Success in an overseas work assignment or the ability to drive business performance in others who differ culturally is directly correlated to having higher levels of cultural awareness, whether one has “boots on the ground” or is working virtually. Today we have a radically different world than ten years ago. Today’s marketplace can be defined …
Singapore is considered by many to be an expat metropolis. Companies from all around the world are sending their employees to Singapore, where four main ethnicities (Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Eurasian) co-exist in tropical tolerance. A large community of foreigners lives and raises their children in the country without fear of crime or even impolite …
The majority of expats face difficulties in their new surroundings. A recent poll shows that the top three personality traits that lead to successful expat assignments are: flexibility, sense of humor, and resiliency. While some of these characteristics may seem obvious, putting them into practice can be challenging. Flexibility is needed when dealing with …
Everyone expects expats to have an adjustment period when moving to a new host country, but what about when they return home? Most expatriates underestimate the potential challenges to readjusting to life in their home country after an international assignment. However, studies have shown that repatriation is often the most challenging phase of an expatriate …
In 2008, when the US housing bubble burst, the effects were felt worldwide. Banks collapsed, economies went into a tailspin and too many people lost their homes. As the real estate market saw housing prices plummet, the relocation industry had to reevaluate many practices revolving around home sale for assignees. Effective January 2014, the Consumer …
Traveling internationally is perceived as glamorous or adventurous. Coming home, not so much. Fatigue and over exposure to confined spaces can leave the best of us looking like our passport photo. After a long trip, the long lines one encounters in the Customs department can sap the glamour out of traveling. Recently, however, the US …
In New Jersey, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) locations are now accepting driver’s licenses from China as long as they are translated into English. Under the old system, an expat from China would have to take and pass a written test and a road test before receiving an American driver’s license. Now, a Chinese …
Exchanging a foreign driver’s license in Switzerland: Switzerland recognizes foreign driver’s license and people can drive for the first 12 months with their existing license (an International Driver’s license is needed when the language of the driver’s license is not recognized by the Swiss authorities.) After 12 months people need to …
Adolescence can be a difficult time, and experiences such as these can add to the already stressful lives of children living abroad.
If you can read this sentence with ease, then you might be one of many who take communicating in English for granted. Not only is English the second most spoken language in the world, impressively, but it is also the most widely used language on the internet and the most commonly used platform for business and …
Borrowing ideas from other nations and adapting them to fit your own culture has been the norm since the history of human civilizations. The Greeks took papyrus and scrolls from the Egyptians, made libraries, and educated the world. The Italians learned how to make noodles from the Chinese and established a world-renowned cuisine. Recently, US …
Following countries made some significant changes in their immigration laws and policies that came into effect as of July 1, 2013. Croatia joined the European Union as the 28th member state today. However, Croatian nationals will face some work restriction in some European Union countries. China implemented a new Entry-Exit Law that affects the existing visa types …
Dr. Ana Gazarian and Priscila Monatana cowrote an article on Latin America for the July 2009 issue of Mobility Magazine. With its vast reserves of natural resources, Latin America is an economically significant region. With a history of trade with Western countries since the era of colonization, as well as the vast majority of countries …
