Since this wasn’t apparent the last time I asked… no, I’m actually not a US citizen or green card holder (permanent resident). Just happened to be in this country for a long time due to career reasons.
Get an FBI background check, and get it apostilled. Easy to do from your local post office in the US, difficult and expensive to do outside the us, and you will need it for many things you might want to do in other countries
Why would you need an FBI background check outside of the US?
Actually the only time I’ve ever needed one is outside of the country. You need a police report from anywhere you lived for more than six months to apply for residencies, get teaching jobs, etc etc. the only authority in the US that can do this and provide a report acceptable outside the country is the FBI.
This is a pretty important step!
Buy some non US-based cloud storage and copy all your sensitive data to it, and delete said data from personal devices before leaving the country, so you can safely allow customs access to devices if required.
Retrieve data from the cloud when you arrive in the destination country.
You don’t go through US customs to leave the country.
Yet
This is true, however you can still be targeted for extra checks by both customs and immigration if they have a reason to suspect you, even when departing the US. Both CBP and ICE have access to departing passenger lists.
For example you are required to declare larger sums of cash being carried out of the country (over $10k). You are supposed to go to customs and fill out a form, but many people do not know this, often legal immigrant workers taking cash back to their home countries. CBP uses dogs trained to smell cash and patrols departure lounges in airports, and if they pick you out, you can be searched, and any undeclared cash will simply be seized if found.
It’s easy to imagine with the current administration they could start targeting people based on social media posts or some kind of previously compiled political profile or “enemies” list or whatever, if they aren’t already.
Has anyone seen customs ever actually search an electronic device before? I travel internationally nearly every month and have never seen this before, even in China.
According to CBP’s own stats they conducted 42725 basic and 4322 advanced searches of electronic devices at US ports of entry last year (so before any new policies of the current administration took effect)
“Under a basic search, a border agent physically inspects your phone and reviews what they can, while an advanced search means the agent can potentially download all of your files using an external device.”
or just encrypt it, in case you have the technical knowledge to do that reliably.
Yes but you could be compelled to decrypt devices, and detained for failing to do so
yeah true i guess
Removed by mod
Imagine a collateral 😩
- consider keeping your US phone number until all banking stuff is done since many banks do 2fa and this can be a giant pain after moving. Try to switch to an app if possible. Many providers also disallow known VoIP numbers.
- driving license was another one mentioned. Having it not expire before you can transfer it is preferable (assuming the target country allows transfer. Japan didn’t until after two years after I got here and my license expired so I had to start from zero despite driving for 15+ years in the US). You may need to get notarized driving records which is also easier before you leave.
- go through and change/cancel anything with an address on file – can be much easier from within the US. I went through the past year’s bank records to find anything sneaky that doesn’t renew monthly. If you have things that only renew every N years, don’t forget to cancel or update those (domain names, for instance).
- Make sure all city, municipal, county, state, and federal tax stuff will be OK to do after leaving (sometimes, some prep is needed)
- If you have any retirement plans like 401ks, IRAs, etc. see about rolling them over or whatever
- maybe do something with social security with regard to your target country if an agreement is in place, particularly if you didn’t work long enough to claim it. You can get US SS overseas in the vast majority of countries, but there are also certain provisions where you wouldn’t or it would be reduced based on what you have in the target country.
- Freeze credit reports at the agencies as others mentioned
driving license was another one mentioned. Having it not expire before you can transfer it is preferable
This is a giant, often overlooked issue. My home country of the Netherlands for example doesn’t allow a simple transef and makes you take a test (because road safety is important to Dutch people!). In Germany it’s even worse. There it depends on the state you obtained your US license in, since Germany has agreements with some states but not all…
Get a few public library cards. Then abroad you can use it to borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free.
Those libraries won’t be around much longer, unless heavily curated and basically useless.
Mine are 95 percent county funded in a blue zone. State is already trying to lay down the law only to discover they don’t give much in the way of funds. No bucks no leverage. Only law they passed got overturned.
I have to renew mine in person every 3 years or so.
deleted by creator
Libraries are not a US only thing.
Libraries with access to the enormous amount of English language content are usually only found in English speaking countries, though.
