What if your International move goes wrong?
International moves – the downsides and what to look out for
If you are a regular follower of these blogs, you will know that I spend much time collaborating with clients who are thinking of making the move overseas. We look at the international labour markets, create CVs and Cover Letters to suit the needs of the country to which they wish to move and create recruitment plans to do so. You will also know that I have extensive personal experience of living and working abroad and really do believe it is one of the most enriching educational experiences you can ever undertake. It requires a great deal of confidence, breaking the fear factor barrier and wading through lots of bureaucracy but almost always worth it!
However, there are downsides, as with everything, and I think it’s essential to discuss what you might want to consider before making that all important move.
Last month I wrote about my international moves from Dubai to France and most recently again from France to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. After much deliberation and preparation for this latest move we took the risk of moving our lives across the seas to start a new chapter. Unfortunately, after one year of working in the region and after only two weeks of my arrival there my other half was made redundant along with other senior colleagues. This, together with other prevalent personal circumstances, forced us to take the difficult decision to return to our home in France from where I am writing this blog.
It is always an awkward thing to go through under any normal circumstances, but these were particularly difficult. We both have a great deal of experience of working in that region so it wasn’t as shocking to us as it might have been to complete newbies. So, it led me to think about how other people could prepare themselves for this. Here are eight things that spring to mind that may just help you to consider your move:
1. Understand your visa and entitlements in the country to which you move:
o No two visas are necessarily the same and some will entitle you to more than others. This is especially important for countries where the employer is the sponsor.
o Understand what will happen when you leave your position or have your position terminated by the company – some countries will ask you to leave within a relatively short space of time.
o You may not be entitled to transfer your visa to go and work for another company meaning you will have to exit the country and face difficulties in returning.
o Be aware that some family visas will have to be cancelled in advance of the main sponsor’s visa and family may have to return home first. You may not be travelling together therefore.
2. Learn something about Labour Law in the country to which you move:
o As a foreigner who does not know the law you may be on the back foot when it comes to entitlements and knowing what to question in your contract.
o Always ask questions about notice periods, non-disclosure, leaving to work for a competitor and the all-important probationary period. In many countries the probationary period is still a contractual requirement which can make moving overseas a little bit risky. Some countries can legally extend this probationary period and so you need to be aware of the repercussions of this happening.
o Many countries have less strict labour laws in place making it far easier to terminate contracts. Don’t rely on labour law to save you as it may in your country of origin.
3. Make sure you are covered for Healthcare and Additional Insurance Requirements – whether this is through your company, as a state entitlement, or something you must do personally.
o This will vary quite dramatically depending upon the country to which you travel so make sure you are fully aware
o In France, because I have a business etc. here, I have state entitlements as well as private medical insurance. In addition, whilst living in France I have a European Health Card for travel around the Schengen areas.
o In the UK, my country of origin, we have state entitlements and you can buy into private medical plans.
o In Dubai & Saudi Arabia we always had private healthcare provided by the companies for which we worked. This is fairly standard in that region. The level of these entitlements varies quite considerably though so always know what is covered!
4. Exercise a little caution before moving all your personal belongings:
o It is often favourable to take only the bare minimum with you in the beginning and rent a serviced apartment until you find your feet. International moves are hard and packing up houses to ship belongings a major upheaval. Thankfully, we didn’t do that on this trip, and it did make the transition easier.
o Try no to buy too much when you get there until you pass your probationary period and know 100% that you want to stay there.
5. Get involved in Expat/ International Groups in the country you are moving to:
o I can’t stress this enough – start to make connections before you move and ask the right questions. Don’t do it all online, connect and talk to people and really understand what you want to know.
o When you get there and if you find yourself in a tricky situation, these people will be an extremely useful resource.
6. Always have an emergency fund:
o I’ve been saying this for more than 20 years. If you go abroad, always always always have enough money in your account to go home if you need to!
7. Have a good Tax Accountant in place who understands International Regulations:
o When moving here and there it means there are often unforeseen implications for you. We have an amazing accountant both here in France and in the UK who understand the lifestyle we lead and the places we work in. This has proven invaluable to us over the years to ensure that we are always covered and meeting all legal requirements. If you are new to all this, I would definitely suggest you don’t try to go it alone.
o The first thing we did on arriving back to France was to chat with our accountants so that gives you some indication of just how important it is.
8. Expect the Unexpected
o If you have to return home, it is not a failure. You must always be prepared for this possibility when you are in a foreign country. You are an outsider and regardless of how long you spend there it is always possible that you will have to return home.
I am sure there are many other major considerations, but I thought I would share the most prevalent in my mind this week. I would be super interested to hear your own experiences of international moves that may not have gone to plan.
If you are overseas and currently in the middle of a difficult situation, please get in touch and we will try to help.