Let’s be honest. No one knows how this election is going to go, but if you’re tired of feeling exhausted and angry and confused, taking a little distance and time is a tried and tested remedy for everything from heartbreak to political burnout. Also, feeling in control can make all the difference, so, without further ado, here are 10 ways to leave the United States next year.
1. Apply for TAPIF in France and French departments
According to the Teaching Assistant Program in France website: “The Teaching Assistant Program in France offers you the opportunity to work in France for 7 [sic] months, teaching English to French students of all ages. Each year, over 1,500 American citizens and permanent residents teach in public schools across all regions of metropolitan France and in the overseas departments of France such as French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion.
The American cohort is part of the larger Assistants de langue en France program, which recruits 4,500 young educators from 60 countries to teach 15 languages annually in France. The Assistants de langue en France program is managed by France Éducation international.” (Bolds and paragraph breaks mine.)
Language assistants also enjoy access to a massive network of fellow program alums and special scholarship opportunities at American graduate programs (many of which are quite prestigious) and employment opportunities in France.
Deadline to apply: January 15th, but don’t delay! The application requires a personal essay as well as outside recommendations.
2. Au pair
Au pairs tend to be between the ages of 18-25 and live with a foreign family in their home (or in a small flat right nearby) to act as an older sibling and babysitter/English helper for the children.
The family provides housing, meals, a small stipend, and often pays for language classes, making this an attractive option for many reasons:
- built-in assistance for people who don’t have much experience living in a new country
- the opportunity to live a notoriously expensive cities or countries such as London, the Nordic countries, Switzerland, Tokyo, and Singapore
- the opportunity to live in countries that are notoriously difficult to get a long stay visa for, such as China
- the opportunity to travel for free – if you accompany children on their holiday breaks, your fare is booked by the family
- The opportunity to learn a new or brush up on a second language such as Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese
Deadline to apply: No deadline, but families begin looking for new au pairs for the upcoming school year in May/June, so checking out sites like Great Au Pair (where I found the French family I au paired for) and joining Facebook Groups like Au Pairs in Paris is a good way to start feeling things out. Also, there is often turnover around the holiday season, so if you’re lucky/determined to sort out your visa, you could find a nice family to begin au pairing for early in the new year.
3. JET Program USA
The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program says on their website: “Founded in 1987, JET has sent more than 70,000 participants from around the globe (including more than 35,800 Americans) to work in schools, boards of education, and government offices throughout Japan.
What makes JET unique is that it is the only teaching exchange program managed by the government of Japan. With more than 55 countries around the world currently participating in JET, this program offers a unique cultural exchange opportunity to meet people from all around the world, living and working in Japan.
Before departing for Japan and upon return, there are a number of JET alumni organizations that host social, volunteer and professional development activities to help individuals through the transition process. Becoming a JET puts you in an elite network of incredible individuals. Join us for the adventure of a lifetime!” (Bolds and paragraph breaks mine.)
Deadline to apply: November 20th, 2020. Don’t delay, the application requires a statement of purpose, college transcripts, and letters of recommendation.
4. Volunteer or intern with HOOP Peru
Helping Overcome Obstacles Peru is based out of Arequipa, Peru. I found this hardy little nonprofit during my sophomore year of college and never let it go, determining to go there after graduation and volunteer as an English teacher. (‘Twas the best decision of my life, but that’s a story for another time.)
HOOP Peru works in the tiny pueblo of Flora Tristan, providing English classes and extracurricular activities to children, as well as ESL courses for the mothers and a range of workshops in social and professional areas such as psychology and micro entrepreneurship.
HOOP offers incredible opportunities for professional growth through their internship opportunities as well.
Deadline: None, but the minimum commitment for teachers is two months and six for interns.
**Note** Peru is not currently accessible in-person due to Covid-19 restrictions, however, if you want to follow HOOP’s Instagram and consider making a one-time or recurring donation, you just might find yourself in the White City one day.
5. Working Holiday in New Zealand
Jacinda Ardern did not come to play when it came to battling Covid-19 and was just reelected as Prime Minister in a landslide victory. If you’re craving stability and functioning democracy with a dash of one of the most beautiful places in the world, a working holiday visa in the country of the Long White Cloud just might be the ticket.
Available for Americans between the age of 18 and 30, according to the government website: “This visa helps young people from the United States of America (USA) come to New Zealand. You can apply for this visa if you’re a citizen of the USA and you have at least NZ $4,200 to live on during your stay. While you’re here, you can study and work while you enjoy your holiday.”
