Yeah, the visa thing is the real crux. Fortunately with a US bill rate, you’ll have an extra $150k/yr to figure out a way around it.

Health insurance a lees of a concern, in practice. Catastrophic coverage is pretty cheap from places like IMG Global, and doctors here are happy to take payment directly for more routine things if you’re not on the national plan. And that payment is forty dollars because there’s are no insurance companies to gouge, so gouging isn’t something doctors do.

Personally, I got around the “permission to live” thing by mildly abusing schengen tourist visas for a while, then marrying an English girl. If I had to do it again, I’d go for one of the “show us you have a ton of money in the bank” visa routes. Again, that US bill rate comes in handy...

The whole visa hopping thing works, but it’s also fairly uncertain. I know quite a few people who did that in Asia, and have heard multiple stories about immigration catching on and them being refused entry.

I personally migrated by finding a company that would sponsor me, usually switching companies after that is pretty effortless.

And of course, for the rich there are “investment” visas for real estate purchase.

As well as “live here for a year” visas like Costa Rica has.

Panama provides a "Friendly Nations" residency for just $5,000. And you're not taxed on foreign sourced income. You also don't have to live in Panama.

As regards to France (not sure how this varies from country to country, even the EU) it's fairly easy to get a visa (as in conditions), but the issue is that you'll have to renew it every year which is a fairly tedious process and has to be done in-person.

A few years back I used to have an American friend who got here on a student visa and later changed to a regular one when she started working. Granted, she wasn't in tech or anything like it, but she always had a steady long term work contract. They never wanted to give her a long-term visa for some reason. It's one of the reasons she went back to the US.

Germany has a self-employed visa with little red tape. Much better than the point-based bs of UK.

Don't be self employed abroad as a US citizen.

Why not? If an American moves to Europe, in most countries your gig back in the states will be treated as a self employment,at least from taxman's perspective. Even within European Union the legislation around intercounty employment is such a grey area that the easiest,and often the only way, is to be self employed.

The US tax code will follow you until you renounce citizenship.