So reading Alan Paul’s new book on expat life in China has been a real eye-opener.

Big in China

In Big in China Alan reveals a world of sequestered expatdom. The multinational ranks he depicts are cloistered together in compounds boasting well-maintained streets lined by large houses, with clubhouses, gyms and swimming pools. The kids go to the international school together and play at each others’ homes. There are family sports days, barbecues, dinners with friends.

For many daily life is made easy by cheap domestic help – cooks, cleaners, drivers and nannies are par for the course, creating a luxurious lifestyle only a few could expect to have back home.

As Alan observes, it is all too easy to become immersed in this expat bubble – a world of privilege, ease and security.

Yet it is also one of sterility. And to his credit, Alan is determined not to become a prisoner behind the expat gates. Instead, he is keen to find the China that exists for its population. He relates his adventures as he cycles off by himself to explore the local villages and countryside, his journeys into the hinterland, his efforts to learn the language, make friends and taste the ‘real’ China, from its food on up.

The picture of China that emerges is just as complex as the one gleaned from inches of newspaper and magazine columns, with all its beauty and ugliness. Yet it is coloured by great insights into the immense joys and frustrations that life in China offers for expatriates.

Pros and cons

As a growing economic (and political) powerhouse, China presents an extraordinary opportunity for expat entrepreneurs and employees on assignment to make their mark, and a lot of money.

But China has much else to offer besides a step up the career ladder. Its beautiful and varied landscapes, and diverse cultural riches dating back thousands of years are incentives enough for many inquisitive foreigners.

As becomes evident from reading Alan’s book, there are inevitable challenges to living in China too.

For one, there is the language barrier. There are important cultural differences in terms of the structure of society and individuals’ interactions with each to navigate as well – many of which it can be nigh on impossible to fully grasp as an outsider.

Issues such as media censorship and political repression may come as a stark counterpoint to the societal norms to which expats are accustomed.

In addition, there is a real risk of physical isolation and introversion creeping in. As Alan relates in his book, for one thing it is notoriously difficult to obtain something as simple as a Chinese driving licence. Yet without it you lack the freedom of movement we take for granted back home.

China’s notorious pollution, with all the health risks it poses, is another problem that the country is only belatedly trying to tackle.

In short, China is hardly the easiest place in the world for an expat to move to. But what it does promise is one big and exciting adventure of life-changing proportions. Just ask Alan.

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So here are some of the key issues to contemplate when deciding where to live:

1)      Education

For any parents, the quality of education available to their children – whether in the local state system, a private institution or at an international school – has to be a crucial factor.

If a country’s educational options are poor, think again. Your child’s future is too important.

2)      Language

Which languages do you speak? Where in the world will you find it easiest to integrate, and feel most comfortable living, as a result? Which languages will prove most beneficial to your prospects going forward?

At the gates of my daughter’s school here in Britain I hear many foreign accents. One big attraction for these parents of raising their children in the UK is the English fluency they are achieving. As the world’s dominant business language at present that will stand them in good stead in the years to come.

3)      Quality of life

Definitions of quality of life vary from person-to-person. But common considerations include the location’s relative cost of living, the climate, career opportunities and earning potential, access to leisure activities, the country’s political freedoms and cultural mores.

For instance, the UK is renowned for its high cost of living and poor weather. However, HSBC’s latest Expat Explorer Survey[1] ranked it the top country for entertainment, and reported that it is an easy place for expats to integrate.

The important thing is to determine which quality of life factors matter most to you.

4)      Social network

It is great to have family support and contact. Yet for many people living abroad often means having to do without that.

In such situations, it is important to be in a location where there are plenty of opportunities to develop a strong circle of friends who can offer emotional support, and with whom you can share the good times.

5)      Future prospects

Looking ahead, what sort of life will your location offer?

Does it hold out the prospect of attractive career opportunities, for you and any children you may have?

If you are considering retirement there, is it affordable?  What sort of social life can you expect? How do the healthcare system, and healthcare costs, stack up?

Answer these crucial questions before you leave home and you have a much better chance of finding happiness and contentment when you arrive.

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The book starts with Agassi playing his last tournament before retiring, the 2006 US Open.

He is in New York with his wife, tennis superstar Steffi Graf, and their two young children. For the duration of the tournament the family stay in a suite at the Four Seasons hotel in Manhattan. A “lovely suite,” he says, yet it remains another of those places that are what he terms “Not Home.”

