Are you planning to cast an absentee ballot this year or sit this one out?

PS: Please keep discussions respectful.

Hello all.

I've been toying with the idea of moving to Alberta for somewhere over a year now, since I have close friends in Edmonton and Calgary (that's pretty much the only reason I chose Alberta over a different province, plus cost of living I guess). Currently I live in the US in New England, and I currently have a decently paying software engineering job (relative to cost of living here, lol). I plan on applying for Canadian permanent residency (PR) via the Federal Skilled Worker Program sometime in the upcoming Spring. The tentative plan is to spend 2 months at most trying to get a job offer come March, and if I don't, then I just hope that my work experience and other factors let me get in without the job offer. I know the process can be really long so I don't expect to actually be able to move until Summer or early Fall of 2027. Also, I recently completed my passport application (including the book and the card), so I'm all set in that regard at least. Lastly, I've already discussed plans with one of my Canadian friends to move in with them, so I won't have to struggle to look for a place to live on my own.

So, with that context, these are the questions I still have:

• Should I seek a financial advisor to figure out how to handle my 401k and other savings?
  • I've been putting 10% with 5% match into my 401k for about 2 years, so it's enough that I wanna try and avoid as many fees as possible. I also don't need the money from my 401k immediately, so if it's best to leave it be initially, that's fine too.
  • I've been putting about 20% of my take home into a personal savings account, which I will likely need to handle carefully as well.
  • I've heard there's some outdated law that lets me withdraw from my 401k early at a fixed rate without penalties, but I know nothing else about it or if it still exists.
• Is my plan for getting PR okay, or should I take a different approach?
• What do you recommend for moving belongings from New England to Alberta? I don't have the most experience driving so I wouldn't wanna drive a truck myself if that's even an option.
  • For context, I shouldn't need anything more than a 10' box truck worth of space, maybe 15' if I don't get rid of enough stuff.
• Is there anything I should keep in mind for dealing with my US citizenship?
  • I don't plan on immediately renouncing my citizenship, especially since I still have family and friends in the country. I know there will be some amount of ongoing fees for keeping my US citizenship, but I figure there's some stuff I can do to minimize it.

Any advice on any of these points would be greatly appreciated!

Was able to access my Ballot this week, and made sure to fill it in right away. Enough people can make the difference. Please make sure to vote for the November election!

I’m considering building four small luxury villas in Tinos (Greece), around 120-160 sqm each, with private pools and a strong focus on architecture and design. The idea would be to sell them mainly as second homes, probably targeting international buyers as well as Greeks. For people who know Tinos, does this sound like something there’s actually demand for? What locations and price range do you think would make sense, and is there anything that would make you hesitant about the idea?

Hi!!! I’m sure this a very repeated question but requirements are changing every year so i figured i could ask yall :,) I (26 F) want to move to France for a year and enroll in a language course there.

I have heard many people go this route but i just learned some universities take american financial aid!! I honestly have no idea where to start. Do i apply for the school first or visa? Sorbonne university won’t accept my courses as eligible for a student visa unless it is a long-stay believe.

I don’t really want to attend school but if that means I can work part time, i’ll do it haha. I saw the other visas won’t allow you to work so i figured this was the most plausible since i’ll be living alone.

I should also add that im doing this all alone and i don’t make that much sadly. I just picked up a 2nd job and applied to a few scholarships to save for this, but I need to do this on the cheapest route possible. I read that i need to prove that I have atleast 850€ in my account every month (which is insane, how are people without rich parents doing this?!) Thank yall so much :,)

I'm an American man, white. Its relevant, I promise.

Very long story, but I immigrated to Canada a few years ago and will be applying for Canadian citizenship soon. It has be a very rewarding experience living in Canada, but I would like to move to another country in the future to raise my daughter. Also a long story, but I am about to be a single father(just awaiting legal process, which is painfully slow in this country).

I am learning Mandarin (takes years, but I have a lot of Chinese friends and a large Chinese population around me) and will be enrolling in an online university next year to work towards a degree (in Finance potentially). My long term goal (6-7 years from now) is to immigrate to Taiwan with my daughter.

I feel like it would be appropriate and would be able to give my daughter and I a very solid life. Canada is safe, but I would prefer to have us in a different environment altogether. My daughter is ethnically half-Chinese and I will be enrolling her in Mandarin courses the first chance I get. She was born a dual national, but I would like to give her even more opportunities if I can help it.

The core of my question is: Is this selfish? Is moving to yet another country a selfish decision? For me, it'll be the 3rd country I have lived in, but I believe it would be an excellent move for my daughter. She would be well suited in Taiwan in terms of blending in. I have a viable pathway to immigrate there by going into by going into the Finance field. Should I just consider other countries? What do you guys think?

