing policies surrounding them.
I’d surely visit one, before I left, because the experience isnt going to be the same in any other.
I’d surely visit one, before I left, because the experience isnt going to be the same in any other.
You might want to visit them soon anyway, as I believe they will be significantly reduced over the next 4 years as our Kakistocratic government continues to dismantle everything good about this country.
I’m not from the US but maybe, some day when I’m old and grey, I’ll visit one.
As I said, you might want to hurry up. They’re already talking about selling that land.
I think that’s a fair point.
Plenty of countries have national parks btw. Many of them had them before America.
Well not really though ? Yellowstone established in 1872 is generally considered the first national park, in the modern sense of the term*, and inspired others to follow in the next couple of decades in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. It wasn’t until the 1900s that the first national park was established in Europe.
* there are a couple of other places that also claim this distinction, depending on how exactly you define what a national park is, but not many
Calling national parks “America’s best idea” is a quote from historian and environmentalist Wallace Stegner - I think the point of it is not to toot some US exceptionalism horn - in context it’s more of an acknowledgment that America deserves a lot of criticism - saying that national parks are America’s best idea is actually putting a bit of shade on other American exceptionalism claims, especially during the Reagan “shining city upon a hill” era.
Make sure your last permanent address is where you wanna be voting. Absentee ballots will all be for whichever district you lived in last.
Don’t think they can vote if they’re not a citizen, no?
oh right missed that part. well, still relevant for other readers
Take me with?
Close the door firmly after you leave.
So others can’t get out? So others still can’t come in? So we don’t let out all the AC?
Find out next time on: Puzzling Commentary!™
this has been a Desilu presentation.
I assumed for closure, to put it behind you after you leave.
Take me with you!!
