{"text":[[{"start":7.89,"text":"When Donald Trump’s administration began cutting back government departments, Sam Facas concluded that his career prospects had diminished."}],[{"start":17.48,"text":"Despite expertise in US policy and years of Washington experience, the 33-year-old, who worked as an analyst in government accountability, decided it was time to look overseas. He moved to London in July and landed a job in tech the following month."}],[{"start":38.06,"text":"“I knew that even though I loved my job and I loved the path I was on, it would be smart for me to look for other opportunities,” says the Berkeley graduate. “I had not lost my job yet [but] I needed to look elsewhere if I wanted to have control over my own life.”"}],[{"start":57.94,"text":"Nearly a year after Trump’s return to the White House, more American workers are considering a career outside their home country to escape what some see as an increasingly toxic political landscape. Relocation companies and immigration lawyers have reported a surge in enquiries, particularly in anglophone countries, such as the UK and Canada, and in western Europe. And these enquires are increasingly leading to action: US applications for British citizenship climbed to 2,194 in the second quarter of 2025, a 50 per cent rise on the previous year and the highest level since records began, according to data from the Home Office. Applications for Irish passports hit a ten-year high of 4,327 in February."}],[{"start":117.58,"text":"“I’ve been in business for 12 years and never before have I seen such interest in relocating,” says Marco Permunian, founder of advisory firm Italian Citizenship Assistance. Marina Henestrosa, owner of Spanish assistance company, Bureaucracy.es, says business “exploded” after last year’s US election."}],[{"start":142.71,"text":"The numbers leaving represent a small proportion of working age Americans — and, for many, the difficulties of relocation and the reality of a potential career and salary hit outweigh the opportunities. But experts say the figures likely reflect an outsize loss of highly-skilled workers. “What you’re seeing is instead of people on the fringes leaving, more successful people are leaving now,” says Jen Barnett, co-founder of US emigration advisers Expatsi."}],[{"start":173.59,"text":"Risk analyst Vanessa has years of experience in US financial compliance but has recently spent many of her evenings researching how to leave. “I love the work I do and I’m very proud of the career that I’ve built . . . but the actions of the current administration are very upsetting and frightening,” says the 39-year-old from San Francisco, who asked to be identified by her first name because she is job hunting. Vanessa is particularly concerned by the Trump administration’s policy of mass deportations, as well as its decision to deploy the US National Guard in cities such as Los Angeles and Washington."}],[{"start":217.74,"text":"“I don’t want to sound too hyperbolic but when countries are in this position, it’s hard to know when it’s happening — when you may need to leave.”"}],[{"start":226.88,"text":"Barnett says several of her clients are contemplating a move because they have lost federal jobs. Toronto-based immigration lawyer Evan Green also notes an uptick in enquiries from LGBT families. Bill Mulholland, founder of consultancy ARC Relocation, says many clients express a desire to escape a “crazy” political climate."}],[{"start":253.47,"text":"Other would-be expats say the economic uncertainty caused by Trump’s tariff rollout has made them seek stability to build their businesses abroad."}],[{"start":264,"text":"Eileen Isola, a consultant, writer and pilot, is finalising an application for an entrepreneur visa in France, where she hopes to grow her coaching and advisory business. “I have always relished diving in and being immersed in other places [and] the outcome of the election last year sealed the deal,” she says."}],[{"start":287.69,"text":"While she knows “no place is perfect,” Isola hopes her new home will be “more in alignment” with her values. She believes her work should transfer smoothly to Europe because her coaching focuses on skills “universal to people, organisations, and businesses everywhere”; she settled on France in part due to a tax treaty that protects American expats from double taxation."}],[{"start":315.93,"text":"Facas, too, feels himself fortunate. “I’m at a midpoint where this was a good opportunity: I’m not fresh out of college but I’m not super established,” he says. He last visited the UK on a school trip in 2008 but chose it because he was eligible for a High Potential Individual visa scheme, which allows graduates from top global universities to work in Britain for two years without employer sponsorship."}],[{"start":347.02,"text":"Still, the realities of international career opportunities can be disappointing — not least when it comes to salary. Average annual wages in the US were around $83,000 last year, according to the OECD, compared with $61,000 in France. The disparity can be even greater in fields like technology and major hubs such as San Francisco and New York."}],[{"start":374.87,"text":"Mismatched financial expectations can put a damper on some clients’ ambitions, cautions Barnett: “They’re shocked every time: they can’t believe how much lower the salaries are.”"}],[{"start":388.3,"text":"For that reason, Permunian says, most of his American clients are looking to continue US-based jobs remotely from Europe, rather than applying for new roles. Yet this can throw up challenges around tax and time zones. Recruiting firm Robert Half found just 12 per cent of US job postings could be fully remote in the second quarter of this year; an even smaller proportion allowed global working."}],[{"start":416.28000000000003,"text":"Working full-time out of the office could harm career progression but it is a sacrifice many clients are willing to make, says Henestrosa. “Usually they are highly qualified, they already have a job and they just want to move, no matter what.”"}],[{"start":432.37,"text":"For Rebecca, a Latina “born-and-raised Texan”, the main barrier to moving abroad is career progression. Norway, her husband’s home country, would be an obvious choice but she believes she would be unable to pursue her specialism, in ultrasound, in the country’s health system. For her husband the issue boils down to finances: “Unless I become a CEO, I’m not going to make the salary I’m making here.”"}],[{"start":461.71,"text":"That leaves the pair with a different uncertainty, particularly around Trump’s immigration policies. “I have many friends and family that aren’t legal and I see how it affects them,” Rebecca says. “I want to stay here and fight that but I also wonder: Who’s to say they won’t come after me?”"}],[{"start":481.51,"text":"Green, the lawyer, says initial enquiries still often fail to lead to moves as prospective emigrants grapple with potential consequences. But that calculus could shift."}],[{"start":495.3,"text":"“Since January, we have been feeling a lot more unsafe,” says Omar, who is from Tunisia but holds a green card and has lived in the US since 2018. “We’ve been hearing all these stories about immigrants like myself, whose legal status is being taken away and are being put in a horrible position.”"}],[{"start":519.28,"text":"The 27-year-old, who asked to use a pseudonym because he is afraid of being targeted by the administration, is applying for visa sponsorship through his wife, a Canadian citizen. The couple, who are expecting their first child, live in the Bay Area of San Francisco but hope to relocate to Vancouver before the end of 2025. "}],[{"start":542.61,"text":"Career concerns initially made Omar reluctant. He works as a car dealership manager and the equivalent jobs he is applying for in Vancouver suggest he is unlikely to match his US salary. But he has decided any sacrifice is worthwhile. “There are positives and negatives to everything,” he says. “I’m willing to take a pay cut to feel safer.”"}],[{"start":569.25,"text":"After nights of research, meanwhile, Vanessa remains unsure if she is ready for a “complete career pivot” — but she does feel reassured that a working life outside the US is possible."}],[{"start":584.04,"text":"“I’m not sure I’ll do it — it’s extremely impractical and I don’t think we’re at the point where it’s necessary yet,” she says. “But it was really psychologically helpful for me to see that I have some options.”"}],[{"start":605.0199999999999,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftmailbox.cn/album/a_1758156555_5012.mp3"}