Working Abroad
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Millions of people around the world dream of a new, more fulfilling life by moving abroad. Unfortunately, only a small percentage ever makes it happen.
So what is stopping the rest?
For most, I imagine, it is money. After all, if you are rich enough to live where you want, and can come and go at will, then the world is your oyster.
Most of us are not in that liberating position. Instead, we have to find a way to fund this dream life overseas.
Which is where the challenges start. Questions crop up like …
- Am I eligible for a working visa?
- Will my qualifications be recognised?
- What job can I get?
- How much will it pay?
- Can I get my business idea off the ground?
- What hoops will I have to jump through?
- Is there local demand?
There can be so much uncertainty about making your relocation financially viable that I think many people just give up on the idea.
Seems a shame, doesn’t it?
If any of this has happened to you then Megan Fitzgerald, an expat career and personal branding coach, would love to hear from you. She is conducting a poll of current and aspiring expats to find the answer to an intriguing question: what is the biggest obstacle to building a successful career abroad?
The poll’s findings will reveal the most common problems people face, and hopefully offer some useful insights into how to overcome them.
To take part in the poll go to http://linkd.in/i9pnWY.
Tags: business, career, coach, dream, expat, financial, job, life, live, money, Moving Abroad, overseas, pay, qualification, relocation, rich, success, visa, work, world
Moving to Canada to work or start a new business can be an exciting venture. To make the most of it though, it is important to know how to go about obtaining a visa.
Canada values immigrants who come to their country to help contribute to their economy. Nevertheless, there are a few restrictions you should know about when applying for a work visa.
In the case of immigrating to Canada for business purposes, it is important to understand the specific visa requirements and the points system.
Some key points to know:
- Education: This section offers a maximum of 25 points based on the amount of school completed. It starts at secondary education and below, which offers 0 points. PhD or Master’s degree holders receive 25 points, on condition they have completed at least 17 years of full-time study.
- Language: Canada’s two official languages are English and French, and you can receive a maximum of 24 points for fluency in both. Fluency in one yields 16 points, provided you have mastered reading, writing, listening and speaking proficiency.
- Work Experience: Points are only rewarded when you have had at least a year of full-time experience in a managerial, professional, or highly skilled occupation. One year earns 15 points, and four or more years earns the maximum 21 points.
- Proof of Funds: 10 points are awarded to people who have an offer of employment approved by the Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC). Otherwise, you will need proof you have either a set amount of funds in a bank account, or have secured work in Canada.
The eligibility requirement is based on the number of household members. As of May 2010, single applicants were required to have at least CAD $11,086, whereas a six-member household needed CAD $26,350.
Securing work in Canada exempts immigrants from this requirement. However, failure to meet any requirements results in ineligibility.
- Age: Because most people in the workforce are aged 21-49, the highest number of points is awarded to this age bracket. Applicants under 16 and over 54 do not receive points in this section. Other age brackets are awarded in two-point increments up to eight.
There are a number of Canada Immigration Services that can help you get started if you plan to immigrate from the UK to Canada in search of work. Whether you plan to move to Canada for business or hope to move there permanently, knowing the basics in the immigration process can help you become acclimated more quickly and avoid any procedural snags along the way.
This article was provided by Global Visas, the leading immigration experts for private and corporate clients locally and worldwide.
Tags: age, bank, business, Canada, country, degree, economy, Education, employment, English, experience, fluency, French, fund, Global Visas, household, human resources, Immigrant, immigrate, immigrating, Language, move, occupation, points, professional, School, study, system, UK, visa, work, workforce
The United States is one of the most popular countries in the world for businesses and families to immigrate to. With a diverse array of cultures and companies throughout the large nation, the opportunities for immigrants are virtually endless.
However, because of the strict requirements for people immigrating to the U.S., it is important to know the processes to ensure you get the right visas and documentation for a visit or smooth transition to life as an American citizen or permanent resident.
There are several ways to immigrate to the U.S. depending on the needs of your business, family, or yourself. You can choose from a work or student US visa for a temporary stay, apply for a green card if you have a spouse or relatives who are U.S. citizens, or apply for citizenship if you plan to make a permanent move to the U.S.
A green card affords permanent U.S. residency. People who hold a green card are permanently approved to work within the U.S. despite not having citizenship.
After a certain number of years people with a green card may apply for citizenship if they choose. However, it is not required – something especially important for people to know when there is any possibility of moving back to their home country.
Naturalization, or the process of obtaining American citizenship, is another option, although it applies to those who plan to make their move to the U.S. permanent. After five years of residence in the U.S., green card holders can apply for citizenship. The test required for nationalization measures knowledge of U.S. civics, as well as English language proficiency.
Overall, U.S. immigration laws change rather frequently, so it is vital to know the current regulations in advance, whether you choose to get a USA visa for work, a student visa, or you want to apply for citizenship.
This article was provided by Global Visas, the leading immigration experts for private and corporate clients locally and worldwide.
Tags: America, business, citizen, countries, document, English, family, Global Visas, green card, holder, immigrants, immigrate, immigrating, Immigration, Language, law, move, nation, naturalization, relative, residence, residency, spouse, student, U.S., United States, visa, work, world
A new report published by the City of London Corporation[1] suggests the lack of tax predictability in the UK is now “out of control,” and is threatening the country’s position as a leading global financial centre.
