Without making any political statements here, we thought we’d go ahead and do some research on behalf of anyone considering moving to a new country in the near future (e.g., November, just as a random example). We’re tempted to suggest you relocate to Bali, which is definitely an option, or somewhere equally exotic and remote-feeling (Tristan da Cunha, maybe?), but chances are you’ve got to pay the bills, so our findings are instead a bit more practical in nature. Here, six countries you should consider starting a new life in if, for any reason, you feel compelled to do so.
The 6 Countries You Should Consider Moving To ASAP
Sweden has the most progressive views on gender equality in the world. As a result, parents are awarded 68 weeks' worth of paid leave, which they can split between themselves in whichever way they choose. Salaries for women in Sweden, when choice of profession and sector are taken into account, are 95% of what they are for men. What's more, there's no stigma attached to being unmarried in Sweden, where many couples choose to raise kids together without formally tying the knot. So, if you're a single woman over the age of 30, you may want to consider relocating ASAP to avoid being scorned and chased with sticks stateside. Luckily, your odds of getting in are pretty good, as Sweden has generous immigration policies—36% of its foreign-born residents are from high-income countries like the United States. Go here for more information on how to get the life you always knew you deserved but couldn't get because, boobs.
Everyone jokes about moving to Canada if certain outcomes occur in November, but we think it's time to get serious about migrating north. US News & World Report recently ranked it the second best country in the world overall, and the #1 country in the world in terms of quality of life. It's got a healthy job market and stable economy, it's rated 10 out of 10 in terms of safety, and its public education and health systems also earn nearly perfect marks. Plus, more than 50% of Canadians between the age of 25 and 34 own a home—we're not sure what that number is in the U.S., but given we know only a handful of people who can afford to be buyers, we're guessing it's not quite that high. Immigrating to Canada permanently isn't easy per se, but where there's a will there's a way—learn more here. One hilarious island in Nova Scotia created an "If Trump Wins"-specific campaign to lure in Americans, and we can't imagine this is the worst backup plan out there for anyone looking to flee their current life regardless of their political preferences.
Germany ranked number one in the U.S. News & World Report Best Countries list, and there are innumerable reasons it deserves this distinction. The country has a strong economy and an unemployment rate below 5%, it's seen globally as a powerful nation, and it's known for being startup friendly (U.S. News rated it 10 out of 10 in terms of entrepreneurship). Plus, in Germany, motherhood is viewed as a job, and you can therefore get paid (gasp!) to stay at home and take care of your children. If all of this is sounding good to you, take heart in knowing that Germany's population is aging, and that many think the country therefore needs to import young, skilled foreign-born workers in order to continue to thrive. We highly recommend eyeing Berlin specifically, and we've heard from expat friends currently residing in Germany that it's fairly easy to get a self-employment visa if you want to join the burgeoning creative scene there.
We live in Los Angeles, where women over the age of, erm, infancy are marginalized, so we’ve always known we’d need an exit strategy at some point if we’re to have any hope of maintaining our dignity as we age. Enter Denmark, which is not only consistently ranked as the happiest nation in the world, it's also got the happiest population of women over 65. Perhaps this is partially explained by the fact that Danes have a commonly-used word, "hygge," that doesn't translate literally into English but basically alludes to taking time to care for yourself. The culture is also highly collective (its citizens pay some of the highest taxes in the world in order to take care of one another), outdoorsy and, like Sweden, places great importance on gender-parity. What's more, Danes work an average of 33 hours a week, and are proven to be more productive because of it. Finally, parents are given a mind-blowing 52 weeks of paid paternity leave to share between them, which makes the U.S. look like a country full of cavemen. If you're asking where you can sign up ASAP, learn more here. You can also try a Working Holiday Visa to start.
Australia ranked sixth on the Us News & World Report's list of best countries, and we're sure it's a great place to live given it was rated 9.1 out of 10 in terms of quality of life. Still, we'd like to turn our attention to its cousin country New Zealand, as it seems to be actively recruiting disgruntled or disenfranchised Americans. Plus, Ruth Bader Ginsberg recently joked about making a move to the island nation after the elections in November, and if it's good enough for her, it's good enough for us. New Zealand ranked eleventh in terms of best countries in the world (according to US News & World Report), and it's got a host of qualities to recommend it—the country is economically and politically stable, health care is generally free, and it's rated 9.8 out of 10 in terms of safety. Plus, the city of Wellington was recently listed as one of the most affordable cities in the world for expats. There have also been rumors swirling as of late that the world's wealthy are secretly buying up land in New Zealand in preparation for doomsday, so you'd probably be ahead of the curve if you became a Kiwi ASAP. If you're looking to move, register your interest here and the country will send you all kinds of helpful information.
Japan is ranked seventh on the US News & World Report's list of the best countries in the world, but we're more so adding it to our list because Shoshanna from Girls made life in Japan look really colorful, and because if we lived there we'd get to wear knee socks and hang with cats without judgment. All joking aside (though we're not really joking), Japan also ranked fourth on the list as the millennials' pick for best country overall (we're wondering if this has something to do with it being the birthplace of Pokémon) and, like Germany, its population is aging so it desperately needs an influx of fresh millennial energy.
As a U.S. citizen, you can stay for 90 days without any sort of visa, which should give you plenty of time to find a cat cafe in need of an eager employee. For more information on how you can move to Japan permanently, check out their various work visa requirements here. Oh, and finally, if you're a cynic when it comes to romance, you'll fit right in here as 40% of the population calls relationships "bothersome." Perhaps this aversion to tiresome romance accounts for Japan's impressive life expectancy, which is at least five years higher than that of the U.S.
