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Being offered a new job – or a promotion – across the sea is a huge accomplishment. A change like this could mean significant growth in your career and new opportunities for you and your family.
However, much planning and organizing also needs to be done on your part in order to make this move a possibility. Even if your company is sponsoring you to immigrate, there are plenty of plans you’ll need to get in order before the big moving day.
If you’ve got the word that you’ll need to pack your bags soon, here are the most important tasks to take care of ASAP.
Your Visas
First of all, make sure that you start the visa application process as early as you can. Depending on which country you’ll be moving to, and how the business wants to handle things, it can be a long and challenging task.
Each country has specific requirements and loads of forms and documents that will need to be filled in, signed, and processed. Sometimes, the visa application process can take up to a few months, so getting started early on will help eliminate stress later down the line.
Remember to reach out for help from an immigration agent if your business hasn’t handled this part of the process for you.
Insurance Policies
The next vital thing to start taking a look at is your insurance policies. In most cases, your health and other insurance policies won’t continue covering you in another country, so you’ll need to start by letting them know you’re moving and need to cancel.
Next, you’ll have to start researching your insurance options as a foreigner in your new country. The best way to do this is to look for expatriate insurance plans. These plans are specifically designed for foreigners and will fit the needs of someone living abroad and who might not have residency for a while.
Moving Your Possessions
A major decision that ex-pats face is whether they will ship all their belongings to their new home, or sell everything and start over from scratch.
If you choose to take your stuff with you, you’ll need to start researching moving options such as container shipping or any other options that might be available to you, depending on where and how far you’ll be traveling.
If you decide you’re going to start over, it’s a good idea to start selling and donating what you own and getting rid of things slowly but surely. You’ll be able to put any money you make towards building your new life.
Travel Plans
Aside from all your things, you’ll also need to transport yourself and potentially your family too! Booking your travel well in advance is a good way to save money and reduce some of the inevitable stress that comes along with a big relocation.
If you’re going to be relocating with your pets, remember that this is another process entirely. You’ll need to apply for it and complete various forms and documents in order to make it possible.
Make sure that you gather and keep all the necessary travel documents in a safe place during the weeks leading up to the move.
A Place to Live
Of course, when you arrive in your new home country, you’ll need a roof over your head. House hunting can be tough from the other side of the world, so you’ll need to do thorough research to help you through it.
Luckily, the internet makes these things possible for us. Use social media and community groups and forums to find useful information from locals. This can help you choose the best area to live in, what property prices are like, etc. If you’ve sold all your things, it might be a good idea to seek out a furnished place to start off with. Then, once you rent your own place, you’ll be able to slowly start purchasing new items for your home. Start with the essentials – basic appliances, a good mattress, and a sofa.
Short-Term Accommodation
If renting a home that you haven’t ever set foot in doesn’t sound smart to you, there are other options available too.
Finding short-term accommodation could be a better solution. You could lease a home or apartment (or even an Airbnb) for a few weeks or months and use this time to get to know the place better and seek out a home you genuinely want to live in. This will make the process a whole lot easier too.
Applying For Schools
Finally, if you have children, you’ll need to let their schools know that they will be leaving and contact schools in your destination country as soon as you can.
Getting your kids back into a healthy and normal routine as soon as possible will really help them to settle down, and missing too much of a school year could be detrimental, so it’s best to have this ready as soon as you arrive.
Image Credit: Photo by Alicia Christin Gerald on Unsplash