Jen Barnett and Brett Andrews, founders of the brand new company Expatsi, which teaches Americans learn how to … [+]
Are you wondering learn how to emigrate from the USA? You aren’t alone—According to a recent studyOne in three Americans would go away the USA if they might.
A brand new company called Foreign helps Americans move abroad and live their dream life. Expatsi was founded by Jen Barnett and Brett Andrews, who were frustrated in 2016 and were considering moving out of the US and living abroad.
“In 2016, we were interested in moving abroad, both because of the stressful political climate and the positive aspects,” Barnett told me in an interview. “We visited Vancouver, but it wasn’t a great fit, and we realized we needed to learn a lot more about immigration and put our dream on hold.”
According to Barnett, that stress got here back in 2020 – and the couple began seriously considering leaving the U.S. “At our annual retreat, we made lists of what was important to us in a new home: weather, culture, human rights and more,” she says. “Then we started researching all 194 countries to see who had what. The end result was a top 10 list of countries to consider, and we created a 10-year plan to visit them all.”
Mexico, Yucatan, Merida, Hacienda Yaxopoil
Two years ago, that 10-year plan was turned on its head when the couple first traveled to Mérida, a city on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. It was an aha moment after they realized that they had not only found a spot to maneuver to, but in addition had an important business idea. “We knew we had found the right place and didn’t want to wait another nine years to emigrate,” Barnett says. “We also knew we couldn’t be the only Americans going through this process, so we decided to turn all of our data and research into a test that could match people with countries that might meet their needs. We decided to quit our jobs, build our business and move to Mexico.”
Expatsi was born. The company’s mission is easy: to indicate Americans learn how to emigrate from the United States and where to go. The company has a web based Expatsi Test to assist you to find one of the best country on your needs. It also offers guided moving tours designed to offer prospective expats a more realistic picture of each day life abroad. The Barnetts just accomplished their first moving tour – a month-long trip with 30 fellow Americans to towns and villages in Portugal and Spain.
Unlike typical guided tours, Expatsi’s relocation trips mix tourist attractions with more mundane features of life, including grocery shopping, using public transportation, and more — in addition to seminars led by experts in financial planning, immigration, and real estate issues. They also connect travelers with locals who’re knowledgeable about every part from using the general public health system to choosing and enrolling children in local schools.
A gaggle of travelers on a recent expat relocation tour in Portugal.
Melissa Gomez went on Expatsi’s recent moving trip. “Jen and Brett from Expatsi were amazing tour guides who opened the doors to the life I dreamed of,” Gomez told me in an interview. “Knowing I was on an adventure with a group of like-minded people was priceless. I learned so much valuable information as we moved through Portugal, and being able to touch, smell, and feel what I dreamed of made my dreams a reality. I wouldn’t have done it any other way.”
One of Expatsi’s partners in Portugal is Jacqui Acevedo, an American expat who helps people make the transition there. “What inspired me from the first moment I met Expatsi was that they weren’t selling trips – they were building a community,” Acevedo told me in an interview. “Everyone who goes on these trips is at a crossroads, like I was when I moved to Lisbon. It’s magical to see people support each other and find their way.”
Barnett says demand for the corporate’s services has increased. “We knew there was a need for Expatsi after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade and our web traffic skyrocketed,” she says. “Since then, we’ve seen dramatic growth — now more than 75,000 people have taken the Expatsi test. Two-thirds of them say they’re looking for adventure and personal growth, while about 45% say they’re looking for other rights or freedoms. More than 40% say it’s because the U.S. is too divided or too conservative, or to save money.”
Here, I caught up with Barnett to learn more about expats and get some tips about moving out of the US and where to go if you should live abroad.
Jen Barnett and Brett Andrews of their recent home of Merida, Mexico.
Our background: “I’ve been in marketing and product development for over 30 years and have also founded several companies around local food. Brett was previously a software developer. We met late in life, but it was love at first sight,” says Barnett. “One of our favorite things to do is our annual retreat, where we rent a remote cabin with no internet access and plan the next year of our lives. That’s a big part of starting Expatsi.”
Living in Mexico: “We crossed the border two months ago and are living abroad for the first time. This first move is the hardest because we’re parting with stuff we’ve accumulated over a lifetime (including our home),” says Barnett. “After downsizing, we feel like we can move wherever we want and hope to try a few places.”
Expatsis moving tours: “About a year ago, we started broadcasting live on TikTok. We love TikTok because the community there is very encouraging, and we quickly started building a community and making friends. We created the Expatsi Fam group so people could chat and connect, and the ‘family’ wanted to travel as a group,” says Barnett. “We did a survey on travel destinations, and the most popular by far were Portugal and then Spain. So we decided to start there because those countries are so popular and expat-friendly, but soon we’ll be adding trips to the Yucatan Peninsula, France, and Italy.”
Exploring the world on an expat trip.
This is how the relocation tours work: “There are several elements that make the trips unique,” says Barnett. “We start in each country with a seminar with local experts like immigration lawyers, tax advisors and real estate experts who answer questions over food and drink. We choose cities and neighborhoods where expats like to live and hire local guides who offer lifestyle tours to show what it’s like to live there. Our rule is no churches, no museums, no attractions. Instead, we visit the market and the pharmacy. Our hop-on, hop-off approach allows people to customize the trip rather than feeling like we all have to hold hands and ride the bus together. We take public transportation and meet up for our tours. People book their own trips and Airbnbs, so we can accommodate different budgets. If solo travelers want to share rooms, we match them up. Outside of tours, we encourage real experiences, like pursuing your own hobbies, meeting other expats and cooking at home.”
Success stories: “With Expatsi being around two years old and most people taking about that long to move, we’re seeing more and more little birds leaving the nest,” says Barnett. “A young couple from Utah took advantage of a provision that allows Americans to stay in Albania for a year to prepare the process to enter the Netherlands. A large family from Maine is arriving in Germany this week and everyone has their own plans for school and work. A military veteran used her GI Bill to take Spanish lessons in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.”
What it is best to find out about moving abroad: “It takes grit,” says Barnett. “People think they can’t afford to move abroad, and while such a big life change doesn’t come for free, your persistence is more important than your bank account. You can use that persistence to find new ways to make money, but money won’t help you get through bureaucracy or culture shock. In the U.S., we’re used to solving most problems with money, but in many cultures, peace of mind is more important, and people don’t let themselves be rushed. If you have a low frustration tolerance, you should work on that before you go.”
The best places to live: “There are definitely easier countries to move to. A big advantage for us in Mexico was that we could drive, which meant we could take our four pets (including a pit bull mix), our car, and all our luggage without worrying about flight restrictions. It’s also easy to get residency, although income requirements skyrocket,” says Barnett. “Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Panama, Thailand, Cambodia, Costa Rica, and others offer affordable options for remote workers and retirees. If you want to spend your retirement in an English-speaking place, Belize and Ireland are great options. The Netherlands has the fantastic DAFT visa for self-employed people. You can stay in Georgia or Albania for a year. Of course, we recommend taking the Expatsi test to find the best countries for you.”
Tips before moving: “Take a scouting trip before making a big decision. If you can afford it, visit during the best and worst seasons,” says Barnett. “We imagine there are Six steps to moving abroad— ideation, exploration, planning, paperwork, logistics, and settling in — but that doesn’t suggest you do all of them so as and even once. Let or not it’s a process. You’ll wish you had done this years ago, but be glad you are doing it today.”
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