Rather, home is Las Vegas. For all the evident pain of his childhood, the constant pushing of his father and resulting hatred of his profession, Agassi remains wedded to the city where he was born and raised.

Relocating for love

As a result, it is Germany’s Steffi Graf who has made the move abroad.

Like any relationship where the partners hail from different countries, one or other has to give up their homeland. For some that may be a welcome move. For others, a painful sacrifice. Yet if they are to survive as a unit there is no other option.

I’m no trained relationship counsellor, so I’m not trying to be an Agony Uncle on this. But over the years I have seen a lot of couples wrestle with this location issue, with varying degrees of success. Some have continued happy and strong. Others, unfortunately, have not.

So what lessons can these sporting idols offer?

1)      Knowing the lingo

Graf has perfect English, which is a huge benefit.

Knowing or learning the local language is crucial when moving abroad. But it is even more important when moving to a partner’s country. Seeing as they will be jabbering away with extended family and friends in that tongue, you must be able to join in if you don’t want to get isolated socially.

2)      Partner’s understanding

The home country native also has responsibilities, not least to ensure they include their partner.

That means taking them places, introducing them to friends, giving them the freedom and opportunity to make their own social circle and interact with it, supporting them through any bouts of loneliness and homesickness. Understanding and support will be critical to prevent/repair any divisions.

3)      Affirm the decision

Why did Agassi and Graf settle in Las Vegas, rather than Germany or somewhere else?

Both partners need to be clear about why they have picked that particular location, rather than another.

You need to decide why, on balance, your choice of town/country offers the best quality of life for all concerned. Why does it have to be that person’s home, rather than the other way round?

If you aren’t both in agreement on this point, resentment and subsequent rupture can easily result.

4)      Love-all

It’s a book, so there is always potential for the writer to put a gloss on things. Nevertheless, what comes through in Agassi’s autobiography is evidence of a couple that adore each other.

Staying together in a long-term relationship is hard enough as it is. Trying to do it as an expat is next to impossible unless there are strong bonds of love, respect and friendship.

Ultimately, it is the love you have for each other that will keep you focused on what matters most, and get you through the inevitable difficulties arise.

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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. 

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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. 

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Abroad you may face unfamiliar market conditions, uncertainty around how to arrange a mortgage or how they are calculated, what legal processes are necessary and the fees you will have to pay. To complicate matters further you may not even speak the language.

Those are the sorts of obstacles my wife and I had to navigate when buying our house in Spain. It is not an experience I am eager to repeat.

Much better, I now realise, to get an expert who knows the market intimately to take the strain.

Professional Help

So I was intrigued when I heard recently about a Spanish-based company called Shortcuts Property Search (www.shortcutspropertysearch.com).

Their service is tailored to make both the searching for a property, and the actual buying process through to the signing of the escritura de compra/venta, as easy as possible. This is especially useful for people who don’t speak Spanish, and/or don’t have the time or money to make various trips to Spain before making up their minds.

Crucially, the service comes at no cost to the client either, as normally Shortcuts finds properties through agents who then pay it part of their commission. In situations where Shortcuts finds a property from a private seller the firm charges a 2% commission.

For the moment, Shortcuts Property Search only operates in Spain. But if you are buying property elsewhere in the world I would advise looking for a company that can provide a similar sort of service.

It will make the purchase process much easier and more enjoyable, saving you the stress and bitter aftertaste that can otherwise result. In the long run it will probably save you cash too, by helping you avoid all those ill-suited places, and instead finding you the best deal for your money.

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The attendees came from all over Europe and the Middle East. Some, like me, were from the UK. But most weren’t. There was a particularly big contingent from various parts of Scandinavia. There were also many from Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as a few from further afield.

The conference was all about current trends in the investment management world, and how software can be used to tackle the industry’s challenges. In other words, highly technical subject matter that mixed complicated financial concepts with complicated technology solutions.

All the presentations were in English. Yet even as a native speaker I found some of the concepts hard to grasp. And here were many of the speakers, as well as much of the audience, dealing with the topics in their second, and sometimes third, language.

English Proficiency

As always, the Swedes, Danes and Dutch proved especially fluent. And do you know what? In all my travels I have never met one who wasn’t. That may be a generalisation, but not much of one.

A 2005 European Commission study supports my impressions [1]. It reported that the percentage of the adult population able to converse in English was 85% in Sweden, 83% in Denmark, 79% in the Netherlands, 66% in Luxembourg and over 50% in Finland, Slovenia, Austria, Belgium and Germany.

