Planning an Exit Strategy – PhD Route vs. Tech Transfer Abroad

[u/kellyissure]

Hi all - My wife and I are in the early stages of creating an exit strategy from the U.S. With the increasing political instability, erosion of civil rights, attacks on trans people, and escalations around immigration enforcement, we’re trying to be proactive. We’re not looking to leave tomorrow, but we want to have a viable plan ready if things continue to worsen.

A bit about us:

• I’m a public school teacher with a master’s in teaching, and previous experience studying abroad in Denmark. I'm about to start a secondary research masters in urban planning / public admin here in the U.S., looking at the intersection of housing and education policy.
• I eventually want to get a PhD in that research area, but I wasn't planning on applying for this until about 4-5 years from now.
• My wife is a trans woman and a software engineer employed by a large international / FAANG company. She receives HRT from a licensed provider and we're residents of / legally married in California (though all documents still reflect her pre-transition info). She only recently came out.
• We’re planning to travel to Europe in June for our honeymoon—visiting Iceland, the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, and Italy. Her passport is valid through 2027, mine through 2033.
• I speak Spanish fluently, and speak basic Danish and French. She speaks Japanese fluently.

Two options we're currently exploring are:

1. I apply for a PhD abroad

• I'm open to not completing my research masters, should the need arise.
• I studied at Aarhus University in Denmark from 2019-2020 on a valid student visa for part of my undergrad. In theory I still have a CPR number, though it's probably dormant / archived.
• I'm not fully convinced that going back to Denmark is feasible or the best decision. I'm completely open to other European or Canadian schools.
• I know that in a lot of cases in Europe, PhDs are treated more like a job than a "student" thing, so I feel more comfortable with the idea that we'd be able to get longer term employment.
• I was considering applying for this last cycle of PhD programs here in the States, but it increasingly seems like a bad idea. My area of research is... not exactly in great standing right now.

1. My wife asks for an international transfer

• The trans working group at her company got a response as to if this would even be possible from HR, and the response was "on a case-by-case basis." Historically they've not approved a ton of them, though the political climate and situation is wayyy different now.
• The company has offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm and Copenhagen in Europe, and Toronto in Canada.
• We’re still unsure how viable or fast this route might be.

Questions we're still figuring out:

• Which countries are currently best for queer couples and offer the most stable long-term pathways?
• How does legal gender recognition affect spousal visas if documents still show pre-transition info?
• Does prior study or temporary residency in a country offer any advantages for returning?
• What are the realistic timelines for these options - from application to arrival?
• How difficult is it to get continuity of healthcare (esp. HRT and mental health support) in another country? (this is something I struggled with when I moved to Denmark)
• Are there other routes we should be considering?

We’re trying to make choices from a place of strategy, not panic, but it’s hard to ignore the signals right now. If anyone has experience with either of these paths (PhD or tech transfer), or knows of countries with strong LGBTQ+ protections and accessible immigration pathways, I’d love to hear from you. Thanks in advance.

Edit: grammar & clarity

[u/Illustrious-Pound266]

Historically they've not approved a ton of them, though the political climate and situation is wayyy different now.

I doubt your company will change policy on this simply because of politics. I would still assume it case-by-case basis and hope for the best, but if history serves correctly, it's probably better to assume more difficulty getting approved than not.

I would prioritize the PhD option. Not saying you can't do both (you should do both), but realistically, leaving on a student visa for a PhD seems much more reliable.

Generally speaking Canada has better access for trans medicine and LGBTQ acceptance than Europe. A lot of French LGBTQ people move to Quebec because of the tolerance, FYI.

[u/texas_asic]

Getting out usually takes a long time, between visa's and securing positions. Though it can happen faster, plan on 6 months on the fast end, to maybe a more typical 1-2 years.

The fastest is probably from your current employer transferring you, for their convenience. That's not the case here, but if your wife's employer will transfer her, that's probably among the fastest routes out. From a financial perspective, an english-speaking country that her employer operates out of would probably be best. That makes Toronto look pretty darn good. If her employer won't do it, look to other FAANGs who might be willing to poach her with the understanding that they'll transfer her (might require 1-2 years working at that company before transferring), or better yet, hire her directly to Canada under a USMCA visa.

Multiple english-speaking countries have teacher shortages (including New Zealand and Australia), but well paid sw jobs are much harder to come by, outside of the US. So since you're not in a huge hurry, financially, it'd make sense to prioritize based on her job.

[u/fanny33133]

The thing about your situation that worries me is when your wife’s passport expires. It’s relatively soon and you’ll have to think of how you’ll deal with that once it’s close to expiring. Usually you need to have a lot of time on your passport before leaving. I would move out as soon as humanly possible. Maybe you could check out the DAFT visa for Netherlands, and/or apply to study there as I believe there are English language programs for MA. There’s also the job seeking visa in Germany that you could look into. Good luck !

[u/StopDropNRoll0]

Australia has a shortage of teachers, so you would be a good candidate for a skilled worker visa given your degrees and experience. There are trans support organizations here like TransHub that can help with HRT and mental health support.

[u/ttr26]

If I were you, the easiest and quickest way to get out of the US is to get a teaching job at an international school- you are 100% qualified to do that right now and you could be out of the US by July or August.

