March 2012 International Relocation and Moving Abroad News Archive

As Ireland’s economy continues to struggle more workers are looking for job opportunities in other countries. A lack of job prospects and a general malaise have also helped push migration levels to an all time high. However a recent study also found that many those who have full time jobs would be interested in making a move overseas if...

An increasing number of British Nationals are looking to escape the economic doldrums in the UK by moving abroad for work. A recent survey by Lloyds TSB International has revealed that 30 per cent of people now calling another country their home have done so because of better job prospects, up from the 27 per cent who claimed the same in last...

A recent survey suggests that one of the main reasons for students in higher education deciding not to move abroad for their studies is a lack of information. The research conducted by the British Council found that more than half of the 20 per cent of students considering making the leap to another country found it difficult to get hold...

Brits who have chosen to move abroad are swapping their savings from sterling to the local currency as the pound continues to weaken against the dollar and the euro. A recent survey by Lloyds TSB International has revealed that the number of British expats holding money in sterling has halved since September 2011 to just 13 per...

Tanning addict Patricia Krentcil, who hit the headlines recently as the world’s first ever ‘tanorexic’, has said she intends to battle a ban by US salons by moving abroad. She wants to make Britain her new home. She has also been branded the worst parent in the US after she was accused of encouraging her six-year-old daughter to use a...

Australian university graduates who relocate abroad to work for extended periods of time have cost the country in the region of $450m in unpaid HECS debts since the introduction of the payment scheme in 1989, revealed a new study. Australian National University academics Tim Higgins and the designer of the HECS scheme Bruce Chapman carried...

New York and London will remain as the world’s most important cities for wealthy individuals during the next decade, suggests research. However, Shanghai and Beijing are viewed by high-net-worth people as the key up-and-coming cities, revealed the Citi Private Bank and Knight Frank’s Wealth Report. The research also describes the shift...

A recent poll by Gallop World has revealed that a quarter of adults in the world (1.1 billion people) want to move to another country temporarily in order to find more profitable work, revealed the Deccan Herald. In addition, 630 million other people would take up the chance of moving overseas permanently. The desire to leaves one’s home...

The percentage of Russians that say they would like to emigrate has fallen by 50 per cent since last summer and currently is lower than it was during the final few weeks of the Soviet Union, a new poll has revealed. Some 11 per cent of respondents informed the state-run VTsIOM organisation that they would probably prefer to remain in the...

Tens of thousands of gay couples in the US are living with the fear of separation as federal law bans immigration authorities from treating them in the same way as they do married opposite-sex couples, reports myrtlebeachonline. In a nation where feelings on same-sex marriage and immigration are strong, the same-sex foreign-born spouses of...

People who want to do an international money transfer to fund a move overseas may find it much easier to relocate to another country if their career can be portable, according to HiFX News. Those who can work from any country in the world are likely to find it a much easier experience moving overseas than individuals who have to look for...

Ernst & Young returning to the British Virgin Islands which, along with the OECD approval of the islands’ tax information agreements, may result in more job opportunities for British expatriates in law and finance in the Caribbean paradise, according to the Daily Telegraph. Ernst & Young has set up an office in the overseas...

Nearly half of IT and Finance professionals have considered moving overseas in response to globalisation, according to new research commissioned by professional resourcing firm Experis. The survey of 700 professionals in IT and Finance investigates attitudes towards the major trends which impact the working world, reported The Global...

A shortage of places in English language school places is hurting expatriate families in Hong Kong and damaging the reputation of the city as a regional hub for business, say parents and lobby groups. The severity of the problem is driving some firms to looks at alternatives like Bangkok, Shanghai and Singapore, they say. The Oman Daily...

China home prices drop for fifth month Property prices in the majority of Chinese cities have dropped for a fifth month in a row, underpinning the success of the government in curbing the market speculation, according to the BBC. In February, the prices of new homes in 45 of 70 cities dropped compared to January, revealed the National...

Spanish home sales fell during the final three months on last year, hitting their lowest mark since 2007, as the country continues to battle recession, reports the BBC. House prices dropped at an annual rate of 11.2 per cent in 2011, revealed the Institudo Nacional de Estadistica, a fall of nearly four percentage points compared with the...

An online job advertisement which stated “no Irish” should apply has resulted in the Australian embassy in Ireland having to defend the country’s commitment towards diversity and racial tolerance. The advertisement, posted on the Gumtree website, stated that a bricklayer was needed ASAP, offered a salary of $250 per day and said no...

Countries should be more liberal with their visa regimes in an attempt to attract a greater number of tourists and boost economic growth in the European Union, said a senior Brussels Commissioner. The European Commissioner for tourism Antonio Tajani said that the visa policy needs to be more modern so it can attract the increasing number...

Passage of an E3 immigration bill for Ireland is being blocked by republican Senator Charles Grassley from Iowa. According to IrishCentral, hopes that Grassley will deal with members of his own party and the Democrats over the issues have faded. There have been no major developments since Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown said the E3 bill...

Skilled migrants will find it easier to become permanent residents in Australia under new plans announced by the government. From July, foreigners working on 457 visas, which allow them to be employed in Australia temporarily, will also be tested on their English and skills to see if they are eligible for residency. Chris Bowen, the...

Few businesses benefit from increasing unemployment and the impacts of a crippling recession. However, Ireland

Canada will think about legislating away its huge immigration applications backlog and allowing provinces to pick from one pool of potential newcomers in an effort to transform the country’s immigration system into one which is economy driven, said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. In his speech to business leaders, Kenney vowed that...

Cash-rich foreigners from the Middle East, the Far East and Russia have long-since being buying homes in London, but they are not alone in buying homes in the UK. Looking across Britain, who are the foreign buyers keen on a UK address, asks aol.co.uk. Property website Primelocation.com has carried out research on 100 countries from which...

British expats think the standard of customer service in the United Arab Emirates is worse than in the UK, while expats from less developed countries are more satisfied, revealed a customer service survey. Roughly 86 per cent of survey respondents from the UK said customer service in the UAE is poorer than in their own country, according...

Getting the right exchange rate when moving overseas can make a huge difference, reports the Daily Telegraph. City whizz-kids have earned and lost fortunes on gambling on how the foreign exchange markets move. However, for expatriates the exchange rates movements are not about making cash by speculating on rises and falls; it’s much more...

It could soon be cheaper to use mobile phones when travelling to other countries within the European Union, reports the BBC. MEPs have voted for a significant reduction in the price which companies can charge for texts and calls and – for the first ever time – to introduce a maximum charge for data usage. The move comes as the latest...

A British expat whose efforts to be awarded the right to vote were recently turned down by judges has not been granted permission to appeal, reports the Daily Telegraph. James Preston went to the High Court in 2011 to challenge the law banning Britons from voting after they have resided overseas for 15 years. Madrid-based Preston argued...