Features
Children
Work, curiosity, quality of life (or all of these combined) are excellent reasons to move to a new country. But expatriating with a child brings some legit, culture-related points to the equation of the expat life. How does raising a child in an environment that is unfamiliar even to you as a parent impacts their upbringing and cultural identity? Read through to find out ways to help your child navigate through the culture of your host country, and make the most of being a Third Culture Kid.
France
The French Tech visa has just been reviewed. Since March this year, the program has allowed more companies to bring in skilled foreign labor.
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.
Thailand
The petition has reached around 4000 signatures of expatriates living in Thailand. The latter are seeking the abolishment of the TM 30 rule. That is, the requirement for them to inform immigration should they spend more than 24 hours in another province.
Everyday life
Settling down abroad is an exciting adventure. It is a journey to discover others, but also the self. There are so many things to decide on, starting with your host country. How do you make the right choice? What are the things to look out for? And when you're disabled, these become even more important. Settling abroad with a disability narrows down your choices. But how can you make it work? And what countries are making progress on issues related to accessibility and inclusiveness? We launched a discussion on this topic our forums last week and in view of the answers, Expat.com takes stock of the challenges of moving abroad with a disability.
Moving
A scouting expat trip is a process of testing the waters before making a life-changing decision to move (or not) to a country. At first, it may sound unreasonable to spend all this money and time to visit a place where you are most likely relocating to anyway. But it's actually a wise choice and a thoughtful investment towards your expatriation project. In the long term, it can save you a whole lot of hustle. So, don't take someone else's word for your prospecting expat country; find out for yourself. Here's a primer on how to make the most of your scouting trip.
Everyday life
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...
Work
Published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, Cornell University, and INSEAD, the 2019 Global Innovation Index takes a thorough look at the global economy. It takes into account qualitative and quantitative data mainly of an economic and political nature divided into seven categories: institutions, human capital, infrastructure, modern financial markets, modern labor market, research and development and creativity. For each category, the countries are rated with a score of 1 to 100. We have looked through the report and bring you the 10 best countries for innovation.
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.
Everyday life
Records of expat blues date as far back as the 8th century BC, in Homer's ancient Greek epic poem of Odyssey. Throughout his 20-year-long perilous journey, Odysseus was finding comfort in the hope that one day, he would kiss the soil of his homeland and see his family. Nowadays, expatriation is taking lighter forms — partly due to technology and ease of travelling. However, symptoms of perturbation and low spirits are characteristic among those suffering from homesickness.
Portugal
If you have always wanted to work or set up a business in Portugal, we have some good news for you! The government is introducing a new list of activities with high added value as of January 1st, 2020, allowing more non-habitual residents to enjoy tax incentives provided. The announcement was made by the Portuguese Finance Minister, Mário José Gomes de Freitas Centeno, with the aim of making the country even more attractive in the eyes of foreign professionals.
We sometimes tend to see expats in a more or less caricatural way. Earns a good living, enjoys an enviable quality of life. Or, on the other side, a more humanistic picture, a traveler in search of meaning. One who wants to discover and understand a new culture. We forget, however, that above it all, expats are still subject to the rules of their host countries and that they can indeed be deported.
Visas
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?
Switzerland
Switzerland is not just banks and chocolate. The country also offers excellent quality of life and a plethora of other benefits for expatriates. So much so, that expats have chosen Switzerland as their favorite country in the HSBC Expat Explorer 2019. Here is what makes Switzerland a country of choice for expatriates...
Tax
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?
Schools & studies
Following the release of the Teaching and Learning report of the OECD, which aims to provide insights into education systems as well as the conditions for teaching and learning in the OECD countries, we've decided to take a closer look at one of the avenues of moving abroad— teaching.
Cost of living
Western Europe is not exactly known as the cheapest destination for expats. However, European cities have lost a few places on the Mercer's ranking of most expensive cities. Expat.com takes a closer look at the ranking.
A leap of a full seven places for Switzerland this year as it becomes the best country for expatriates according to the HSBC Expat Explorer Report for 2019. Second is Singapore followed by Canada, Spain and New Zealand. We have a look at the intricacies of the ranking.
Other Types
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If you've been searching for a stable, profitable, and strategically located country to grow your business or diversify your investment portfolio, Panama should be at the very top of your list. Panama is not just a country with a famous canal. It is one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America, a regional financial hub, and a proven gateway for companies looking to expand across North and South America. With a dollarized economy, a territorial tax system, world-class logistics infrastructure, and investor-friendly immigration policies, Panama offers a unique combination of advantages that few countries in the world can match.
Everyday life
Moving abroad is often associated with adventure, discovery, and new opportunities. While it can be a deeply enriching experience, there is often a less visible reality behind the excitement of starting a new life abroad: exhaustion. In my consultations, expats sometimes describe a fatigue that never seems to lift, unusual irritability, a sense of disconnection, or the feeling that they are no longer quite themselves. What I have also observed is that this distress is rarely confined to one person. In expat families, when one parent begins to struggle, the entire family often has to adapt. Partners may feel isolated or lose their sense of direction, while children can pick up on their parents' stress, worries, or emotional fatigue, even when these feelings are never openly discussed.
New Zealand
Since June 1, foreign workers seeking certain work visas in New Zealand have been subject to new English language requirements. The government says the changes are intended to improve migrant integration and help prevent workplace exploitation.
Sweden
Since June 1, Sweden has tightened its work permit regulations. The new rules introduce higher salary requirements, stricter conditions for seasonal workers, mandatory health insurance in some cases, and increased scrutiny of employers.
Belgium
Belgium's latest reforms, which took effect on June 1, bring greater flexibility to the labor market in an effort to support job creation. At the same time, the government has introduced stricter requirements for non-European students.
United Arab Emirates
Foreign residents in the United Arab Emirates should take note: under UAE regulations, residence visas are generally canceled if the holder remains outside the country for more than 180 consecutive days. In most cases, affected residents must apply for a new visa before returning. However, several categories of expatriates are exempt from this rule and can retain their residency status despite an extended stay abroad.
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