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23 Sep 2015

A Guide to Moving your Workforce Abroad

If you are moving employees overseas to work, there are a lot of things to consider. It’s important to ensure your employee enjoys a seamless transition from their life here to a new life in another country, not only for your employee’s benefit but also so that their work and productivity are not affected by a poorly planned move. With this in mind we’ve decided to create a complete guide on how to go about arranging to move your employees to an overseas location for work. A good way to get started is to prepare a to-do list that covers the necessary considerations. This might include:

Paperwork

Visas, passports, work permits and the like all need to be taken care of in plenty of time. Do not, any under any circumstance, leave anything to the last minute as it can take time to update expired passports and lodge visa applications. For this reason, ensuring all paperwork is attended to should be of the utmost priority. Be sure to carry out plenty of research to determine what kind of visas paperwork is required and what the correct procedure is for applying.

Accommodation

Ensure that you have accommodation in place for each stage of the transfer from the country country to the new destination. It’s important to note that this may include periods of temporary accommodation both here and abroad. Don’t forget to organise travel between any temporary locations arranged in advance as well.

Moving Goods

Sending items such as furniture abroad can be pricey, so it makes sense first of all to determine what’s worth sending over in the first place. For some items, it may make more sense just to sell them and buy new ones in the destination country if a long-term or indefinite move is planned. There are specialised companies which move freight overseas, they can advise you on this and give you a quote (don’t forget to shop around and read reviews)

Vaccinations

Depending on the destination country you are sending your employee or employees to, it may be the case that certain vaccinations are a legal requirement for entry. Be sure to look into this and advise your employee accordingly. A general health check up prior to moving is a good idea as well.

Taxes

Be sure to conduct some research with regard to how the move will affect employee taxation. Again, this will vary from country to country. In some instances your employee might not be obliged to register with the local tax authority in the destination country, but will instead be required to continue to make contributions in their country of origin. Be sure to research this thoroughly to assist your employee as much as possible.

As well as all of the above pre-move practical aspects to take into consideration, it’s also a good idea to help your employee with the transition into their new life upon arrival. Starting a new life overseas can be equal parts thrilling and nerve-racking due to the experience of encountering the new and unknown. To help, you can research the culture, attractions and amenities of the destination country and then prepare a guide to settling in to help your valued employees on their way.


Sheila Woods

Posted by: Sheila Woods

A very experienced migration agent, Sheila has always been fascinated by this field. Her university degree thesis was on Australia’s post-war immigration history (and it earned her first-class honours).


Filed in: Visas

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