The report polled members of the banking, insurance, asset management, hedge fund and private equity communities on six factors: predictability, overall tax burden, attitude of tax authorities, network of tax treaties, complexity and cost of compliance.
Every respondent gave the UK a poor rating on predictability. It is the area where the UK fared worst compared to other countries, but which the report says is the most important factor in judging competitiveness.
The authors said surprise changes such as the introduction of the bank payroll tax and bank levy, and the increase to 50% in the top rate of income tax were creating uncertainty and changing the financial services industry’s perception of the UK. In addition, the new rates and measures meant “the UK is now seen as a high tax jurisdiction not dissimilar to continental countries.”
However, despite fears that changes to the UK’s regime would lead to an exodus of financial institutions and people to more favourable tax jurisdictions, such as Switzerland, Singapore and Hong Kong, that has not materialised in practice, at least thus far. Instead, for the time being London remains a key financial hub, attracting international investment, as well as expatriate and domestic workers.
Holding on to its position in the world as an attractive place to live and do business is the UK’s challenge going forwards. Relying on its weather as a source of appeal certainly won’t do the job!
[1] Taxation of the Financial Services Sector in the UK: Predictability and Competitiveness, prepared by Charles River Associates for the City of London Corporation, October 2010,
http://217.154.230.218/NR/rdonlyres/E3CEF4F7-479B-46B4-AB93-29DF5F673B53/0/TaxationofFinancialServices.pdf
Tags: bank, business, city, continental, countries, country, exodus, expat, financial, fund, global, Hong Kong, income, industry, international, investment, London, pay, Singapore, Switzerland, tax, UK, weather, world
Finding a way to finance your life overseas is one of the biggest challenges facing prospective expats.
How can you earn the money necessary to give you the lifestyle you crave? Do you plan to transfer within your existing company, or apply for new jobs? Would you like to set up your own business, or offer services as some form of freelance contractor?
For anyone confronting these issues it is well worth seeking the advice of a professional, someone who can help clarify your ideas and guide you in the right career direction.
One such person is CNNMoney.com-featured career coach Megan Fitzgerald, the founder of Career By Choice. An expat herself, with over 15 years experience in career and business development, Megan specialises in helping current and aspiring expatriate professionals and entrepreneurs to build a satisfying career or business that allows them to get the most out of their life abroad.
Megan has just interviewed me on the pros and cons of moving overseas for her website. You can check out the resulting article, Expat Success Tips: Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Choice of Becoming an Expat, at http://bit.ly/cIOjNw.
Hope you find it interesting.
Tags: Abroad, business, career, Career By Choice, CNN, coach, company, entrepreneur, expat, Finance, job, life overseas, lifestyle, Megan Fitzgerald, moving, professional, should I stay or should I go, success, transfer
At a wedding last week I got talking to a doctor within the UK’s National Health Service who is about to relocate to New Zealand.
She will be joining the thousands of doctors and nurses who have left the UK in the last decade to practice in the Antipodes. Many have gone willingly. Disenchanted by the NHS, they are eager to take up positions on the other side of the world that will be relatively better paid, and offer the lifestyle benefits that come from living in Australia or New Zealand.
The doctor I spoke to is moving for similar reasons: she can’t find a job pursuing her specialism in England, but has the chance to do so if she goes abroad. And as she has family in New Zealand already it makes the relocation that much easier.
Nevertheless, she hopes it will only be temporary, and that within five years she’ll be back in the UK, which is where she said she really wants to be.
It makes for a tricky choice – stay at home and compromise your chosen career path, or leave the country and the life you know for a better job and its future prospects.
And it is not just medics in the UK grappling with this quandary. Many people in many professions in many countries around the world face similar dilemmas.
Which would you prioritise?
Tags: Antipodes, Australia, career, country, doctor, England, family, home, job, life, Moving Abroad, National Health Service, New Zealand, profession, relocation, UK, Wedding
It had a certain inevitability. The UK’s May Day bank holiday weekend beckoned, but after a surprisingly warm and sunny April what happened? A washout.
The bank holiday was supposed to see us picnicking in the local park, catching up with old friends, many of whom we hadn’t seen for years thanks to our expatriation. A chance for us to meet each other’s kids, reflect on how we’ve all changed in the seven years since we moved to Spain.
But the rain, whipped up by a north-east wind and chilled by 10°C temperatures, put paid to that. Time for Plan B. So we found ourselves splashing through puddles en route to a tenpin bowling alley in a desperate attempt to find some indoor activity to keep the children entertained.
The usual British holiday routine, in other words. Welcome home!
Mind you, it’s no better in the corner of Spain where we used to live. From the Catalan meteorological bureau I see much of the Pyrenean region is being layered in fresh dumps of snow at the moment. And the Costa Bravan coast – normally basking in warm Mediterranean sunshine by now – is stuck with maximum temperatures of just 13°C, while being pummelled by rain and the fierce northerly wind known as the tramuntana.
Seems the cold winter so many parts of the world experienced this year just doesn’t want to let go. What will summer bring, I wonder?
Tags: British, Catalan, Costa Brava, entertain, expatriation, Friends, holiday, home, kids, May Day, Mediterranean, picnic, Pyrenean, Spain, summer, sun, tramuntana, UK
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