They say politics and religion shouldn’t be discussed in polite conversation. But for some people, that rule can be hard to follow — they’re leaving the country because of the U.S. presidential election.
Business is booming for companies that specialize in moving American citizens to countries like Canada and Europe.
while Resettlement inquiries are expected to flood in at any time in the policy.Full cycle, Such companies have been inundated with requests since the Trump-Biden debate in particular..
It’s easy to find a gauge of when Americans are eager to leave the country, thanks to Google Trends.
US user searches for “move to Canada,” “move to Italy,” and “move to Portugal” spiked (as you might expect) overnight from June 27 to 28 — the evening of the presidential debate.
Similar peaks in traffic for these search terms occurred in November 2020 — when President Biden was elected — with the largest spike occurring when President Trump was elected in 2016.
But while the reaction to this election cycle was expected by transportation companies, they warn individuals that the process is not as simple as it once was.
Gun legislation and Roe v. Wade among issues
For many Americans, the closest thing to home is across the border in Canada.
The only problem expats hoping to move to their northern neighbours face is that everyone seems to have the same idea.
Immigration experts at Montreal-based Moving2Canada noticed a sharp increase in inquiries in 2016 and 2020 — and 2024 is no different, with volume tripling since the November 2016 U.S. presidential election. Biden debate.
Many inquiries come from skilled workers — those who need a post-secondary education degree to qualify for their jobs — who are looking to leave the United States before they are forced to do so by a potential change in immigration policy.
but Rebecca Major, Director of Operations at Moving2Canada said: luck There are other policies that both families and individuals cite as reasons for moving..
Gun legislation and Roe v. Wade are among the reasons Major hears most often, she explains: “In general, people are frustrated because they don’t see themselves reflected in who runs their country, and they look to something that is seen as very similar to their country.”
As Major and her colleagues prepared to open the doors to migrants, she warned potential expatriates that they also needed to get their affairs in order.
Canada’s immigration system has changed “dramatically” since 2016, Major said, adding: “People assume that if you work in the United States, Canada is automatically an option for you and that’s definitely not the case anymore. It’s very competitive.”
“My advice to anyone looking to make this move is to do your research early because if Trump takes office, for example, you’re going to find a tremendous amount of interest.”
She advises potential immigrants to talk to employers. “Find out if they have a branch in Canada. That might be the best route.”
“If you could live anywhere, why would you choose the United States now?”
In Florence, Italy, Alex Ingrim of Chase Buchanan Bank in the United States says inquiries about his private wealth management services have jumped by about a third since the discussion, and most of his clients are executing on their plans.
Ingrim specializes in bringing US citizens to Spain, Portugal, Italy and France, working with approximately 70 clients across a $70 million portfolio.
While politics plays a role in the decision of some of his clients — typically between the ages of 45 and 65 — to leave the United States, Ingrim cautions individuals against leaving their home country for that reason alone.
“We don’t hear about specific policies, we hear about the environment and the atmosphere. We hear about how controversial everything is and how tired people are of the 24/7 news cycle,” Ingrim said.
“The political environment has made people’s quality of life worse. It’s not just about the high cost of living… it’s also about the question of if you’re no longer working and you can choose to live anywhere in the world, why would you choose to live in the United States now? This is the first generation that’s really faced with that reality.”
Since Ingrim, an American, launched his Texas-based company with a partner two years ago, he has been fielding inquiries from Democrats and Republicans alike.
“We expected this to be a busy year,” Ingrim said. “Americans have this habit of threatening to move to Canada if their candidate doesn’t win — and that predates Trump by decades.”
“There was always this undercurrent, but we’re not people who travel a lot, so it didn’t come to fruition. But more people have become open to retiring abroad since the pandemic, and then the dominance that Trump has established… It became clear after the debate, after the assassination attempt, that Trump has a path to victory.”
Ingrim added that the recent investigations were not driven by one political event or another, but that political events had accelerated individuals’ plans to retire abroad.
But our American citizens must realize that the United States is “one country,” and that “no one else in the world” runs their country like the United States.
As a result, he says expats can sometimes struggle to deal with the slow pace of relocation requests, and should be prepared for bureaucracy.
The rich move around.
The motivation to leave the US is also at an “all-time high” for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, said Graham Salt, director of Quality Homes at Frank Salt Real Estate Group.
The agency specialises in properties located in Malta, which has a low and attractive income tax rate compared to its neighbours.
Malta’s top tax rate is 35% – 10% lower than the 45% rate in the UK for example – with a flat 15% tax on foreign income remitted to Malta.
Expats looking to enjoy the idyllic southern European country can also expect to find a large pool of peers, thanks to the simple investments required to obtain citizenship in the country.
To obtain citizenship by property, for example, an individual must spend at least €700,000 ($760,000) and hold it for five years, or for residency, after 12 months, invest at least €750,000 ($814,000) in the country.
“With the election approaching, it seems that (high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals) have the motivation to have a backup plan,” Salt said. luck“Another factor that drives investors to invest in the United States is wealth management, as many feel that the US economy does not have a bright future. Therefore, wealthy Americans want to diversify their investment portfolios and invest in the Euro market.”
Americans are not only interested in retiring couples, but also families looking for another place to move their children. Across all income levels, politics emerges as the main reason behind the desire to move.
“The increasing polarization in US politics has been at the heart of these discussions,” Salt said. “Some clients are very afraid of Trump coming to power, and others are (afraid) of a Biden administration. The recent discussions have not helped them at all to give them the confidence they want.”
U.S. visits to the group’s site have steadily increased in recent months to become the company’s third-largest source of traffic, Salt added: “I would say the third-largest driver is the rising crime rate in the United States, gun violence, and inadequate law enforcement.”
Are you planning to leave the United States for political or policy-related reasons? Eleanor Pringley@fortune.com.
