Features
Schools & studies
Despite economic gloom and restrictive immigration policies, many students are still eager to try their luck abroad, even if their home country has excellent universities. What motivates them to study abroad?
Work
Moving abroad as an employee offers many advantages. This means you can keep your job while enjoying an immersion in a foreign country. But what are your options to make this project a reality? Can your employer refuse your request? Let's find out.
Everyday life
If you're a single expat in a new country, you might be excited at the idea of going on dates in completely new places (a great way to discover restaurants and the local cuisine!) and meeting new romantic partners. The dating pool is different from the one back home, and so are the social norms around dating. How do you navigate these norms and ensure you're not making a faux pas or even putting yourself in danger? Here are some tips.
Banks and finance
You've saved money for years for your moving abroad plans. Your visa has arrived, your bags are packed, your plane is ready, and so is your new life. But panic grips you on your first day in your host country: what if you haven't saved enough? Will you have enough money to live abroad? Here are some practical tips for a worry-free relocation.
Moving
Moving abroad is an exciting adventure, but it can also be stressful, especially considering the long list of things to do before the big move. If you have valuables, you've likely wondered whether to take them with you. There's no one-size-fits-all answer; it depends on the type of items, their size, value, and the country you're moving to. Let's explore the options to ensure the security of your belongings as you embark on a journey overseas.
Everyday life
Voices around the world are urging governments to better address the suffering of parents experiencing a miscarriage. Some doctors prefer the term "involuntary pregnancy loss" over "miscarriage." Belgium recently made headlines with its reform, but many countries are still far from adopting similar measures. What should expats know if they find themselves in such a situation abroad?
Everyday life
International relocation is far from the idealized image often portrayed. This image usually glosses over travel difficulties and ignores the circumstances that push people to leave their country. When you no longer feel comfortable at home, leaving may seem the only option. This is the choice of many expatriates seeking an ordinary life they couldn't achieve in their home country.
Everyday life
Who are “people of color”? What is “Asia”? What are these never-ending gazes? This article aims to explore terms that are controversial and raise questions about our relationships with others and with ourselves as expats.
Everyday life
Moving to a new country almost always comes with a set of shocks. You may run into them right away or several months and even years into your stay. Out of all the shocks of an expat journey, culture shock is the most known and talked about. There are lots of resources online that will tell you how to manage culture shock, typically labeling it as something negative and unpleasant. But what if the culture shock you are experiencing is actually making you raise your own standards? It turns out that for some expats, culture shock can be a push.
Work
On one hand, labor shortages continue to hinder economic growth in many countries. On the other hand, immigration policies are increasingly selective, prioritizing the recruitment of skilled and highly skilled foreigners. What impact does this have on moving abroad plans? Is there a decline in immigration rates? Which nationalities are most affected?
Work
Long considered a significant drawback, gaps in a CV are gradually becoming more accepted in the international job market. Championed by young foreign talents and increasingly accepted by employers, career breaks have become a new trend. Young professionals are taking time off to find a better position, whether locally or abroad. How do international job seekers justify their choices, and how do employers react?
Cost of living
As you settle into your new expat life, you begin to find your bearings. Between housing, transportation, food and extras, how do you spend your money? What are your priorities for keeping control of your budget?
Everyday life
For queer expats, moving abroad means researching if a country is safe for them and will give them the same rights as heterosexual and cisgender expats. Here are some destinations which are more welcoming for LGBTQI+ expats.
Accommodation
Renting a home in Dubai as an expat is becoming more and more challenging. Faced with skyrocketing rents, more and more expatriates are considering real estate purchases to continue living in the city. What are the benefits of this investment? How can one become a homeowner in Dubai? Here are some insights and practical advice.
Everyday life
Being a parent in a foreign country can mean many things. Exciting, fun, scary, full of surprises... The list of adjectives here can go in all sorts of different directions. But while there is usually quite a bit of information and support facilities for women who seek support in parenting abroad, the options for expat fathers are rather limited. So, we thought we'd look behind the scenes at what it's like to be a father abroad – and where to look for help if you need it.
Everyday life
Is Dubai truly the new haven for foreign ultra-rich and bold investors? Beyond the city's superficial image, expats reveal a different reality—a far more ordinary daily life than the extravagance seen online. Let's uncover the other side of Dubai.
Tax
On September 9, 2022, the UAE, long regarded as a tax-free haven, announced the first batch of significant changes to its tax regulations. The changes affect both individuals and companies and, potentially, the business landscape of the country. The new rules also have direct implications for expats — with some finding themselves in a new tax residency status. So, what do the new regulations actually say?
Everyday life
Today's youth are more mobile than previous generations. The job market has no borders for them, and more young people are dreaming of a perfect life abroad. However, in a global economic crisis, are these major destinations still accessible?
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?
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