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US Asylum Claims in Canada Tripled in 2025, IRB Data Shows

US asylum claims in Canada reached 634 in 2025, more than triple the 204 filed the year before and the highest annual total on record outside the first Trump administration. The figure comes from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), which publishes claims by country of alleged persecution. Another 858 US claims sat […]

May 26, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
News

US Brokerage Account Closures Squeeze Americans Abroad From Both Sides

US brokerage account closures have become one of the least-visible costs of American emigration. Major firms have restricted or terminated accounts held by clients with foreign addresses, citing the cost of complying with overlapping regulatory regimes for small numbers of non-resident clients. The list of institutions that have pulled back from servicing Americans abroad includes: […]

May 25, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
News

15,638 New Residence Permits Issued to US Citizens in Spain

Americans moving to Spain received 15,638 first residence permits in 2024, more than double the 7,383 issued in 2015 and the largest American pipeline in Europe after France. The stock figure is bigger still: Spain holds 57,379 American citizens with valid residence permits, alongside 76,180 US-born residents, a gap reflecting decades of dual nationality. American […]

May 25, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
News

Overseas Voter Turnout Tripled, but 89% Still Didn't Vote

Overseas voter turnout tripled in the 2024 General Election, but the new high-water mark still left 89% of eligible Americans abroad on the sidelines. About 11.0% of the estimated 2.2 million voting-age U.S. citizens living outside the country returned a ballot, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s 2024 Overseas Citizen Population Analysis. Domestic turnout […]

May 24, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
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German Citizenship for Americans Topped 1,275 in 2024

German citizenship for Americans hit a record 1,275 acquisitions in 2024, up from 225 the year before. The five-fold jump in 12 months tracks directly to a single legal change. Germany’s reformed Nationality Act took effect June 27, 2024, allowing non-EU citizens to retain their original passport for the first time as a general rule. […]

May 24, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
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US Passport Decline Pushes Americans to Lead Global Second-Passport Demand

The US passport decline accelerated in 2026, with the Henley Passport Index ranking the United States 10th globally, down six places from 4th in 2006. The Henley Passport Index 2026, compiled from International Air Transport Association data, marks this as the third-largest two-decade decline of any country, behind only Venezuela and Vanuatu. Americans now have […]

May 23, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
News

57% of Americans Abroad Surveyed by ACA Want Medicare Extended Overseas

A recent survey of American Citizens Abroad (ACA) members found 57% support extending Medicare to cover medical services received outside the United States. Thirty-four percent backed full reimbursement, 23% backed partial. AudienceNet and NP Agency conducted the survey for ACA in October 2025 with 833 US citizens living overseas. It was published May 19, 2026. […]

May 23, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
News

Americans Moving to Uruguay Filed 616 Residency Applications, Doubling Previous Numbers

Americans moving to Uruguay filed 616 residency applications in 2025, more than double the 303 filed in 2024 and the 298 filed in 2023, per figures from the Dirección Nacional de Migración (DNM) obtained by El País Uruguay. January 2026 added another 56. The historical stock of American residents in Uruguay has hovered around 3,000. […]

May 23, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
News

Americans Moving to Portugal Hit 4,345 First Permits in 2024

Americans moving to Portugal received 4,345 first residence permits in 2024, up from 550 in 2015. That’s an eightfold rise in nine years, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of about 31%. The volume is small. The slope isn’t. Stock figures track the same trajectory. US citizens holding valid Portuguese residence permits reached 12,443 […]

May 23, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
News

Finland Permanent Residence Now Takes 6 Years, Adds Language Test

Finland permanent residence got harder starting at the beginning of 2026. The Finnish Immigration Service began enforcing amendments to the Aliens Act that raise the basic residence requirement from four years to six, add a Finnish or Swedish language test and require two years of work history. President Alexander Stubb signed the changes Dec. 22, […]

May 22, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
News

Nicaragua Becomes First Country to End Dual Citizenship in Latin America

Dual citizenship in Latin America has been the easiest second-passport option in the world for Americans. Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Panama, Costa Rica and most of their neighbors all permit it without renunciation. The region accounts for the bulk of US-citizen naturalizations abroad each year, with more than 125,000 Mexican-American dual citizenships granted in 2025 […]

May 22, 2026 · by Brandon Richards
News

Americans Join 63% Surge in Paraguay Residency Applications

Americans are part of a record wave of foreigners submitting Paraguay residency applications. The country closed 2025 with 47,687 applications, a 63% jump from the year before and the largest annual increase since the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (DNM) began publishing monthly application data in 2019. The agency granted 40,600 permits over the same period, […]

May 22, 2026 · by Brandon Richards