24 | OCTOBER 12 • 2023 J
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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.