Good luck finding more than a few books on niche topics in, say, Dutch (ask me how I know).
I deeply regret not hanging onto my US library card.
Understandable, just another reason to learn the country’s language then.
He just said there weren’t any in Dutch on his niche topic. Your suggestion to learn more Dutch doesn’t make sense.
She, but thank you, this was my point exactly.
Yeah, I completely misread the comment, I’ll just take the L sorry.
I speak the language fluently; that’s not the problem.
It’s the fact that there are a much smaller number of books available on most topics because the country is so small.
My bad, I misread your comment, sorry.
Visit some national parks if you can (while they still exist).
The Grand Canyon is amazing
Visit some of the National Parks, aka America’s best idea.
Some amazing ones (they’re all amazing, tbh) in no particular order:
- Yosemite
- Arches / Canyonlands (close to each other)
- Yellowstone
- Grand Tetons
- Glacier
- Denali
- Olympic
Grand canyon isn’t even on here, I’m disappointed
Bryce canyon is superior for a day trip. Grand Canyon isn’t really that beautiful unless you can hike or ride down into it.
hard disagree
If you’re in Utah then I suggest Lower Antelope Canyon as well
Not in Utah, but close enough.
Mbad ur right. It’s near paige arizona. My last trip there I kinda went back and forth between arizona and utah so things got blurred
Plenty of countries have national parks btw. Many of them had them before America. While the American ones are indeed geographically amazing, I am tired of thinUS exceptionalism that the US is the only country that has national parks.
While many (if not most) countries have national parks, the policies surrounding them are different. A simple thing like camping is often restricted in European parks, mixed land use is allowed so you are more removed from pure non human nature. As a result, the experience of visiting one may be vastly different - depending on what you are doing. American national parks are exceptional not because they are the only country that has them - which isnt true as you pointed out, they are exceptional because of the governing policies surrounding them.
I’d surely visit one, before I left, because the experience isnt going to be the same in any other.
I think that’s a fair point.
Plenty of countries have national parks btw. Many of them had them before America.
Well not really though ? Yellowstone established in 1872 is generally considered the first national park, in the modern sense of the term*, and inspired others to follow in the next couple of decades in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. It wasn’t until the 1900s that the first national park was established in Europe.
* there are a couple of other places that also claim this distinction, depending on how exactly you define what a national park is, but not many
Calling national parks “America’s best idea” is a quote from historian and environmentalist Wallace Stegner - I think the point of it is not to toot some US exceptionalism horn - in context it’s more of an acknowledgment that America deserves a lot of criticism - saying that national parks are America’s best idea is actually putting a bit of shade on other American exceptionalism claims, especially during the Reagan “shining city upon a hill” era.
Yosemite
Grand Canyon
Yellowstone
Avenue of the Giants
Add to this list any national parks you were thinking about visiting. After this administration, they may not be around anymore.
Open as many credit cards as you can and spend all the money and don’t worry about paying it back it’s all good
I mean the banks most likely gonna carsh in a few years anyway.
yeah I wonder why
we could do the silliest thing if we all did it at the same time! Wouldn’t it be so funny?
yea
Russia is sinking, so they grabbed onto America and pulled us down with them, only they’re in our pockets stealing everything so once a rescue is done, they now own the American brands being hurt by the tariffs.
Years? Maybe for for all of them to fold but I wouldn’t be shocked for several to start shuttering this year
Take me with you!!
Borrow a lot of money and then declare bankruptcy. If you’re feeling generous, buy up people’s medical debt for pennies on the dollar.
Close the door firmly after you leave.
So others can’t get out? So others still can’t come in? So we don’t let out all the AC?
Find out next time on: Puzzling Commentary!™
this has been a Desilu presentation.
I assumed for closure, to put it behind you after you leave.
Take me with?
First, get a [removed by mod], make sure it’s [removed by mod], then [removed by mod] right in the [removed by mod]
[(verb) redacted][(title of high-ranking office in the executive branch) redacted][(name of politician) redacted]
Sir, this isn’t reddit
He self modded
Yes. But im not allowed to say it. But you most definitely should
Mario sees you
Someone needs to
