American searches for 'how to move to England' increase 900% after election | Fortune Europe
By: Ryan Hogg (Fortune Europe)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
BYRyan HoggAmericans are considering their options in the wake of the U.S. election.HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images
Americans are still digesting the results of November 5's U.S. presidential election, which gave Donald Trump a sweeping victory that topped an unlikely comeback story for the president-elect. However, many are already contemplating a life outside the states before the new regime takes office next January.
For U.S. citizens who have grown tired of the increasingly toxic domestic political environment or fearful of a Trump presidency, fresh research suggests the U.K. is near the top of their list for a new home.
Online searches looking at moving to in the U.K. increased by 900% between November 4 and November 6 as Trump's election victory became clear, analysis by job search site Jobseeker found. That was only topped by Canada, where move-based searches increased by 2,400%.
Americans can benefit from a tier 2 skilled worker visa to move to the U.K. if they have a job offer waiting for them. Approval depends on a worker's occupation, but there are a host of eligible jobs listed on the U.K. government's website.
Workers also need to earn a minimum of £38,700 ($50,141) per year, well below the average U.S. salary of around $60,000 based on BLS statistics.
Americans could be drawn by the U.K.'s free at the point of access healthcare system.
The U.K. political system, rocked by years of instability following the Brexit vote and the disastrous Lizz Truss mini-budget, now also looks like a haven compared with the U.S. in the wake of the election of the center-left Labour government in July.
"The global job market has never been more accessible, with people now embracing a desire to travel when it comes to finding their ideal career," said David Overmars, a careers and resume expert at Jobseeker.
"In the coming years, we're expecting to see more people considering relocation to other countries when making their next career move."
Americans haven't historically been among the most populous citizens moving to the U.K., with migrants mainly hailing from India, Poland, and Pakistan, according to the Migration Observatory.
Among Americans who move to the U.S., less than a quarter do so for work, much lower than motivations for citizens from other countries.
Americans moving abroad
The U.K. is just one of the locations eyed by Americans considering their options, with Canada to the north regarded as the most accessible location.
Jobseeker's Overmars predicts that Switzerland, New Zealand, and Norway will be the most popular destinations for Americans moving overseas in 2025.
Fortune spoke to older, wealthier American citizens in March who were looking at properties in the southern European getaway locations of Portugal, Spain, and Greece in anticipation of November's election.
While liberal voters have led the charge in seeking alternative living arrangements, interest in a second passport has grown regardless of who was elected the 47th president.
A survey of over 1,000 U.S. millionaires found over 50% said they intended to leave the U.S. after November's election.
Alongside Canada, locations closer to home, including Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica have also shown up on Americans' radars.
David Lesperance, an international tax and immigration advisor working with the ultra-wealthy, previously told Fortune before the election that the outcome of the presidential election wasn't really influencing his clients' desire to move.
"Even if Kamala Harris wins the US presidency, her supporters know that almost half of their fellow citizens want a MAGA America," says Lesperance. "The ripping away of the mask of polite society and the exposure of ugliness underneath will still inspire a significant number of Americans to seek solace abroad."
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How many will act on their paranoia? Funny stuff. We left England in the dust years ago. Now they want to go back?
We all know very little will act on it. That's the problem with attention seekers.
Why England?
Why not South Africa or Gaza?
There's also Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. I'm sure they would welcome them with open arms.
Good luck with that. England is moving downhill quicker than the worst American cities. Americas will need loans to keep their tiny apartments heated.
Bye Felicia!
Morning..phew.. thought there could have been mass migration to down here..
There might not be enough Vegemite to go around..🤣
Yeah good luck with New Zealand...$3 a litre for petrol, $12 for a dozen eggs and $22 for a kilo of cheese..and a tiny 3 bedroom house $500,000..explains why so many of them are over here...
They aren't leaving if the economy is as bad as Republicans say it is. America made an incredible economic comeback and is now rated the number one economy in the world. The cost of living in England is far greater than in America. So I hope you get your wish that all 900% of those Democrat searchers end up leaving America and taking their money with them.
All I can say is goodbye and don't let the door hit you. Why don't they just try to go in against those countries immigration laws. See if they get the same treatment illegals get here. You know prepaid debit cards, housing etc.