Trans? Experienced Or Educated? Stuck In The USA?

Trans? Experienced or educated? Stuck in the USA?

First off, we're all rooting for you out here, muchacho.

Secondly, you can take a job abroad! And in nearly all cases you can apply to stay permanently after a few years ✨ Work visas typically allow a spouse, so 2 people can leave the USA per job. I should know, I work one of these jobs as a foreigner in Denmark and am accompanied by my American wife.

Below I've written a guide for applying in Europe, specifically, but be aware that it's not only the EU hiring Americans, most countries allow skilled/educated immigration.

Also, this is not just for trans people. Anyone who can be hired for a given job can follow the guide below.

Trans? Experienced Or Educated? Stuck In The USA?

Q&A -

Q: I don't sprechen Deutsch or anything though?

A: If you speak a given country's language that's a plus, but if not, don't worry! There are a lot of sites you can use to search for English-speaking jobs. One example is Englishjobs.com, which lists thousands of live, English-speaking jobs in mainland Europe. I would know, I found my current job on a similar site. For permanent settlement you in some cases need to have learned the language well (here that's available in Denmark, for example, after 5 years residency).

Q: Can I really bring my wife/husband?

A: In nearly all cases, yes. I'm in Denmark currently with my Californian wife. For the record I'm not trans, but a lot of my friends are (my background's in animation).

Q: Are they really hiring trans people?

A: Yes. And it's worth adding that DE&I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives are still in full swing in many EU countries. As a result, your resume may have a particular appeal if you meet the following criteria:

Ethnic Minority: Companies are actively seeking diverse backgrounds to enhance representation.

Female: Many organisations prioritise gender diversity and aim to improve women's representation in the workforce.

LGBTQIA+: There is a growing recognition of the importance of sexual orientation and gender identity in hiring practices, with many employers implementing policies to support LGBTQIA+ employees.

Disabled: Organisations often have initiatives to promote the hiring of individuals with disabilities.

Neurodivergent: Increasing awareness of neurodivergent conditions leads to more companies welcoming neurodiverse talent. I have ADHD, for example, and my company is pushing hard for DE&I normalisation.

Q: Does it cost money to apply?

A: Usually the company you apply to will ask whether you have the right to work in the country and, if they really want you, will pay this application cost themselves. If you get the job offer and you need to then apply by yourself it costs, in most cases, $100 to $300. My application in Denmark cost $1,100, however. My wife could then apply for residency via that same application.

Q: Do I need an education in all cases?

A: Not necessarily. Varies by case. I have a degree, experience in my field, and software proficiencies that made my application stand out, but many jobs are skill or trade based.

Q: These jobs seem a little low paid for my field. Why is that?

A: Healthcare is covered, public transport is widespread, cities are walkable or cyclable, childcare is taken care of in a lot of places. You're paying less overall. Roughly 20% of the US GDP is from its batshit medical/insurance system, so you make about 10-20% more monthly in the US, give or take.

Q: If I lose my job, does my visa expire?

A: Yes, and your spouse's if you brought one. You can move jobs, so long as the salary still meets the minimum, but if there's downtime that means the visa lapses you gotta go.

Q: Does the job salary need to meet a minimum threshold for me to apply to live there?

A: Yes.

Germany: The minimum gross salary threshold for most skilled workers is around $60,000 per year. For occupations in high demand (e.g., engineers, doctors), the threshold is lower, at around $48,000 per year.

France: The minimum salary for a work visa in France typically aligns with the Smic (minimum wage), which is approximately $23,000 per year. However, for skilled positions, remuneration must usually be at least 1.5 times the Smic.

Netherlands: The minimum salary threshold for a highly skilled migrant is around $5,000 per month ($60,000 per year) for those over 30 years of age, and lower for younger applicants (around €4,000 per month).

Spain: The minimum salary threshold for work visas depends on the job but generally aligns with the national minimum wage, which is approximately $17,000 per year. However, skilled positions may require higher salaries.

Sweden: For skilled workers, the salary must be competitive and generally must meet the average salary level, which can be around SEK 26,400 per month (approximately $2,750).

Denmark: Unusually stringent laws make this 514,000dkk/$75,000 per year, or possibly less if your career is on the Positive List for Skilled Work or Higher Education. Worth mentioning that Denmark is perhaps the only EU country not seeing right wing populism in their political polls, largely due to their high bar for incoming migration.

Q: Do I need documentation?

A: Yes. Passport, certificates for education, marriage certificate if relevant. You'll also need to trade in your driver's license for a local one within a set period of time upon arrival.

Q: If I don't have a degree, skills, or experience, am I just fucked?

