In 1949 Törni, traveled with his wartime executive officer Holger Pitkänen to Sweden. They entered Sweden from Tornio to Haparanda (Haaparanta). From Haparanda they traveled by railroad to Stockholm. Törni stayed with the Baroness von Essen, who helped many Finnish officers following the war. Pitkänen was arrested and returned to Finland. Törni met and fell in love with a Swedish Finn, Marja Kops. They were engaged to be married. Looking for a new job before the marriage, Törni traveled to Caracas, Venezuela. Törni met one of his Winter War commanders, Finnish colonel Matti Aarnio, who lived in Venezuela. From Caracas, Törni hired on to a Swedish cargo ship, the "MS Skagen". The "Skagen" sailed to the United States in 1950. While in the Gulf of Mexico, near Mobile, Alabama, Törni jumped overboard and swam to shore. Now he was a political refugee. He traveled to New York City where he was helped by the Finnish-American community in the Sunset Park, Brooklyn "Finntown." There he worked as a carpenter and cleaner. In 1953, Törni received residence permit through an Act of Congress. The law firm of William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan (the former head of the OSS, America's wartime covert military organization) helped pass the law.