OK, the title is complete hyperbole but I seem to recall a fresh influx of threads, mainly from people based in the US, about moving to CH over the last few days.

So, what gives?

Is Christmas a time traditionally reserved for pondering moving to a country that you have never visited? What is the attraction to CH amongst our cousins from the dominions?

Or am I just imagining things and is this a normal level of activity for EF?

Noticed that too...

Did a couple searches and read some old posts from the last few years, apparently whenever a statistic or so-called "Quality of Life" list is published with Zürich, Basel or Geneva listed near the top... then the whole world thinks Switzerland is the place to be. Look back and you will find people from many nations wanting to find a job here or asking what it takes... dime a dozen.

Americans live in their own world in the sense that they can pickup and move (within the states of course) without a single consideration for permits, culture (well, ok ) or finances. So, apparently some think they can pack their luggage, hop on the next plane to Zürich and say, "Well, I am here. What now?"

Maybe as well, this is the holidays and people have more time off than usual. Thus surfing around and possibly not happy with their current situation, looking for a way to make a new start... Which is understandable.
JC

Plus the looming fiscal cliff, if the various parts of the US goverment can't get their act together and come up with a long term viable solution to the multi trillion dollar debt the US has. If they fall over it means higher taxes and likely even less jobs than they have now and the knockon effect of the rest of the world is anybody's guess. They only have until the end of tomorrow to agree a deal. No wonder Switzerland looks good. Though whether it will fare any better than anyone else if the US does plunge over the cliff is debateable.

Good point.

Sad but true.
JC

Both times when in post WW-II USA a popular president had his second term (Ike & Bill Clinton) a war time followed. So that this aspect may have some result, possibly more than some rather abstract and doubtful "studies" of some university-chaps

I think the word "popular" slipped in there somehow But that is OT and extensively covered in another thread anyway.

Would it be something if one of us published an article claiming some remote corner of the US at the top of a "Perfect Living Conditions" list. Maybe that will take some of the weight off Switzerland for a while

JC

But why Switzerland? Maybe it is simply a fair representation on average of all the americans looking for somewhere else to live and the equivalent forums around Europe will have quite a few of their own enquiries, but is there something in particular that means they choose CH?

because you're allowed to own assault rifles here?

My theory is the wannabe newcomers are rich and wish to escape Obama's new taxation regime, and are looking to come here and keep some more of their wealth.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20861809

If they gave it all away they could live happily in the US, just as Bill Gates does.

.

I'm ready to give the US a push over that cliff.
Wake up world, think local not global.

Theres no world solution until we have a world religion that not based on some dude with a book claiming to be the son or indeed the voice of some god who is better than yours.

My buddies in the US regular ask about moving here because it's NOT in Europe.
They see Switzerland as an Island in the middle of a european disaster situation,that continues to survive at the same standard.
Interestingly they all take a step back when you tell them about national service here.

We have it so good here your all right, but it didn't happen overnight, I can imagine we all have struggle tales to tell.

I also know some Irish guys who moved here and found they could claim social help, one took about 13k while he was here .. left and came back 2 years later and is now doing the same.. that kind of sponger no one needs.
In this case the swiss are an easy touch, they like to extend a helping hand don't take the piss.

So come on over USA, bring your money & your family no problem but be prepared to "Mach Mit"
Please
Simon

I don't think there's a statistically significant increase in the number of posts from would-be American migrants. Maybe one or two more than normal, but hardly enough to correlate with a national US mood swing! It could be as simple as new mods having a different policy towards combining threads, making it seem as if there are more.

There are at least 3 surveys a year that get into the news that have Swiss cities at or near the top, but this has been going on for years.

And those that have been posting this week are pretty enthusiastic so may seem like more than there actually are

There are lots of people in the States who haven't been happy with the situation for years now, at least since W. Bush took office. I think people are anxious and feel less secure about their futures and the state of affairs in the country (e.g., the US becoming more like a police state) and the economy. Some are tired of being bombarded by what they deem a culture of consumerism. Add to all that the political gridlock in Washington, which has been a hindrance to the country's economic recovery, the regressive political posturing and hateful demagoguery by some of our politicians, it's not surprising that some may look beyond their own horizons for a place where they can, perhaps, make a fresh start and have a different kind of life.

There is even a website called Escape from America that features experiences of expats and advice on how to "make the move" abroad: http://www.escapefromamerica.com/

Some Americans are starting to realize that there's a whole other world out there, and that America is not "the best place in the world" to live. Even though no country can "absolutely" make that claim, Switzerland is the "Hope Diamond" compared to the quality of living in the US at the moment. In the US you can have a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood but around the corner is a ghetto, crime, and the like. In order to feel you have a particular quality of life you have to stay within your "zone." There is no "freedom" per say in the real sense of the word.

The political powers that be don't know what to do, the country is in debt which they may never pay off, the society is at war with one another; hence the jump in mass killings, educational standards are down...the list goes on.

Some Americans might be able to escape but the majority will not, and those that cannot are becoming more agitated day by day. There was a time when no American citizen wanted to leave America never mind denouncing their citizenship. It has all changed now...will it get better? Who knows.

Let's make Tyler Texas the best town on earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Rose_Festival




or Charleston / SC
http://www.magnoliaplantation.com/
with its Magnolia Plantation Garden

Well, I'm from the U.S. and don't know any Americans who want to live here.

This thread is starting to get a bit SVP-ish.

Most USers that want out don't really care where... just away. Personally I know of a few. The other proof is the inquiries here and on other sites.

SVP? Please don't ever insult me like that again
JC

When I go back to the US and interact with different people (e.g., relatives' neighbors, friends, salespeople, et al.), when they find out I live in Switzerland, they're mostly fascinated and curious, and ask a lot of questions, usually starting with "How did you get to move there" and ending with "I'd love the chance to do something like that."

Of course, some people mix it up with Sweden and others think I actually live in the alps and that we have snow all year round . But I always tell them there are positives and negatives to living here, like anywhere else. Believe it or not, a lot of Americans I've met LOVE the idea that one can live here and have the option of not driving or owning a car because of the public transit system.

Maybe you're not from the Midwest, like me.

While I do have some friends who live or have lived abroad, many of the people I know in the U.S. still seem to think that the U.S. is the best country in the world. (I know, I don't get it, either). So even though they might think it's neat or "exotic" that I live in Switzerland, they themselves wouldn't want to live here.

It's a fear of the unknown, I guess. Some people embrace it. Some don't.

But the SVP is NOT encouraging anybody in the world to emigrate from home and to IMMIgrate into Switzerland !