I know plenty of US citizens that have emigrated to Canada, via school or work related methods. It's not particularly hard, it just takes time for the paperwork to clear.

Or this if you can work for yourself. The requirements are pretty easy to satisfy.

http://www.pond-crosser.com/northern-europe/netherlands/dutc...

HUGE DISCLAIMER

Pond-crosser is a site I recently started. Even so I can't imagine it being more applicable.

How about Germany. I'm in Berlin, although I even thought about moving to USA in the past (I also had a few decent job offers in Vally). As a side note: I'm not German.

USA looks increasingly like a place that must exist and I'll need to visit from time to time, but I'd prefer for all the conferences and everything else to be somewhere else if possible...

Get a job, get a green card, wait five years, get your citizenship.

That first step is a challenge but if you're the type who reads Hacker News you're better off than most. My green card application for Ireland was approved yesterday. (Yes yes Ireland has numerous flaws - I still vastly prefer life here).