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More and more American citizens are wanting out of the US in 2025. A recent news story told how an immigration firm from Italy had the phone ringing off the hook after the last election results: People were calling to ask what their best pathway to Italian citizenship was.
But people who want to know about the best countries to move to from USA shouldn’t only focus on acquiring a new nationality. Citizenship—or permanent residence—are very approachable and worthy goals, but, as a stepping stone, getting a job or checking on a special visa is even more practical. If you get a job abroad, and you can get one while living in the United States, you’ll be essentially fast-tracking your citizenship in a new country.
Considering job markets, visa or residence permit options, and cultural factors like language, these are the best countries to move to from the USA in 2025.
What is the best country to move to from USA?
The best country to move to from the USA is Canada, but the Netherlands, Ireland, and Australia are also excellent choices. These are all countries Americans can move to.
But this reply is also like answering, “How much do I have to pay for a car?” or “How much does a dollar cost?” The actual answer is, “It depends.” What makes it the “best” is, of course, based on what our premises for “the best” are. So, if you’re looking for a great country to retire and enjoy the beach—and you happen to speak Portuguese—then Portugal is far better than Canada. If you’re looking for a very affordable beachfront breakfast, ready to learn a new language, and don’t mind dealing with tedious visa paperwork, then Bali, Indonesia, would be the perfect place to move to.
But if you’re an American professional who wants to relocate—and become an expat—to work in a new country, then Canada is easily a winner. Based on their economy (even if it has been dwindling), job market, language, short distance back to home, and visa pathways, Canada is the best country to move to from the United States. That said, the other countries on our list also have reasonably accessible visas and either native or excellent levels of English.
Do you need a passport to move to Canada?
You require a passport to travel everywhere, even Canada. It’s true that you can cross into Canada by land from the US with just a driver’s license and a birth certificate. But plenty of Americans who’ve done this were told on their way back to the US that they would need a passport next time. It seems Canadian border agents are outstandingly nice with US citizens, and that’s why they can cross up northward. And it isn’t that surprising that Canadians are friendly. But you should still consider getting a passport to cross into Canada. The American passport is the world’s eighth-strongest passport in 2025 based on how easily and visa-free it can get you to other countries, so that’s an added incentive to go and claim it up.
Do you need citizenship to move to Canada?
No, as an American, you don’t need citizenship to move and work in Canada. As a matter of fact, you can live for years in many countries and actually earn citizenship through living in them. And the best way to get to these countries is typically with a job.
The best countries to move to from USA
The best countries to move to from the United States are Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia, and the United Kingdom. They are also some of the easiest countries to move to from the US. Some of them, like the Netherlands, even have special visas for Americans.
Since saying which country is the best still depends, the list is in no particular order—except, perhaps, for Canada. If you hate cold winters, high taxes and steep prices, then even our top pick, Canada, might not be your best option compared to other entries here.
Canada 🇨🇦
Canada is, in 2025, the best country Americans can move to. These are strange days to write this statement. The US President has perplexingly suggested that Canada could become the 51st state. And the outgoing Prime Minister and the gentleman who’s probably to become the next one are saying that yes, he’s serious about this. And that, no, Canada doesn’t want to become a US state because it’s already a great nation.
We’ll have to agree with all that, honestly. Canada is a great nation for Canadians and expats alike. And for US citizens, it’s an excellent option for relocating and starting anew. In between the visa pathways, job market, language, and proximity to any US hometown, the country is a winner.
Just keep in mind Canada, which is a visa-free country (up to 180 days) for Americans, has a very high cost of living, high taxes, and their economy isn’t exactly doing superbly right now. Even if they have so many parks and healthcare facilities to compensate for it, average salaries are around 30% lower than in the United States. Heck, they even currently have to grapple with a hockey goalie crisis. But they’re likely to bounce back from each one of these perils.
There are many pathways for Americans who want to relocate to Canada with a visa. You can use the Express Entry. But you can also rely on the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, or the Canadian Experience Class pathway, to mention a few options.
Still, the easiest way to move from the US to Canada is with a job that supports your relocation, or, in any case, with help from immigration experts who’ve walked that path with other expats.
The Netherlands 🇳🇱
The Netherlands is one of the best countries for Americans to move to. This is a sleeper pick, and you might be wondering how it even made the list. But the Dutch people, some of whom speak English so well you’ll think you’re in a whisky-loving British Isle instead of Rotterdam, have taken steps so that Americans can easily move there.
One such step is the DAFT or DAFM visa, from a deal first signed in 1956 (!). The Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, or DAFT, allows American entrepreneurs to move to the Netherlands.
Entrepreneurs of any scale can apply for this visa because the starting amount is just €4,500. They can be freelancers or big business owners who want to start a Dutch branch of their American business. There are no rules about what kind of business you have, who your customers are, or where they come from. The process to get the DAFT visa was upgraded in 2024 and now takes about a month and a half.
