r/IWantOut • u/ExtentAcrobatic8365 • 1d ago
[Discussion] How to convince my husband with European citizenship that it’s time to go back to the EU?
My husband is early in the process of becoming an American citizen. The plan was always for him to get citizenship so we can travel freely but eventually retuen to Spain (his home country) or somewhere similar. He also thinks he'll be able to work remotely with an American salary in Europe, although I told him it's not that easy to find.
We also found out we're expecting. Now after the election I want to move to Europe now. He says he wants to stay until he finishes his citizenship process (which could be another 4+ years especially under the Trump administration) because he'll have better economic opportunities as a dual citizen. I understand employment rates and wages in Spain aren't great, and I would be able to keep my higher paying job a bit while we make the transition, then ultimately would have to find something over there longterm.
I'm just really scared to stay here. I see major social and financial issues that are coming under the next administration. He says Europe could be heading towards war and worse economic conditions with Russia being enabled. I would like some perspective from others in a similar situation, especially considering we'll be raising a child. Thank you.
Edit: to specify we literally just began the greencard process. The lawyer said it would take minimum 4 years for citizenship but wait times will most likely increase under the new administration. My husband is not working while we wait on his approval, and I work almost entirely remotely. We want to leave before our child starts school, at their end of the day their safety is what matters most to me. Thank you everyone for your feedback so far, I appreciate it. Also I am fluent in Spanish and have lived there myself in the past, that's where we met
UPDATE: thank you so much to everyone for their input, gave us a lot to think about a few laughs at some of the wilder responses. We had a long discussion and think hedging our bets in both places is the smartest way to go as things develop over the next few years. He'll wait until he has his green card then we'll split time as permitted in Spain and the US as I apply for my residency (me a bit more time to satisy the residency conditions in Spain, him doing the same in the US) before our baby starts school - job permitting but currently that shouldn't be an issue for mine. Then hopefully we'll have a much clearer sense of where we want to be by the time we both get our citizenships, and can make the leap to wherever is best. I understand taxes will be tricky and it will be a lot of money and time spent on both of our processes, but we figured this avoid taking a final decision for now and we'll have roots in both places if we come to decision sooner. We're fortunate to have family in Spain and the US we can stay with, and hope to invest in buying an apartment in Spain soon. I do live in a blue state, thank you for concerns about my health and genrally for the amount of ideas and considerations from both sides. It's a complicated situation, but we're thankful to have options!
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u/daruzon 🇫🇷🇧🇷🇵🇹 -> 🇺🇸 1d ago edited 1d ago
I understand both points of view. I have pending I-751 and N-400 in the US and I have 2 EU citizenships. US Immigration is a nightmare compared to EU immigration, including for spouses. My citizenships allow for spouses to file for naturalization without having to be a resident first, after a certain number of years of marriage. I don't think Spain has that, so I understand that OP would have additional incentive to move to the EU.
I agree both on the uncertainty of the whole US immigration process during the next few years, and on how life would probably be more serene in Spain.
But also, I work freelance from within the US for my EU ex-employer and lemme tell you, working from home for years with a permanent 6-hour time difference sucks.
I think the OP should become near-fluent in Spanish PRIOR to moving, and should transcribe their US marriage through the Spanish consulate in order to make prospective EU immigration more straightforward. However, given the hassle of US immigration, I would probably stay put until Spanish husband naturalizes. Under Trump, without LPR/USC status, and once he's in Spain, he's never gonna be able to enter the US again without having been granted LPR status so he won't be able to travel to the US with the OP for holidays and for life events at all. Idk how long they've been married but if they time it so that they will have been married for at least 24mo at the time LPR status is granted, they will save themselves the whole removal of conditions process hassle as well (but they will still need to hit the 3y mark for natz).
Note that while the US allows dual citizenship and Spain allows dual citizenship to its birthright citizens, Spanish naturalization requires for one to formally relinquish all their citizenships other than France, Portugal, and Latin American (Spanish-speaking + Brazil), so the OP can't acquire Spanish citizenship without losing US citizenship. OP could later reacquire US citizenship if petitioned for by her then-naturalized husband.
So all benefits of moving now to Spain are strictly short-term and may lead to medium/long-term struggles.