By contrast, the report found only 30% of UK respondents can participate in a conversation in a language other than their mother tongue.

Foreign language benefits

Of course, part of the reason for the UK’s relatively low level of multilingual capacity is that English has become the lingua franca in so many fields: business, IT, science, entertainment and politics, to name a few.

Nevertheless, for any expats moving to non-English speaking parts of the world it is crucial they learn the native tongue. Even if you intend to live in an expat enclave in France or Mexico or China, having a good grasp of the local language will make your life easier, and happier.

It will help you:

• Manage day-to-day situations, such as buying quality food in local stores, dealing with utility companies and consulting with medical practitioners.
• Integrate into the community and make friends.
• Delve into the culture, history and social mores of the country, helping enrich your understanding and enjoyment of life there.

As a result, it will give you a sense of belonging, as well as one of achievement.

By contrast, a lack of local language skills leaves you isolated. And that can breed misunderstanding, resentment and fear.

Willingness to learn

Learning a foreign language can be a daunting prospect. But despite popular belief, it is never too late, as this article by Doug Bower argues[2].

Use it as an inspiration. Then take the time and make the effort to learn. It will be worth it.

[2] Am I Too Old to Learn a Second Language?, by Doug Bower, http://www.expatfocus.com/am-i-too-old-to-learn-a-second-language

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The report makes seven recommendations on how to tackle the challenges. They include:

• Planning for the growth to ensure adequate public services, infrastructure, jobs and training exist.
• Trying to change attitudes to consumption.
• Improving family planning to reduce the birth rate.
• Having an objective discussion on immigration, to discuss its benefits and discover ways to reduce the economic, social and environmental drivers that incite people to migrate.

As the think tank points out, population and immigration issues are hot political potatoes. Nevertheless, immigration has returned to the mainstream political agenda for the first time in years, as was evidenced during the recent UK election.

Indeed, the Government has just announced a new measure (the first in a series) to tighten immigration policy, in the form of an English language test for spouses and unmarried couples. This will require all non-European migrants to demonstrate a decent grasp of English before they can receive a visa.

According to Theresa May, the government’s Home Secretary: “The new English requirement for spouses will help promote integration, remove cultural barriers and protect public services.”

For expatriates of all stripes, local language knowledge is certainly a huge part of the integration equation. Without it, you are condemned to remain on the sidelines of society, restricted in your ability to make friends and deal with everything from local shopkeepers to the gas company.

The UK government’s initiative therefore sounds fair enough. I wonder how we would feel though if other countries – say Mexico or the United Arab Emirates – put onerous language restrictions in place on expatriates from English-speaking countries like the United States, Britain and Australia?

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I guess we went through all the usual trepidations parents feel as their ‘babies’ step through the school gates for the first time. Will she make friends? Will she like the teacher? Will she think we’ve deserted her? Will she be scared? Will she go to the toilet OK? What if she falls over in the playground and hurts herself? Will she behave? Will she like it, and want to go again tomorrow?

But there were some added concerns too. For one, the classes are all in Catalan, and she doesn’t speak a word of it, since we speak English at home. She’s also a chatterbox. So how would she be with this sudden entry into a world where she understands nothing her teacher and classmates say, and vice versa? Will she be bored in class? Frustrated? Resentful?

We know many kids from other countries have gone through the same process, and that as a result of this total immersion they pick up the language quickly. As the saying goes, kids are sponges. Nevertheless, to see them struggle through the transition phase from blank bewilderment to eventual fluency tugs on the heartstrings.

But the main, underlying reason for the worry is that our daughter has severe food allergies. At six months old she had an anaphylactic reaction to a doctor-prescribed, supposedly safe milk formula given to allergenic kids. We had to rush her to hospital as her mouth and tongue became swollen and she started to turn blue. I’ve never forgotten the terror of that car journey.

But now we have to let her out into the wide world, to a place where the kids bring breakfast and snacks into the classroom: bread, cheese, chocolate, biscuits and crisps, all the things that could produce another, potentially fatal, anaphylactic shock. To keep her safe we applied, and were eventually given funding, for a classroom assistant whose sole responsibility is to keep an eye on our daughter and see she doesn’t come into contact with these dangers. It is a comfort, the best case scenario we could hope for given the educational set up here in Spain. Still, it’s not easy to let go.

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