Formalities - Expat Magazine
England
If you've been following the news, then chances are, you already know that after a long three years, the UK has finally decided to move forward with its divorce from the European Union. One of the main issues politicians promised to tackle with Brexit was immigration. Fearing the loss of jobs for native UK citizens, the government's introduced a new points-based immigration system that'll go into effect on the 1st of January 2021.
Thinking of immigrating to the UK after that date? Then here's what you need to know.
Settling down in a new country is no easy feat. Getting your head round all the new laws surrounding residency and your rights as a resident but also, if you want to, staying in touch with your home country's political and economic life is a lot to take in. Usually, embassies and consulates are present to help you settle in. But what exactly are their use to an expatriate? And more importantly, can one settle in a country where there is no diplomatic representation?
At midnight on the 31st of January, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union after a three-year tug-of-war within the British parliament itself. So, now that it is done, what does it mean for British expats living in the EU and EU expats living in the United Kingdom?
So you have decided to retire abroad? Have you yet chosen the country where you would like to spend the rest of your life? Age UK website recently published its study about the best countries to live in for the elderly. It comes as no surprise that Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia top the list for factors like security, life expectancy, etc.
In India, the principle of citizenship has been largely discussed in the media and on the political sphere in the last few weeks. We seize the opportunity to talk about dual citizenship. An opportunity which often arises for expatriates. What is it? And what the pros and cons?
Ethiopia
Last week, Ethiopia made history with Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, winning the Nobel peace prize for establishing a peace agreement with neighbouring Eritrea, challenging media censorship, fighting corruption, and increasing women's social and political presence, among others. But what is it like to be an expat in Ethiopia? Expat.com dives into Ethiopia's profile as an expat destination and speaks with a long-term expat in Addis Ababa for a first-hand insight of what expat life in Ethiopia is actually like.
Canada
Canada, one of the most popular expat destinations, is set to elect their Prime Minister on the 21st of October. Expat.com chats to a short-term expat living in Canada at the moment as well as a long-term expat who has chosen to run in the elections.
Whereas a retirement plan should be a concern for every adult who wishes to spend their golden years in relative comfort, expats have a lot more to organise when it comes to their pension. Precisely, if you have been living and working abroad for many years, you cannot rely on what your home country's national pension scheme has to offer. To make things clearer and your expat life easier, we have put together some insightful information about retirement planning when working outside your home country.
Parliament has been suspended by Boris Johnson and whether Brexit is a deal or no deal remains to be seen. Keep an eye on the news to find out more about recent developments and what they could mean for the future of UK and EU relations.
England
The aim is to ensure continued top level research and innovation in the UK after a no-deal Brexit. Indeed, Britain's new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has announced plans to make it easier for scientists to seek residence visas in the UK after Brexit which is scheduled in October this year.
There are a lot of things one anticipates when moving abroad. Health problems, money issues, maybe even loss of a job. It is harder and less common, though, to anticipate break-ups and divorce. And divorce as expats definitely is no easy feat...
United Arab Emirates
Until now, only women could benefit from a work permit sponsored by a family member. Husbands could sponsor their wives for a work permit but not the other way round. But, things are changing. As of this month, women will also be able to sponsor their husbands, fathers and adult children for a work permit. This will allow more women to find and accept jobs in the UAE and will increase the pool of workers within the UAE.
Want some good news? Australia, which has a working holiday visa agreements with a plethora of countries, has just rolled back the age limit for applying for working holiday visas to 35 years. Indeed, most countries offering WHVs target young people aged 18 to 30 years old. This means that more people can benefit from this avenue of expatriation. But what even is a WHV?
A recently proposed change to the capital gains tax for Australians residing abroad has caused quite a bit of a stir in the https://www.expat.community: the proposed law could have imposed heavy tax bills on thousands of Australians living outside their home country and was retrospective (which meant it would affect those having property in the country as far back as 1985).
While the new law has lapsed and may not be implemented at all — it does raise an often confusing and complicated question: how, where and how much tax should an expat be paying?
The unusual regulation regarding American visas is about to become a reality. Indeed, it seems that in the very near future, candidates for working visas in the United States (with the exception of diplomatic visas) will have to disclose the details of their Facebook profile and their social media networks as an integral part of their application. This measure, although it is not in force anywhere else yet, reminds us that obtaining a work or residence visa is not always an easy feat...
The European Union (EU) elections begin this Thursday 23rd of May. Does the European expatriate community feel concerned about these elections? Are they going to vote? We asked a couple of them living within or outside of the European Union.
China
Shanghai's new visa strategy for entrepreneurs could be a real game-changer. In this article, Expat.com explores what could make the city a dynamic, innovative start-up hub.
Saudi Arabia
$200,000. This is what it will cost you to move to Saudi Arabia without a sponsor. Indeed, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved this measure last Tuesday 14th of May 2019. This measure should help attract wealthy and high-skilled expats according to the Saudi Gazette.
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