6. Enroll in school
In the US, we’re fed a pretty steady diet of “we’re the best,” but the rest of the world has some pretty incredible educational institutions, too. Whether you’re interested in engineering (the most popular major for international students in Germany), International Relations or Journalism at Sciences Po in Paris, earning your MBA in Madrid, or you’re 18 and you don’t know what you want to be, no matter. Getting out of the US and experiencing life and an international student cohort you never would have otherwise met will be life changing in ways no one can predict, and that’s the beauty of it.
7. Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX)
These are two big hypotheticals at the moment, but if I ever have children and live in the US, I’m high-key nudging them to apply to this program. Designed as a cultural and educational partnership between Germany and United States, each exchange is for one year and there are options for high schoolers, vocational school graduates, and current college students/recent graduates.
For high schoolers (ages 15-18): “Participants in the CBYX high school program attend a German high school and live with a host family for their year. The Department of State partners with five organizations for the recruitment of U.S. citizens and placement of German participants in host families in the USA. Those organizations are AFS-USA, ASSE, CIEE, and Youth for Understanding.”
For vocational graduates (ages 18-19): Participants in the CBYX vocational program, who are recent graduates of vocational training programs, live with host families in Germany, study for a semester in vocational institutions, and undertake semester-long vocational training internships in a variety of fields. The Department of State partners with Nacel Open Door on the recruitment of U.S. citizens for the vocational component of CBYX.”
For young professionals (ages 18-24): “Participants in the CBYX young professionals program spend two months undergoing German language training, four months attending school, and five months getting practical work experience. The Department of State partners with Cultural Vistas on the recruitment of U.S. citizens and the placement of German participants for the young professional component of CBYX.”
Deadline: Applications are currently paused because of the virus, but this is definitely one to bookmark for later. https://exchanges.state.gov/us/program/congress-bundestag-youth-exchange
8. Study abroad
Less than 20% of American college students study abroad, which sort of clarifies why those of who do can’t ever seem to stop talking about it.
But on a serious note, studying abroad is one of the easiest and safest ways to experience the world outside of the United States. For many people, it will be their first time, and study abroad organizations are very aware of this, going out of their way to provide guidance and support through each stage of study abroad.
Americans fall far short of international travel experiences in comparison with their similarly-aged European peers, and it shows in our lack of knowledge regarding both our own and the world’s history and geography
For many, studying abroad provides a first glimpse into a world, system, and culture outside of what’s familiar. It also provides challenges to what we are raised to believe is normal, right, or fair. These are important challenges to face in early adulthood because if beliefs and convictions are never challenged, we will never learn how to properly defend what we believe, or even interrogate why we hold the beliefs that we do. Whether it’s for one semester or an entire year, everyone should make an effort to study abroad.
Deadline: Visit your university’s study abroad website or portal, or make an appointment with the Office of Study Abroad to discuss the best options for you and your major.
One final thought: I knew a lot of people who didn’t study abroad because their program was too intense to “take a semester off” or they didn’t want to graduate late. Treading carefully here because I had many friends who made this decision, I would still say to go. In the grand scheme of things, four months of your life is easily made up in your early 20s, and graduating late isn’t actually a big deal if you made time for an experience that was important to you.
9. Teach English in Spain
Similar to the French English Teaching Assistant Program, the Program for North American Language and Culture Assistants in Spain (Auxiliares de conversación extranjeros en España) offers native English speakers a long-stay residency visa and healthcare in exchange for a set number of hours of paid teaching in a Spanish public school.
Deadline: The applications for the 2020/2021 cycle have already closed, but there’s always next year! Also, this website might be useful to bookmark.
10. Apply for a digital nomad visa and move to Estonia
If you’re the dramatic one in your friend group, this is probably the move for you. Or maybe you’re the quiet one no one would ever expect to pick up and move to a place like Estonia. (Fortunately, traveler is a broad term that fits many different personalities!)
Anyway. First things first. Where tf is Estonia?
Have I ever been? No. Do I want to go? Absolutely. Why? Why not?! Little countries like Estonia are like flies on the wall of history – full of secrets and unique stories that many other countries have either forgotten or want to forget.
The digital nomad visa is a new creative rollout by this small Baltic country looking to attract permanent residents
Launched in August, 2020, the idea is that fully remote workers with the income stability and a sense of adventure will be tempted to make the leap. The Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) is a more specialized visa that follows closely on the heels of the E-residency Visa that Estonia released in 2016, which effectively let non-Europeans claim residency and therefore tax status in Europe. The threshold of income to prove may be a bit steep for young or beginning freelancers, but for stable freelancers or international remote workers, Estonia holds a lot of promise.
Deadline: Applications are currently open. You can find more information here.
