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s the American political and cul-
tural landscape becomes more
polarized, and income inequality
widens, a growing number of Americans are
contemplating relocation abroad although a
smaller fraction follows through on this idea.
According to Gallup International, 16% of
Americans expressed a desire to permanent-
ly move to another country during the Biden
administration, an increase from 10% in the
Obama era. The Association of American
Residents Overseas estimates that approxi-
mately 8.7 million Americans reside abroad,
with distributions as follows: 40% in the
Americas, 26% in Europe, and 14% in East
Asia and the Pacific.
I am one such individual. By the age of 36,
I had already spent 17 years living outside of
the United States. For the past three years,
Canada has been my home — not just my
third immigration destination but also where
I intend to secure my fourth citizenship. I
was drawn to Canada for several reasons: the
strong social safety net and social cohesion,
reduced income inequality, and a higher
level of safety compared to my experiences
in the U.S. and South Africa. Moreover, the
culture war feels less intense here, which
offers a more peaceful day-to-day existence.
HEADING NORTH
Interestingly, Gallup found that Canada
stands as the preferred relocation destination
for one in four Americans. This preference
contrasts sharply with U.S. immigration pol-
icy, which predominantly focuses on family
reunification; Canada tends to prioritize
economic factors more. Initiated in 1967
and now known as Express Entry, Canada’s
points-based immigration system facilitates
the acquisition of permanent residency even
without prior Canadian visits or job offers.
This system favors individuals in their 20s
or early 30s — granting no points to those
aged 47 and above — with a strong com-
mand of English and French, higher edu-
cational qualifications and in-demand pro-
fessional skills. Every two weeks, an Express
Entry draw occurs, sometimes highlighting
particular occupation groups or emphasizing
French language proficiency, enabling indi-
viduals who meet or surpass the designated
minimum score to apply for permanent
residency.
Despite the U.S. passport being ranked
the seventh strongest in the world accord-
ing to the 2023 Henley Passport Index, it
does not grant Americans the privilege to
move abroad freely. Daniel Mandelbaum, a
Toronto-based Canadian immigration attor-
ney, divides prospective economic immi-
grants into two groups: “fortunate” individu-
als and “economically enabled risk-takers.
”
According to Mandelbaum, “fortunate”
refers to those who, by circumstance, meet
the criteria of an immigration program. He
further explains that individuals with con-
siderable savings and a willingness to take
risks might “take a significant risk to move
to Canada as a temporary resident, spend-
ing substantially to facilitate permanent
immigration through routes like education
or business investments.
” He notes that the
complexity of Canada’s immigration system
can catch clients off guard, including the
unexpected language assessment require-
ments.
THE UNITED KINGDOM
Newton, Massachusetts, native Matthew
Feczko, 36, works as a product manager
in tech and currently lives in London, UK.
“Growing up Orthodox, the prevalent expec-
tation was that you’
d naturally progress from
childhood to adulthood, then marry and
have children,
” he said. Like many young
Bostonians, he had initially envisioned mov-
ing to New York City.
In 2014, an opportunity arose through
Feczko’s employer to relocate to the UK.
However, the immigration process proved to
be anything but straightforward.
“The experience became stressful when
Microsoft shut down the London office I
was working at, prompting me to find a new
job and secure sponsorship,
” he recalls.
Looking back, Feczko regards the experi-
ence as manageable, but acknowledges the
challenges he faced at the time due to a lack
of necessary information. The immigration
office became a frequent call in his bid to
understand the process better.
“I landed a new job, but that company
eventually folded, necessitating another
search for a sponsor, which happened a total
of three times,
” he says.
Following these sponsorships, Matthew
applied for Indefinite Leave to Remain, a sta-
tus granting him permanent residency, and
British citizenship a year later.
According to research by the OECD,
Americans work 1, 811 hours per year, near-
ly seven weeks more than Brits, three weeks
more than Canadians and two and a half
weeks longer than Australians.
“There’s a heightened appreciation for
the separation of work and personal life in
OUR COMMUNITY
continued on page 26
Some Americans consider making a move
to a new country.
DAN BROTMAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Moving On Out
Matt Feczko, founder
of Lunges in Leggings,
an LGBTQIA+ fitness
community in London.