[StillBored]

? I mean sure, in some countries instead of waiting 6 months for a permit, you can pay the guy at the side door to skip the line and get it in a week/etc.

But how is that any different than many of the things we do in the USA too, like for example in Austin, TX right now there is a ~4 month wait to take a driving test, but you can pay a 3rd party who will help you along in the process and "test" you, and then tell the DMV they have tested you, so you can get your license in a week or so. Or Clear at the airport.

It all pay to play, the difference in the US is that we call them "public private partnerships" or other nonsense which ends up being a bribe to someone in the know who can accelerate the process. We pretend that clear is somehow more secure/etc than the interview and fingerprint global entry process (wait time ~9 months). Or that the 1+ year waiting periods to get a site plan approval, sped up if you know a council man, isn't just corruption.

And in many cases these wait times are directly the result of funding cuts/etc to each and every organization, by a party that insists that government is inefficient, despite frequently being patently false. If I paid even half of the $500 fee I payed to the private driving instructor to the DMV they would be swimming in money to test people.

[bequanna]

I totally agree with you. Crony Capitalism is disgusting and I think we should always call it out.

My argument is that we seem to have significantly less corruption overall in the US.

[withinboredom]

I almost had a heart attack from laughing so hard. Thanks for that.

[bequanna]

Help us out. Can you name one or more major nations that are as stable, less corrupt and less bureaucratic than the US?

[MandieD]

Germany, at least for ordinary immigrants.

Stop laughing and hear me out: when you apply for a residence permit, you have an initial consultation appointment at an office in your town or county where, after reviewing your form, you are then given a checklist of documents and the expected application fee to bring to your next appointment, based on your particular circumstances. Outside of Covid times, and even during the massive wave of refugees from Syria, that was typically within a few weeks.

Show up with the requested documents and photos and pay the fee (into a machine, get a printed receipt, no human touches your money), get a receipt for your application and an estimated pickup date for your shiny residence permit (and ID).

When I went to renew my residence permit around year 4, the clerk helpfully asked if what I really wanted was an application for a permanent residence permit. Hadn’t occurred to me - I thought it was 5 years of residency, but it’s only 3 if you’re married to a German citizen.

No lawyers involved, no anxious weeks without my passport, all at a cost that was less than 300 EUR a pop. Far less drama and expense than I’ve heard from acquaintances who have tried getting a German or other EU citizen spouse through the US Green Card process.

Bureaucracy is good when it’s clear in its demands.

[withinboredom]

I’ve lived in a few countries now, including the US. Define “major.” If you are only considering countries as vast as the US in landmass then only Australia, Russia, Canada, Brazil, and China can really be contenders. From 2nd/3rd hand accounts, I don’t think they pass all your qualifications. If we consider “major” as in having a hand in the formation of the US, such as England, France, Netherlands, Spain, etc. then I think you’d find a majority of those countries pass at least two of those qualifiers.