I have just updated the data counts based on a review of over 400 media stories on the topic of “I moved abroad”. I will be updated the Part 1, 2, 3 and 4 series, in the right most column – soon.
Here is the updated analysis.
Who Gets to Move Abroad?
About 64% of all of these stories of “I moved abroad” involve persons who obtained their residency or citizenship marriage, prior dual citizenship or a “right of descent” ancestry privilege.
- About 40% of the subjects of these stories obtained their residency visa or citizenship via marriage,
- About 16% had prior dual citizenship,
- About 8% had a “right of descent” ancestry privilege
In the case of “Marriage”, in almost all stories, the subject is an attractive, well educated, young American woman, typically working as a content creator, who married a foreigner. In the marriage category, about 38 percentile points are female and 2 percentile points are men.
For most people, moving abroad requires an “immigration privilege”, such as the above. If you are outside those categories, moving abroad is far more difficult and may be impossible.
To Move Abroad
Here’s what the data says:
- Be young
- Be female
- Be attractive
- Earn a degree in English literature, creative writing, or journalism at an elite university
- Do a study abroad
- Become a freelance travel writer
- Come from a wealthy family so you can attend an elite university, do a study abroad and pursue a career that is known for poor pay
- Marry a foreigner
- Already have dual citizenship or a right of descent ancestry. This requires being born into the right family.
- Beyond that is the work option – typically have a degree in an “in demand” field, which is typically health care or engineering – and obtain a sponsored employment visa
Who Writes “I Moved Abroad” Stories
- 80% of “I moved abroad” stories are to Europe, but only 20% of Americans abroad live there The bias towards Europe is due to most stories are written by young freelance American writers with European ancestry, often recent.
- Why Europe Dominates “I Moved Abroad” Stories – explains the Eurocentric perspective and details about who writes these stories
The main types of visas used
Left Y Axis is percent. 40% of the subjects had a marriage visa, about 16% prior dual citizenship and 8% with a right of descent ancestry privilege. That is 64% of the story subjects. For “normal” people, your choices are a work visa (about 14%) or an education visa (study abroad), about 5%.
Thus, if you want to move abroad – marry a foreigner or be an existing dual citizen or be born into the right family!
Data Table (January 2026)
| Marriage | 40.34% | |||
| Dual citizen | 15.65% | |||
| Work | 14.43% | |||
| Unknown | 8.80% | |||
| Ancestry | 7.58% | |||
| None/Tourist | 6.85% | |||
| Other/Education | 5.38% | |||
| Investment | 0.98% |
How Did They Get a Residency Visa?
Many, if not most of the pop media stories about moving abroad leave out details of how the subject of the story obtained a residency visa. The majority of stories involve someone who had an immigration privilege.
Researching those who appear in the stories, here’s what typically happens.
- Many married a foreigner, and through marriage, were able to obtain residency or citizenship
- Many had prior dual citizenship due to where they were born or because their parents were citizens of another country
- Many had a right of descent via ancestry or other immigration privilege. Basically, they have an ancestor from a country that provides immigration privileges to offspring.
- Some do not have residency visas and commute to and from the U.S. – they have not really moved abroad.
- Some moved abroad via a work visa, and then end up with marriage and permanent residency afterward.
Most of those who moved abroad permanently had an immigration privilege that you likely do not have: They had prior dual citizenship, or a right of descent privilege, or they married someone. Unless you fall into those 3 categories, most of you will not be able to move abroad.