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Ask YC: Where's the escape hatch? I'd like to leave the US, but to where?

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Re: Ask YC: Where's the escape hatch? I'd like to leave the US, but to where?

#11

Post by gaius »

rit wrote: post #9
gaius wrote: post #5

Sweden or Iceland would get my vote. New Zealand is a popular option for Brits. Ireland I'm not so sure about; their massive economy growth was funded by EU grants, and now the EU is turning its attention to the former Warsaw Pact countries. Romania or Estonia would be a good bet. A lot of Western companies are buying their IT services there now, where you can fly in for a lunchtime meeting, rather than India. They'r…

Of course, it's also possible that they can replace those with EU grants as well. However, looking like continued devolution is much more likely than independence in the near future. I believe the polls show only about 1 in 3 adults supporting full independence, but most support continued freedom [e.g. continuing in the vein of having a parliament again].

The elephant in the corner is the West Lothian problem.

And over and above that, the Scots have got nowhere to vote. They can't vote New Labour, they won't vote Tory, the Lib Dems are a joke, the SNP is about the only way to vote up there right now. If the SNP force the issue, the West Lothian problem may not be resolved in a way that favours the Scots...

Re: Ask YC: Where's the escape hatch? I'd like to leave the US, but to where?

#12

Post by gaius »

Allocator2008 wrote: post #8

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. It captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit." - Gordon Gekko

"... and greed will not only save Teldar Paper but that other malfunctioning corporation, the United States of America"

Re: Ask YC: Where's the escape hatch? I'd like to leave the US, but to where?

#14

Post by garrydanger »

gaius wrote: post #7
tomh wrote: post #4

If you need to pick a country right now, sight unseen, I say Ireland or Scotland. Probably hard to break in without an EU work permit, but if you are talented enough or can telecommute, then you might not have such a problem. I add Scotland because Dundee seems to attract a lot of IT types, we had dealings with folks in Dundee and they were all whip-smart individuals. If you want to do a little research before you go…

Scotland's fairly lenient; I've a Canadian friend whose (IIRC) great-grandfather was Scottish and he got in with no problems. Not long after that I signed his citizenship papers.

Don't the same laws that apply to Scotland also apply to England and Northen Ireland seeings as they are all states inside of the United Kingdom?

Re: Ask YC: Where's the escape hatch? I'd like to leave the US, but to where?

#16

Post by noodle »

if i were you i'd do more research on what countries are open to people in your situation. there aren't really that many countries where you can just walk in and get a work visa or citizenship. some specific examples are japan and italy. if you want to live/work there, you're going to need to know some of the language and a minor mirale.

Re: Ask YC: Where's the escape hatch? I'd like to leave the US, but to where?

#18

Post by gaius »

garrydanger wrote: post #14
gaius wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Scotland's fairly lenient; I've a Canadian friend whose (IIRC) great-grandfather was Scottish and he got in with no problems. Not long after that I signed his citizenship papers.

Don't the same laws that apply to Scotland also apply to England and Northen Ireland seeings as they are all states inside of the United Kingdom?

I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think Scotland allows more generations ago than England. But yes, once you're in you can work anywhere in the UK.

Re: Ask YC: Where's the escape hatch? I'd like to leave the US, but to where?

#20

Post by JFred »

Go for the weather and prices, not the politics. You can live as you want in the US. Plenty of hippy communes, survivalists, polygamists, vegetarians.

Work in the web, relax in good weather. The best weather in the US is either in Hawaii or on the coast north of San Diego.

Used to be people who wanted to get away went to the Soviet Union to help build the freedom of the Workers Paradise. I'd say be careful. It could be a one-way trip.

Tell us your politics, religion, sexual orientation and age and we can be of more help. I gather you're looking for a left-wing tech incubator. Don't know of any, but Israel and Ireland come close.

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