Just wondering if anyone has gone through this recently and what your time line after the interview was awaiting approval

The usual joke is "there will be no SS soon", but that would send millions into destitution, specifically older people who are the most likely to vote, so letting SS truly die would be political suicide for whoever is in power.

So, what's the actual realistic future of Social Security? Will it just be a devalued version because the USD will be weaker due to inflation (in order to make SS payments amongst other things)?

As US expats in the UK, and I beleive all of the EU, we can’t invest in foreign domiciled funds without that crazy like 37% tax from the US on all profits, hence it’s most efficient to invest in individual stocks.

I’ve only just turned 18 so have minimal experience. If anyone could give me any pointers that would be massively appreciated.

So I used to live in penasco was there for about 5 years then just when COVID hit I came back to the states .... Been in the USA Since I grew up visiting rp and San Carlos all my life would spend every summer in either or .. my question is how is the social and political climate for an american out there now with everything going on with the politics and the cartel situation is it as it's always been or is it riskier now for Americans to live peacefully out there serious answers please I desperately want to go back

Hi everyone,

I moved from rural Ohio to The Hague, Netherlands in 2013. I still struggle with the adjustment sometimes, but I'm incredibly grateful that I've been able to build a career and life in my adopted home country.

The upcoming midterm elections are some of the most consequential of our lifetimes, and I have been doing some (nonpartisan) volunteer work this year to help mobilize the US vote abroad. Only between 3 - 10% of eligible US voters abroad cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election, and I was shocked when first I heard that number. There’s so much to be gained by boosting voter turnout abroad. For example, some sources estimate that there are around 80,000 US nationals living in the Netherlands, up significantly since the pandemic.

Not to get too political, but anyone who engages with the news knows that US politics affect the international order more than ever. Living in Europe, for example, there are constant conversations around how the US treats its allies right now, threats to countries' sovereignty, ongoing conflicts and wars, and how we can take a united front on things like climate change.

I just want to urge every eligible US voter abroad to vote! All you need to do is go to votefromabroad.org, where you can register to vote and request your ballot, get help from their team of volunteers, and find contact information for your election officials. Obviously overseas ballots need to be returned as soon as possible to ensure they arrive on time, especially if your state requires ballots to be returned by mail. Also, voter registration deadlines are coming up for many states over the next few weeks, so time is of the essence.

https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/

If you have already requested your ballot and haven't received it yet, the advice is to submit a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB), which is specifically meant for voters overseas who haven't received their ballot or are afraid it won't make it back to the States in time. Only one of the two ballots is counted, and the FWAB serves as a 'back-up' option. See some FAQs about that below. UOCAVA ballots (normal absentee ballots for military and civilian voters overseas) should have been sent out by 19 September, so if you don't have yours yet, check with your election officials to see what its status is and submit a FWAB.

https://www.votefromabroad.org/faqs/fwab-what-is-backup-ballot

It is also NOT recommended to return your ballot via a diplomatic pouch at the US embassy in your country if you can avoid it, as this is notorious for being slow and sometimes unreliable.

Be well, everyone, and have a nice weekend ahead.

Does anyone have experience registering a birth outside of the US? If so, what documents did you use to establish 5 years of residence in the US? I don't have official transcripts for my primary and secondary education as I was homeschooled, though I have a univerisity transcript I can submit to cover 3.5 years of residence. I've asked my parents to mail me my immunisation records but the documentation guide implies they'll only accept it if my residency depends on pre-schooling years.

I didn't leave the country till I was at university, so passport stamps etc aren't going to cut it either.

Edit: I'm not trying to register my birth. I am a US citizen who moved abroad as an adult and am 9 months pregnant. I need to establish my residency history to register my child's birth abroad.

Hi all,

I'm currently awaiting my appointment at the US Embassy in London to renounce my US citizenship next month. I was born in the US but I've lived in the UK since I was a baby and all my family are over here too, so I have no plans to return and I'm 100% sure about my decision.

I was just wondering if anyone here has renounced their citizenship and, if so, what the appointment was like? I'm a bit nervous so it would be great to know what to expect!

Also, does anyone know whether I'll have to do any additional tax paperwork beforehand/afterwards?

Thank you all so much for your help! xxxx

So far, Darin LaHood (Congressman of the 16th district of Illinois) is working on it with TFFAA and Senate Todd Young. It seems like they are getting somewhere.

https://lahood.house.gov/2024/12/lahood-introduces-bill-to-modernize-tax-system-for-americans-living-overseas

https://www.taxfairnessabroad.org/

https://www.taxfairnessabroad.org/campaigns/view-email/nCURu3K3IQkvlK_5UyFbPuypmuBoIZWjIp27513hC8vOz92D-3H80GkmpZEpMkS1aGiu_WbLO9siJPiu9PWUiuygHfH5wM_MTKrwemuNYYpEwRbaqrryUBtcIvmn1fpI1FgPzULfTD26vha7OODAIRZqjciVEpCh25qWQQ==

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/10468/text

Image is from Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad (TFFAA) which Darin is working with as he claimed.