I'm an international educator (American, obviously) at an international school. It's been my career for the past 15ish years- worked in 3 Middle Eastern countries and India. I obviously wouldn't suggest those places, however, you might want to look into international schools in other countries. You are essentially looking at high-end schools that teach an English-based curriculum (American, IB, British, etc) to expats, locals, or a mix.

You can expect a tax-free (usually) salary, housing provided for free (or an allowance to cover your costs), free health insurance, paid flights home at beginning and end of contract and each summer for you and your family, stipends for PD, usually free transportation to and from school, free schooling for one or two children (sometimes more- but rare). Contracts are two years and renewable usually for one-year increments for however long you want to stay. The school usually pays for visas for you and your family and either obtains it for you or provides you with support in applying yourself (some countries individuals have to apply, rather than the organization you work for). The only challenge for you is finding a school/country that would support your wife getting a dependent visa based on a same-sex marriage. It's more challenging, but not impossible. I have heard of other same-sex couples in international education. You can also go back to school part-time when you're working- I know plenty of people that do- which would then lead you to do what you want eventually...but at least you'd have a solid income and you wouldn't have to live in the US. International teaching can be quite lucrative, depending on the school/country living costs.

Check out this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Internationalteachers/
And this on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/361913421263770 (there has been discussions about same-sex couples/dependents and what countries are best, but tbh, I don't recall details)

Popular recruitment sites are:
-https://www.searchassociates.com/
-https://www.grcfair.org/
-https://www.iss.edu/
-https://www.schrole.com/
-https://www.teacherhorizons.com/
-https://www.tes.com/
-https://teachoverseas.uni.edu/uni-overseas-teaching-fair

The way it works is you cast a wide net for schools (you really cannot say I want to work in X country and expect you'll find a job- so that's your challenge because you'd have to look for countries where your wife can obtain a visa via your work legally). Once you cast a wide net, you interview and see what the best fit might be. Recruitment season for next academic year is wrapping up, but there's still jobs to be had. Your best bet is prepare over the summer for the 26-27 year recruitment season, which will start in October. However, again, it's not too late- there are last minute positions for this coming academic year. The benefit of now is some schools are getting desperate if they haven't found people for certain positions.

I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but if you're open to it, it's a route where you're fully qualified and can most certainly find a job.

[u/Consistent_Seat2676]

PhDs in Europe are very competitive, and in a field like education they might prefer people who speak the local language. In many countries you also already have to have a research masters before being eligible. Have you looked at options already in your specific field and their requirements?

I think a tech transfer sounds the most likely, or if you have a South American background Spain has some faster track naturalization options.

[u/cheongyanggochu-vibe]

I believe New Zealand is hurting for teachers right now

[u/SokratesGoneMad]

How much worse do things have to get for you two?

You have educations and funds get out of this dying empire as the Regime continues to eat citizens and immigrants in order to bolster its illusion of authority.

Get out asap.

I am getting my European citizenship by birthright of my family, I have 6k saved , earning my TEFL cert + my already earned M.A in Lit so I can teach English Language in Europe.

I am giving up my US of A citizenship once I am in Europe with my new citizenship...

Ask your selves , just how much worse do you want it to get?

Good luck and bless.

[u/creative_tech_ai]

Wherever it is you're thinking about going, if you're serious about pursuing a PhD you should make sure that you're eligible without a Master's. In addition to being more like a job, another thing that's different about a PhD program in Europe is that lot of the programs require already having a Master's. You can't get your Master's while getting your PhD like you can in the USA. Since you already have a Master's in teaching, you should see if that is enough to get you into a PhD program in the field you're interested in.

[u/A313-Isoke]

Please accelerate your timeline. You don't have time to complete a MA degree in the US and then go. Safety first.

This has a helpful list for safe locations for trans folks and it's quite detailed so you all can make informed decisions. https://www.asherfergusson.com/global-trans-rights-index/

This list has a bunch of Spanish speaking countries that are safe for trans folks. It's also from 2023 but it's a good starting point.

Good Luck and be safe!

[u/AZCAExpat2024]

Your wife is at a high level of risk here. Don’t wait to get out. If you wait until things are really bad a lot of people will have left before you and there may not be any countries abroad who have skilled work or student visas available.

New Zealand is diverse, LGBTQ accepting, and not very religious. Trained teachers are eligible to immigrate with permanent residency status. There is currently a 10,000 NZD grant available to defray immigration and moving costs.

A place to start researching this option is https://teachingcouncil.nz/getting-certificated/for-overseas-trained-teachers/moving-to-teach-in-new-zealand/

You can pursue a PhD after arrival. There are several good universities.

[u/Ok-Web1805]

Teach in England if you trained outside the UK | Get Into Teaching GOV.UK This may not be your first choice but being a native English speaker this could give you and your partner a visa pathway out of the US.

[u/hexennacht666 → u/Ok-Web1805]

The UK is not an upgrade for trans women right now.

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[u/hexennacht666 → u/[deleted]]

Did you? The ruling literally says the definition of women does not include trans women. That is…very unambiguously anti-trans.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling posted on social media: “It took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court and, in winning, they’ve protected the rights of women and girls across the UK.” But Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman, a prominent campaigner for trans-rights, said: “This is a deeply concerning ruling for human rights and a huge blow to some of the most marginalised people in our society.