Features
Moving
Moving abroad involves meticulous preparation and decision making. If you are a first time expat, it's okay to feel unsure about your choises — you already have enough on your plate. Are you immersed in long conversations with your family and friends about the next steps to securing a property? Some will argue that's better to rent a home abroad while others are ardent buyers. And what about your current home? Should you let or sell?
Everyday life
It is this time of the year again — the dispute over the Christmas tree, the endless shopping list, and Mariah Carey's hit in the background. But this year you are more of an observant than a participant in this hilarity. You are away from home — an expat in a foreign country — and when everything around you is about family and the people we love, you feel low and melancholic. Turn off your Facebook notifications (Facebook is argued to boost feelings of sadness and loneliness), and let us inspire you for a very merry Christmas away from home.
Cost of living
We hear that you have started working on your expat project. First you have to decide the country that best matches your needs, and then possibly the city that you would like to live in. Whether you are jumping off to this adventure alone or with your family, and regardless of your planned activity in the destination country — business, self-employment, retirement, leisure, etc. — an insight in the cost of living will boost your preparation levels. We are here to help you discover the most expensive cities in the world according to ECA International, a specialist in international mobility.
Everyday life
Earthquakes, cyclones, floods, droughts, are all legitimate conditions that you don't wish to run into when setting up your expat life abroad. But as nature's power is unfathomable, natural disasters cannot be utterly stove off. However, their catastrophic impact can be dwarfed with the key infrastructure in place, cross-sector coordination, and operative technology. So, before you let fears and misreport put the parachute on your expat ambitions, refer to our recap of this year's World Risk Index, and grasp the difference between exposure and vulnerability.
Qatar
Unskilled international workers in Qatar will no longer need sponsorship to be allowed to work in the country, as announced on Monday by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs.
Everyday life
How much does the official language of the destination country affect your expat plans? And what does the communication language of multicultural organisations mean for international employees, and businesses' efficiency? Intercultural communication is one of the key elements involved in expatriation, and globalised workplaces are reforming — some faster than others — the ways they interact in order to defeat language barriers and to expose international talent.
Moving
In 2015, the United Nations recorded 244 million international migrants, who are now part of the economies and societies they live in. People leave their country for a ton of different reasons (work, health, family, etc.), but they seem to have similar destination preferences. The United States hosts the largest number of international migrants (47 million), followed by Germany, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. 天美麻豆, the informative and interactive website for life abroad, is revealing the most popular expat destinations among its members — before looking into where American expats head to.
Malta
Sunny weather, relaxed lifestyle and entrepreneurial mindset — Malta is well on its way to becoming one of Europe's top expat destinations, attracting affluent foreigners, expats, and well-travelled professionals looking to not only reside permanently on the island but also develop a professional network.
Schools & studies
When relocating with children, the education system in the destination country is something you don't take lightly as a parent. Governments repeatedly make education reforms a priority, but there's nothing like ideal education system — yet. Singapore's students have just been announced the highest-performing in international maths and science tests, while Finland has for four decades been the paradigm of successful education. Your expat children will have to adapt to an education environment that is unique to the country, but don't underestimate the role of cultural and family values.
Banks and finance
It was only a generation ago that a successful living was very much defined by a stable job in a well-established company or the public sector. But millennials — backed by the advanced telecommunications industry — take on part-time and freelance jobs, work remotely, and aspire to become entrepreneurs. This shift in employment trends stemming from millennials' traits — open-minded, risk takers, and passionate administrators of their own lives — revolutionises the motives for expatriation and traveling.
Work
Moving abroad when you are young can be the best present you have ever given yourself. Youth — as your parents usually say — is all about first-hand experience, learning about the world, meeting new people, exchanging passions and ideas, and defining your career aspirations. Every year, thousands of students, graduates, and first-time employees choose to move abroad to satisfy their curiosity, and to build their personal brand.
Everyday life
The political and social debate on climate change, and the effects it has on all beings, our environment, and health is a matter of shared interest. According to migration experts, climate change will soon give rise to big waves of migration, indistinctively forcing citizens to move to less vulnerable countries.
Malta
Travelling is a lot about enriching your personal experience and indulging into adventure. Malta is a destination that has something special to offer to all avid travellers. Built on rich history, cherished with wonderful festivals, and exceptional recreational resorts, the island has something for everyone to see no matter what their taste.
Health system
Are you planning to make the big move abroad? There's a lot to think about, and plenty of organisation to do before you bid farewell to your friends and family, and salute the new opportunities and adventures ahead. But, wait a minute — what about your four-legged furry friend? Expatriation is as stressful for pets, as it's for us. With this in mind, 天美麻豆 brings you some tips on how to make the moving an as smooth as possible process for your pet.
Work
If you have been dreaming about moving abroad to discover new cultures with the possibility of working, the Working Holiday Visa (WHV) could be meant for you. Discover the benefits of the WHV with 天美麻豆 if you are aged 18 to 31.
Everyday life
Don't fall for statements that declare the weather as the imperator of our mood — a look at the 2016 World Happiness Report shows that the seven happiest countries in the world are countries with generous wintry weather (Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Canada, Netherlands). Yet, we all have preferences, and weather can brighten you up, or put your mood on ice. So, if you are planning to expatriate soon, or are already living abroad, 天美麻豆 is here to shelter you from the strong winds, or the blazing sun.
Mexico
Tina arrived in Mexico with her husband and her four children to experience the slower pace of life in the country. She shared with 天美麻豆 her feelings about life in Mexico, as an American mother of four children.
Children
Homeschooling is a viable education option for expatriates and their children, who either don't have access to international schools, cannot afford the fees of private schools, don't applaud public institutions, or are merely supporters of this ambiguous teaching and learning method. Expatriation with children adds on your to do list an extra duty — to arrange schooling for them — that depending on the destination country, can be easier or harder to accomplish. Here we present homeschooling, but it's for your family to decide what's the best way to the children's education.
Other Types
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.
USA
Another blow for foreigners in the United States. On May 22, a memo from the US immigration services introduced a new rule aimed at limiting legal immigration. Apart from a few exceptions, Green Card applications will now have to be filed from the applicant's country of origin. What is the current situation?
Open a bank account that suits you
Discover the best international banks to manage your money securely.
"