The Netherlands is a visa-free country for Americans and allows them to stay for 90 days. (Visa runs are straightforward considering the UK is so close at hand.) Average salaries are better than their European neighbors, and the cost of living in Amsterdam is more accommodating than in the crazy expensive New York City (formerly known as New Amsterdam).
Besides the DAFT, there are several kinds of longer-stay visas for the Netherlands. There are also quite reasonable paths to citizenship, although you’ll have to learn Dutch. Easily the best way to move to the Netherlands as an American, aside from the DAFT visa, is by landing a job over there. With that job, you can seriously aspire to having permanent residence and afterward Dutch citizenship. Just remember that, with Dutch citizenship, you can live almost anywhere in Europe.
If you plan to live in the Netherlands, we strongly recommend you learn Dutch. Even if they speak English very well. If you want to obtain citizenship, you’ll need to speak their language.
Ireland 🇮🇪
Ireland is an attractive entry point for Americans who want to relocate to Europe, or who just want out of the USA. This European nation has taken measures to live through a well-earned tech boom. Ireland recently registered historically high employment levels, out of which around 5% of employees were working in tech. And plenty of those tech workers now work for American companies, like Klaviyo, HubSpot, or Meta, which have important offices in Dublin. This has made it one of the best countries to move to from USA.
If you’ve watched flicks with Brendan Gleeson, such as The Guard (2011) or The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), you might think that you need to speak Gaelic to live in Ireland, but that’s not the case. You can live in Dublin—which hosts a rather stunning tech district—or Galway or anywhere in Ireland and speak English. 95% of the country recognizes it as their language. And salaries are even better than in the United Kingdom. Also, Ireland has a double taxation treaty with the United States, so if you’re freelancing and move to Ireland, you won’t need to contribute taxes in the two countries. In case you have a job, for detailed figures and to calculate your expected income after taxes, visit the Irish government website or use this tax calculator.
Americans of Irish descent can try to score a passport (citizenship). If your grandparents were born in Ireland, you have a good shot at it. But Americans who want to move to Ireland don’t need to become Irish before doing so. They can apply to the many visa pathways or look for a job that can sponsor their relocation.
Australia 🇦🇺
Australia is an excellent country for Americans who would like to relocate.
As a US citizen, you can live and work Down Under without first becoming a citizen of Australia. Permanent residents and certain visa holders, can live, work, and study with very minimal restrictions. But Australia is a popular place for expats, and immigration rules have become stricter over time. So, truth be told, it can be difficult to become a citizen or stay permanently in Australia. That’s why some Americans start with temporary visas like the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417). This visa is fairly easy to obtain and lets you live and work in Australia for some time.
Australia offers a high quality of life and stability, but it’s also a very expensive country. Median salaries (a better reference than the average) are not as competitive as in the United States. But it’s one of the few countries on this list that has beaches, ski resorts and big cities all in one (massive) place. That’s a plus that Americans and British citizens alike can enjoy. The best way to move to Australia, though, is by getting a job that helps with relocation.
The United Kingdom 🇬🇧
The United Kingdom is one of the easiest countries for Americans to move to. The best way is to find a job that allows you to move there.
The other pathways, such as getting permanent residence by living there, are indeed better to take part in with a job. In the meantime, Americans can stay in the UK for six months without a visa. And there are visas for entrepreneurs, skilled workers, and founders, and a well-documented process to earn the leave to remain. London is still a financial capital and there are plenty of jobs in finance, venture capital and even the law sector.
The United Kingdom doesn’t have the best weather out there. But in between the language, the generous non-visa stay, and the many visa pathways, it’s one of the best countries for Americans to move to.
A note about the ancestry visa for Americans
Many outlets go about saying that Americans can apply for an ancestry visa. They say that if you have a UK grandparent born in the UK or a British colony, you may apply for the ancestry visa. But the official sources clearly say this is only available for Commonwealth citizens. And the US is not part of the Commonwealth.
Talk to an immigration expert to relocate from the United States
These are some of the easiest countries to move to from the US. Other choices that didn’t make this list are also spectacular: Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Thailand or Costa Rica, to mention a few, all have great weather and more affordable prices than Ireland, for example. But this list is of countries that Americans who want to work overseas will have a better experience relocating to.
If you have a specific destination in mind, we'd recommend talking to an immigration expert or visa consultant. The right guidance can help you choose the best immigration route and avoid unnecessary stress or problems later. At Relocate.me, we have trusted partners who specialize in visa and relocation services, so we may be able to connect you with the ideal expert.
Meanwhile, consider subscribing to The Global Move, our newsletter with curated tech jobs and content for relocation seekers.
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