I want to leave the country

what about this?!
you can volunteer and teach english for a few months.

Adventure holidays, family holidays, ecotourism, responsible travel & responsible tourism. Travel like a local in 2013 and 2014

 

You live at least 2000 miles from your ex - that's not enough?

It's not easy to move from the US to another country. To put it simply, they don't want us, either. Canada is the easiest country to expat to, but even there, you can expect a fair amount of anti-American bias (to wit, they won't think much of you).

Lex

 

As a US citizen you're going to find it pretty tough with the economy as it is, almost impossible really, to get residence in most other countries unless you have a skill that is in high demand or marry someone from another country. We're a little luckier here in Europe in that we can travel, work, and live freely between all of the different member states without having to worry about visas or anything like that, I was able to move from Ireland to Spain without having to get any special permission or fill out any paperwork, etc.
The best you could realistically hope for is a short-term working holiday visa.
I honestly think your best option, if you're so intent on moving, would be to find a different part of the U.S. that you love and maybe spend some time there.

 

If you want serious advice on how to leave the country, we need more information since the applications vary by country. Which country are you trying to go to? Do you know any other languages or are you solely interested in countries that speak English too?

If you have any serious health conditions or develop a serious health condition before you get citizenship in your new country, chances are very few countries, if any, will take you. The same goes for a criminal record.

Also, I hope you know that no matter where you go, even if you give up US citizenship, you will always be associated with America in other people's minds. When the USA does something that you're new home doesn't like, chances are you'll have to deal with quite a bit of discrimination. The USA isn't exactly loved all over the world. I'm not trying to discourage you. I just want to make sure you know some of the issues that you'll have to deal with.

I think your best bet to move to another country would be applying under the special skills application most countries have. I can't go into specifics on the special skills since it varies by country. Regardless of where you go or how you apply, this will be a long expensive several year process. You may want to consider involving a lawyer

 

Yeah, as far as I know it isn't too difficult for americans to get into the UK. Come live here. We almost have gay marriage.

 

I hate 'Merica too. And it's government and politics are pretty bad too..
Bleh.

 

One of the very few reasons I like living here. ^.^

 

You're still 17 though. Two years ago I was ready to live anywhere but here. Now I know I'll have to move abroad at some point in the future but it will be expensive. Think about it, different countries, different customs. In my opinion, teaching English in Portugal, Spain, etc. would be your best option, or at least the easiest. Also, the US is huge! Isn't there any cities you'd like to live in?

Still, you might be homesick. I was, even though I was only living 200km away and I loved the place. Maybe it's just me but I know wherever I'll live, nothing will replace this county I grew up in. The hills, the trees, the buildings... It's a bit of a love-hate relationship. I love the place but hate the political&economic situation.

Here's my situation, it might be helpful, or not.
Realistically, for me anyway, moving to the UK or Ireland would be very expensive. I'd have to work for years to have enough money to last there for a few months, well, maybe not but I'd definitely need to save lots of money as a back up.
And even before I could start seriously considering it, I'll have to get a degree or some qualification to be able to make it in any country, including my own. Even then, the political situation could get a lot worse until then, public relations could change, the value of our currency could get worse, etc.
But I have to think about this now because if the far right party gets elected next year, I am leaving the country with all I have (which is not much)...

As my grandmother's told me: "You'll always be a foreigner wherever you go."
And the grass is not always greener as they say. Every country has its own problems and living there wouldn't be any easier (except perhaps if you're a millionaire).

 

How likely is is that you will ever meet .. So why this urge to leave the country? Sounds a bit extreme?

 

Generally, to get into any country these days, you need a pretty tight plan. Including, but not limited to:
- Where will you be living? Do you have any local relatives or friends or any link to the country?
- What kind of work will you be doing? And with the current economy, there's little room for "I'll see when I get there". Ideally you'd already have job offers and employers ready to vouch for you.
- They'll want to know whether you have the records to back up you're not trying to escape legal problems, or that you are trying to migrate just to take advantage of their social security.
- Are you fleeing some kind of persecution?

They definitely won't take an "Oh, I'm fed up with my own country". Essentially, you almost need to have your life set up over there before they'll consider you as a permanent resident.
So, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the above is probably out of reach for most 17-year-olds. I'd very much like to reside in the US for a couple of years at least, and even at age 29, with a job and a secure financial situation, it's still a challenging undertaking.

Alternatively, if you want to get away from the US, you could try and see if you could study abroad. Many schools and universities have exchange programs that would allow you to pursue a year or more in another country. It's a lot easier than migrating, you have support from the home front, it allows you to see what living in another country is like, and you might make some useful international contacts out of it!

 

Then becoming an expat probably isn't the best idea. At least not at first. I'm thinking a temporary work visa might be a better option to start out with. This will give you a chance to try out living in the new country first, and seeing how you like it. (Yes, it'll be wonderful because it won't be America, but there are still other things that can wear on you.) I don't know if it will be easier to switch o permanent once you've been there temporarily - I'm assuming it can only help your cause.

Lex

 

I think that it would be a really good idea for you to make a list of why you hate the US. It was multiple posts in before you even said anything about the government...and even at that, I don't know why you hate it. Is it truly the people? Is it your family? Is it something else?

We may have it bad here, but other places have it bad, too. For example, I LOVE France. I've been there on a school trip and I just thought it was the coolest place. Also, I thought it was immune from anything bad - HA. I was way wrong. It's a normal place where shit can happen. I thought, specifically, it was such an open country...it still is, but I guess the bad guys decided to come out of the closet (haha) and protest marriage equality. It made me think that as much as I love France, why not keep it as a great vacation destination?

I'd suggest some type of extended study/work visa. You're 17, so are you going to college? If so, maybe you could eventually do a study abroad session - most schools offer it. That way, you could actually go to school and live in a place that interests you.

 

I don't know anything about working holiday visas to the U.K., but I noticed that you mentioned Ireland as well in an earlier post as a possibility. U.S. citizens are able to get a working holiday visa for up to 12 months in Ireland. It is pretty much only available people who are currently in college or are recent graduates (As far as I can know, to get a working holiday visa in pretty much any country you have to prove that you either have, or are in the process of attaining, a college degree) Here's the link: Department of Foreign Affairs - US Work and Travel
I should warn you though that it will be extremely difficult to find any part-time employment in Ireland at the moment because of the economy, the same could be said for Britain. If I were you, I would spend time looking into Australia as an option. It's where the vast majority of Europeans go on working holiday visas because it is much easier to find work there.
Do you speak any languages other than English? If so, some countries in mainland Europe may also be an option.

 

There are plenty of things like that in America...

Regardless, I'm not going to try to convince you to stay here just for the sake of staying here. Personally, I don't think this is really about the American "government" or "military". Truthfully, if that is the center of your discomfort then you might be in for a big disappointment because, despite popular belief, the rest of the world really isn't that different.( This coming from someone who has actually been and lived in different continents in the past.)

I'm definitely not trying to judge you, but this mindset is seen in someone who isn't happy with there life and those around them at the moment. If you are going through a rough patch in your life, then I can understand wanting to run off and escape the world you know; however, if you actually want things to improve you are going to have to find closure and understanding of the conditions and relationships that have effected your life. Learn from them. Growth from them. Be strong enough to face your ex or any other past fling.

There are obviously people who honestly want to live in another country or environment, but if you are going expecting to fix your life; you are bound for serious disappointment.