A: No, for example people with successful businesses can apply for entrepreneurial visas, and there are "working holiday" visas available (chiefly for people under 35) in Australia, Ireland, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada and South Korea, as these countries have an agreement with the USA (for now). Countries have a variety of ways in!

Q: What about muh rights?

A: You still gottem. Unless it's guns, and even then you can usually get a proper license in the countryside. Hate speech is not protected speech. Abortion is generally permitted within a term limit below fetal viability (e.g. 12 weeks in Germany and 12 weeks and 6 days in Italy, or 14 weeks in France and Spain). More privacy rights. More consumer protection.

Q: Is this an exhaustive list for ways a trans person can have asylum? Do I definitely need to travel far?

A: No! Read this helpful, recent guide, written in 2025: https://translash.org/articles/trans-relocation-guide-finding-trans-asylum-and-safe-havens/

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If anyone in Europe or elsewhere wants to put their hand up and say, hey I'm in X city in Y country and I'll be here to talk to you when you move, reblog and say so! That's so important!

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mincedmushrooms

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Transfeminine resources:

Presentation:

Tucking

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Voice

Broad shoulders tips

Hair removal

Feminine walk

Curves

Waist training

Growing out your hair

Clothing

Makeup

Passing

Medical transitioning:

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Fertility

Puberty blockers

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Slipping into masculinity

Women’s restroom etiquette

Transfeminine people can breastfeed

Having sex or masturbating

Transmasculine resources:

Presentation:

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Clothing

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If you can’t start T

Lowering your voice

Packing and standing to pee

Passing as male

Not shaving legs

Medical transitioning:

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Fertility

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Dysphoria info and tips page

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Being religious and LGBT

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80K notes View Post

mincedmushrooms

6 months ago

An Introductory Timeline of Western Women's Fashion

I think a good place to start to get into dress history is general overview of the whole timeline. Understanding especially how the silhouettes change is really important ground knowledge to build the rest of the information on.

I'll start the timeline from Middle Ages and go till the first world war. I'll focus on upper class England/French sector, so keep in mind that before 17th century there were huge regional differences in fashion inside Europe and class differences too. There is a lot variance, changes and nuance inside any century and decade I'm about to discuss, but I'll try to keep this short and introductory and very simplified. I used a very scientific method of basically what makes most sense to me to divide the periods. I've made sketches what I would consider to be the basic silhouette of the period stripped mostly out of the detail and then I give couple of primary source examples.

12th century (Middle Ages)

An Introductory Timeline Of Western Women's Fashion

Dress was simple one or more tunics over a chemise. They were overly long for upper classes, made out of straight lines. There were loose tunics often worn over another tunic, and tunics with laced bodice called biaut. In France bliaut sleeves often widened from the elbow, in England they often widened in frists.

13th century (Middle Ages)

Clothing was mostly very similar as in the previous century, though bliaut was mostly gone and new popular style was a loose sleeves surcoat.

14th century (Middle Ages)

Tailoring basically revolutionized clothing production, since clothes weren't made out of rectangles anymore and could be better made to fit form. Also functional buttons and lacing was popularized resulting in very fitted styles. The underlayer tunic, kirtle, became a fitted supporting layer.

15th century (Middle Ages)

Improvements in weaving technology and trade and growing prosperity in Europe showed in clothing as excess of fabric and variety of trends. Houppelande, a loose A-lined overdress lined with fur and fastened with a wide belt under breasts, became a very popular clothing item, and in later decades developed into the iconic Burgundian dress (the red dress). Fitted overdress continued to be popular alongside the warmer houppelandes.

1500s-1550s (Tudor period)

In the renaissance era clothing became increasingly structured and elaborate. The bodice was heavily boned and the skirt was also structured.

1560s-1610s (Elizabethan Era)

Both structuring and elaborate decoration reach it's peak during Queen Elizabeth's reign. She became the defining fashion icon of the late renaissance.

1620s-1670s (Baroque)

In baroque era the bodice was still heavily structured, but more curved than the conical Elizabethan bodice. Otherwise though structuring was replaces with dramatic excess of fabric.

1680s-1710s (Baroque)

In the late 17th century there was a huge shift in the clothing industry as mantua, a loose open robe inspired by Japanese kimono, came to dominate fashion. Rigid bodice was replaces by structured under layer, stays. Stays brought back the conical silhouette of Elizabethan era.

1720s-1780s (Rococo)

Mantua developed into the iconic Rococo dress in France, robe à la francaise (first example picture), and in England robe à la anglaise with closed bodice. Rococo fashion was characterized by the wide silhouette of the skirt.