Consider visa fees and the minimum income requirement to bring your family with you
When moving abroad with family members, you will have to pay for additional visas. For example, when moving to the UK for work, you need to pay an additional £1,048 or £1,538 in visa fees to bring an adult child, spouse or partner with you. The lower fee (£1,048) is for when you apply within the UK rather than from a foreign country. The fee is also lower if it's for a child under the age of 18: £1,175. With this visa, they can stay in the UK for 2.6 years. You can also apply directly for a family visa with a longer duration, but it will cost more, up to over £3,000. Family visas are generally approved within 8-24 weeks, and you can pay an additional fee for them to be processed more rapidly.
There is also a higher income requirement than if you were relocating alone. If you have no children and it's only your partner who is relocating with you to the UK, you need to show that you earn a combined income of at least £18,600 as a couple. With one child, the combined income should be at least £22,400, and it keeps rising with an increasing number of children.
Family visa fees or income requirements can rise in line with the cost of living or a change in immigration policy. In September 2022, Kuwait's Minister of the Interior announced that it is increasing the minimum income requirement for family reunification to 800 dinars (2,600 USD). Previously, it was only 500 dinars (around 1,600 USD). This poses a problem for many expats in working-class jobs who earn far less than this. Indeed, expats have been leaving all Gulf countries, including Kuwait, in recent years partly because of their financial inability to bring or keep their families there.
When negotiating with your employer, try to at least ensure that they can pay you the income requirement to bring your family, even if they can't cover all family visa expenses. You also need to check well who qualifies as “family” in each country: for instance, bringing your same-sex partner to a country that doesn't recognize same-sex marriages and doesn't have marriage recognition treaties might prove to be difficult. The same goes for countries that do not recognize civil partnerships of any kind.
In case your family members are indeed able to join you, emphasize with your company that your family's presence is important for you to be happy and productive. Present this as a win-win situation where the company will benefit from your increased productivity deriving from having family support and reduced financial stress during your time as an expat. Bring up laws that support family reunification as a fundamental human right, and say that you need the company's financial assistance to enjoy this right.
Consider the costs of housing, education, transport and insurance for a family
Besides visa fees and income requirements, you will also need to spend more on housing, education, insurance and transport if you're moving with your family.
First of all, you won't be able to stay in a studio or shared residence. It's recommended to take a short trip to the country/city and explore neighborhoods you might want to live in. If you have children, it's important to check if these neighborhoods are child-friendly: if there are spaces for them to play, parks, nearby schools, activities for kids, etc. You might need to explain to your employer that you cannot live close to the city center, where the office might be because a house on the outskirts/in the suburbs might provide a better environment for your children.
If your company will be giving you a car lease, you might need to explain to them that you need a larger family car. Private or public health insurance is also a significant concern. Some countries, notably the UK, require a surcharge fee to be paid to the public health services for each relocating member. Other countries will accept only private health insurance. While most employers will, at the very least, provide basic medical insurance, check well if all family members receive the same coverage level.
If you have a family member who has a pre-existing condition or disability that is medically costly, negotiate with your company about getting good insurance coverage for them. If you are in your 20s-40s and with a partner you want to have children with, there is always a possibility of you getting pregnant while abroad. In this case, make sure you or your partner's health insurance coverage includes pregnancy. You should also discuss with your employer if any family member can be repatriated home at the company's cost in case of a health emergency.
Education options can be a big headache when relocating with children under 18. Will your kids be able to enroll in a public school? If you need to pay for a private school, how expensive will it be? It would be best if you discussed any education allowance or reimbursement for private schooling with your company before relocating, especially when you have more than one child.
In some countries, language and culture might be barriers to enrolling your child in a public school. For example, in Saudi Arabia, public schools use only Arabic as a medium of instruction. They are also gender-segregated schools, and their curriculums are not secular. With these restrictions, the vast majority of expats in Saudi Arabia have no other choice but to send their children to fee-paying private schools.
Different forms of financial assistance for relocating your family
The exact way your company provides you with financial assistance can vary. They can offer you a lump sum, allowances, reimbursement, or a subscription to a third-party service.
A lump sum is a fixed amount of money given before you and your family even take the plane. This is usually to cover initial costs, such as paying for visas, flights or a house deposit. An allowance is a fixed amount of money given to you each month for a specific purpose. For instance, you can get an allowance that needs to be used only for your minor child's education costs, or you can get a transport allowance for your whole family. You can also get a “hardship allowance” for relocating to a place without ideal living conditions for your family, for example, a remote rural region with poor internet connectivity.
As for reimbursements, you first need to pay out of your pocket and then claim these expenses from your company at a later date. You could be reimbursed for language and adaptability classes you and your family had to take, for instance. Alternatively, your company may directly hire a third-party service to help you with the relocation process. For instance, they may hire an immigration firm to handle your family visas.
When negotiating for financial assistance, highlight your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Highlight the technical and cross-cultural qualities you can bring to this international assignment that other employees might not have. This includes foreign language skills, experience studying or working abroad, your multicultural family background, and rare technical expertise. Show that you need a cost-effective balance for you and your family to be persuaded to uproot your lives to help the company in a foreign country.
