- The US will impose capital controls immediately. You won't be able to move any money out of the country.
- The US will very likely require exit visas to leave the country. Unless you have a compelling reason or big money to bribe the TSA, you will be turned away at the airport, if not arrested outright. If you have two nickels to rub together, the US government is not going to let you run while they still need assets to confiscate.
- No country will accept an American as a refugee, especially one who has left for economic reasons. Unless you already have a business or property or a lot of money stashed overseas, they will not allow you in. And, since it is highly likely the US will impose draconian controls on foreign nationals entering the country during a time of economic collapse, expect reciprocal action from other nations.
- As others have pointed out above, a US collapse will be closely tied to a world collapse. Even if you can navigate your way through all of the all of the above risks, you stand a high chance of being robbed, injured, or killed as the "foreign scum" you are when the economy in your destination country goes bad.
And all of this presumes there is still enough social order (and gasoline) remaining in the US to safely drive yourself to the nearest airport.
The USA has decided that it has world wide jurisdiction regarding their citizens and the banks they choose.
It might make it hard to find a bank outside of the US.
I agree with your scenario. Do people really think in the middle of a collapse they will be able to travel freely within the US much less get on a plane and fly (and then be let in) to another country? The best we can hope for is to shelter and defend in place and somehow rise from the ashes when it is all over. I don’t even think people would be able to get to their ‘local’ safe places- gas will be cut off or astronomically expensive, travel on highways will be jam packed and/or filled with check-points. Unless you are there before and stay put, don’t plan on getting there.
Ever wonder why liberals HATE private jets and private aircraft? It is because they can't control you!
A good skillset to have is piloting private aircraft in order to escape or retreive loved ones from occupied areas.
I have a friend who lives part time in Honduras and she has an escape plan to the USA just in case things collapse. She loves Honduras and its people but she’s aware of how quickly things can change to paint a target on her back.
She lives in a gated community with a private landing strip for a reason.
The last thing you want to be is a foreigner in a strange land amid a financial collapse.