ExpatExchange Blog

The stories of British expats in Spain that face hardship and ultimately decide to return home continue to pop up in the press. It’s worth noting that the fallout we’ve seen from the economic problems has been varied. While there are expats in Spain heading back to Britain, there have also been a large number of people looking for information about how to move from America and Britain in an effort to land in more affordable countries. This includes a lot of individuals that would like to be expats in Mexico or expats in Ecuador.

With another bombing in Indonesia, the reality that there will be inherent dangers for expats moving overseas is once again driven home to expats everywhere. Another threat, ending up incarcerated, is also a reality for reasons that are sometimes difficult to understand. Business practices vary from country to country, and a cross-cultural blunder may land one in prison. It’s difficult to say what happened in the UAE instance discussed in the article, but it does make one pause to make sure that one has a full understanding of the implications of his or her business practices.

Over the course of ExpatExchange.com’s evolution (12 years now), it has been interesting to read how expats assess, plan for, and rationalize the risks taken while living overseas. International living can be fun, challenging and rewarding, but it’s important to carefully mangage each international assignment to minimize risks.

Those expats already in China don’t need to be told the extremes to which Chinese officials are going to prevent an epidemic of Swine Flu there. Expats arriving soon should expect to spend a week in quarantine in China to ensure you are not unknowingly packing the H1N1 virus. This is in addition to the other extreme measures they are taking, such as taking the temperature of everyone arriving at airports from abroad. And don’t confuse our use of the word “extreme” to mean that we disapprove of the measures, especially when one considers the small number of cases contracted in China compared to other countries, such as the U.K. and the U.S.

Predictably, there have been reductions in benefits offered to expatriate employees of multi-national corporations. In the past, it was not uncommon for some companies to provide a lump sum that the expat would have to use as he or she wished when moving overseas. However, there appears to be an increase in the number of firms utilizing this strategy in order to put a cap on the overall expenditure spent per relocation. Read more about reduced benefits for expatriate employees.

An interesting HSBC survey finds that Australians living abroad are among the highest wage earners for expats. Conversely, expats living in Australia were the lowest earners of all nations surveyed. Surprisingly - or perhaps not - those expats in Australia have no plans to leave.

Emerging economies in the Middle East, Asia and Russia pay the most to foreign workers, according to the survey. With an unemployment rate lower than in many other nations, Australia is also luring Australian expats back home. While there is a higher percentage of Australian expats earning in excess of $320,000, the Aussie are being drawn to the home economy that appears to be less tumultuous.

ExpatExchange is mentioned in a new article on Kiplinger.com that examines what it means to try to transfer your working life to China, either by moving there or by starting a business that relies upon it for lower cost of labor or products. Marty Nemko’s On the Job Column provides some insight into the different factors involved and some important considerations that need to be made. Casting Your Lot With China also contains some great links to additional resources that will prove useful if you are trying to decide whether or not to take the China plunge.

It’s not just Tokyo that ranks at the top of the list for the most expensive cities in the world for expatriates. While Tokyo is number one, Osaka, another city further south on the main island of Honshu, ranked at number 2. As always, it’s so important to go into an expatriate assignment with a full understanding of what the financial implications are likely to be before moving overseas. At the other end of the spectrum, Johannesburg was the cheapest city included in the survey. For full results, visit this Expatriate Cost of Living Survey article on Yahoo News.

Remember a few weeks ago when we pointed out that New Zealand was the top destination as far as British expats were concerned? Well, that would be great, so long as work permits will be issued and can be retained. As more and more Kiwi expats return home and go on the public dole, it’s becoming more and more difficult for foreigners to gain and hold onto these all important documents. It’s one of the oldest and most formidable challenges to moving overseas and working abroad, and once again it’s rearing its ugly head.

When Expat Exchange was first conceptualized, the driving idea behind it was that expats that have already made the transition to international living are the best source of information for those just looking into moving overseas.

Once in a while, we have to step back and appreciate how generous our members can be with one another. As a pscyhotherapist, I can tell you that one way to establish a positive self-image is to demonstrate to yourself that you have something to offer other people.

Here is a recent example of just how Expat Exchange users can make a big difference in managing the process of relocating from one country to another. In this thread on the UAE Network, one expat received all kinds of valuable information about moving to abu dhabi.

Additionally, posts like this are just so interesting for those of us that are enamored by world cultures and what it is actually like to live outside of one’s country and culture. Enjoy!

Josh Wood