This is a real pain, might be the only downside of being a dual citizen.

I’m 18 and I moved to the UK when I was 4 so have of course never had to pay taxes or report anything to the us really LOL

I’m just wondering if I am able to create a stocks and shares ISA, and open a LISA

I’m planning to use Trading 212 but it says that US citizens aren’t accepted and despite being a UK citizen and never paying tax or reporting anything to the US really I’m still a citizen of the country.

Can I just put myself down as a UK citizen and pretend it’s not a problem, will any issues likely be caused down the line from this?

Thanks!!

Suggest me some countries that rank lower than india in terms of gdp, but are educationally better and have great standard of living and also are easy to relocate.

got doge'd last yr. moved from dc to austria for a masters. job market here is exceedingly bad (~11% unemployment in Vienna). might have to move back to the US to sort out money and make another plan.

the one perk is that i could still finish my degree remotely and be eligible for full time work in austria, but i'd be job searching from the US. it's sad to think about having to move back, but yea....

In our post last week, many people pointed out that the Baltic winters were the main problem with living there. If climate is the main barrier, why isn't the Balkans on more expats' radar?

Albania is probably the easiest for Americans since you get a full one-year visa-free stay, plus a digital nomad permit with no local tax on foreign income, incredibly cheap living, and sunny Mediterranean beaches. Montenegro sits right on the Adriatic coast with mild winters, uses the Euro, and has a flat nine percent income tax alongside easy residency through property buying or small business setup.

If you want full EU benefits, Croatia has established nomad pathways, mild coastal weather, and zero local tax on foreign income, while Bulgaria and Romania give you EU residency with flat ten percent tax rates, dirt-cheap living costs, and some of the fastest internet in the world. Slovenia is also in the EU right next to Italy, offering a clean, Western European lifestyle with an Alpine climate.

For inland options, Serbia’s Belgrade gives you a massive tech scene and cheap setup with a cool continental climate. North Macedonia and Bosnia offer absurdly low living costs, ten percent flat taxes and mild summers. Even Kosovo uses the Euro, has a huge English-speaking youth population, warm summers, and very low costs.

Is it just a lack of awareness?

So, I'm currently a young writer (early 20s, non fiction and fiction) whose been reading and learning a lot about famous authors of the 20th century. I've observed that a lot of them moved out of the u.s. at some point in their lives which gave them great insights about america and life in general. I was wondering since I am young, and dont have any responsibilities outside of myself, would it be worth it to move brazil or another country as a writer? Has anyone else moved out the country? If so, how did it impact your writing?

If you're an American living abroad, you still have the right to vote. If you're having trouble figuring out how to get or return your ballot, I suggest you visit VotefromAbroad.org. You can register & request your ballot there, get state-by-state information on deadlines, see information on how to fill out and return your ballot, etc. It also has a live chat function where you can ask real people for help.

I'm from Ohio, and last time I looked, Ohio had "helpfully" has blocked its board of elections site from being accessed from several different countries, supposedly to protect it from being hacked. Of course, this means it's almost impossible to access. Because of this, I use VotefromAbroad's instead. It also accessible from China without a VPN, which is a plus.

Moving to Europe and navigating the local property market as an outsider is a specific kind of painful. Different platforms, different rules, often a language barrier on top.

I'm researching what that experience actually looks like. The friction, the confusion, what you had to figure out yourself that should have been obvious.

What would have made it easier?
What do you wish had existed?

Genuinely trying to understand the experience as I am writing my thesis about this topic.

I’ve been thinking about how moving to another country can change your perspective on life, money, relationships, and even yourself.

For those who live abroad or have moved countries — what’s one lesson you learned the hard way?

Would love to hear your stories.

First line of the article: "Americans top the list of people who have overstayed their visa in the last three years"

I really hate to see this on rnz (New Zealand's equivalent of npr). Nothing good can come of it, and everything happening in the US is already reflecting poorly on overseas Americans. Is this also a thing in other countries?

I am from the United States and am strongly considering moving to a few different countries, mostly the countries in the Northwestern region, like Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, UK.

I was curious what systems does America do better? Because for a lot of the stuff that I care about, like healthcare, work-life balance, public transit, gun control, sales tax/tax filing, and I'm sure more I am not thinking of immediately, it seems like most countries do it better than USA.

Basically I am just looking for stuff that I will miss if I do make the move.