What type of expat or emigrant?

Expats and emigrants are no longer just the farmers of the past: also self-employed people, hairdressers, nurses, physiotherapists, ict experts, pensionados, etc. nowadays leave for long stays abroad, or emigrate. Aside from the question of whether "emigration" may always be permanent or also temporary, there are several types of "long-in-the-foreign-stayers" or emigrants, such as:

• the expat (sent out for work); think also of diplomats, journalists, professors, soccer players.
• the frontier worker.
• the second-home owner.
• the young senior wintering resident.
• the seasonal worker.
• a special group are the "world" travelers: there is actually emigration without permanent residence in one specific country. A passport full of contiguous visas, foreign ATM withdrawals, temporary import/export proofs, doctor and dentist visits abroad, long-term stays in countries with friendly visa policies: it makes it possible to be away for years at a time. Daily life takes place outside your home country and only a bank account, a passport and travel/health insurance provide ties to your home country.
• An additional group that is not officially registered by CBS as emigrants is also called the "semigrant."  People who live partly abroad and partly in their home country. Again, think, for example, of winter visitors, those who have a second home abroad and the self-employed who carry out part of their assignments abroad.

What is the non-expat/emigrant: 'the commuter'?

• One type of "non-expat/emigrant" that is growing in number and is increasingly being named as such: 'the commuter': the employee who frequently crosses the border to supervise a project, but keeps their home country as his or her home base and usually does not take his or her family abroad. Companies respond to this type by offering more short-term assignments (usually 3 to 18 months abroad), or working with virtual assignments (exchange of knowledge and experience via ICT combined with short business trips).
• Yet, in practice, commuting often leads to premature termination of assignments; adapting and effectively doing business or achieving project results in the foreign environment proves difficult if you return to your home country during weekends, vacations, etc. Leaving your partner and children behind also often causes (too) much stress.

More and more attention is also being paid to issues experienced by the 'remigrant': someone who has lived abroad for some time, but has returned to the home country.

What distinctions do you encounter when applying for visas?

Particularly when applying for visas, you also encounter the following distinctions:

• family migrants: when you demonstrably have an enduring relationship with someone from the emigration country, who can sponsor you.
• skilled migrants: when you have a professional education, specific skills, knowledge and work experience (often supplemented by local family, a substantial capital and sufficient work opportunities locally).
• business migrants: when you have demonstrably and successfully run your own business and will also start your own business in your country of emigration and have sufficient capital or want to invest in government projects.
• humanitarian migrants: if you are a refugee and have had to leave your own country because of war, ethnic conflicts or human rights violations.
• youth migrants: if you are a young person and want to work and travel in the country concerned.
• retirement migrants: if you wish to settle as a pensioner in the country concerned. Often with additional requirements regarding assets, investments and health.

What are the main 12 reasons for not choosing for a long stay abroad or emigrating yet?

Motivations are, of course, personal. To get you started with your personal list: in general, many emigrants give the following disadvantages

1. you get relational problems.
2. your partner or children get bored.
3. your children cannot catch up at their new school.
4. you have to deal with illnesses or divorces in the family.
5. you will lose relationships with family or friends, because 'at a distance it is different anyway'.
6. you will not be able to adapt to local circumstances.
7. wherever you are, you take yourself, your problems, your routine with you.
8. you are always on your own, no family or good friends nearby.
9. abroad you will end up either in a gigantic city or somewhere isolated in the background.
10. abroad it is just hard work, or even harder.
11. a very strong bond with your children or grandchildren, family or friends and already dreading the lack of contact can certainly factor into your decision whether to emigrate, and if so where to.
12. A low-cost airline ticket for a 2-3 hour Europe flight offers more opportunities for regular (mutual) visits than an expensive intercontinental flight with multiple transfers and long travel times.
13. Some emigrants like the idea that "Homeland" is within a foreseeable number of car hours from their new place of residence, so that they are not dependent on (sometimes uncertain) flights, for example.

Quotes

"Anonymous persons at offices without addresses with unreachable phone numbers who make all kinds of demands on your emigration through incomprehensible forms. And this at considerable cost with the risk of land deportation or detention. The motivation to persevere in spite of everything sometimes had to come from our toes. It did not make us feel welcome, but now, once settled, it is wonderful to live and do business. The Canadian people welcomed us with open arms."

Emigrant in Spain

Additional points of interest

Once you have created a good overview of core purpose and motivations for leaving or not leaving abroad, also check the following points of interest:

• do you share enough overlapping reasons with partner and children? Are there no (suitable) alternatives to emigration to still achieve what you want?
• give a value to all your motives for leaving and rank your motives according to those values: what is most important to you, what is also important but less essential. Keep those motives in mind when orienting yourself on where to live and where to live, and compromise on less important aspects.
• save the list you make somewhere online so that you can look at it again in later moments of doubt or phases of homesickness.
•  above all, make that list your own, personal list. Do not base it too much on what you have heard from other emigrants, fans of a particular country or vacationers who always go to the same location. Reeds emigrants will generally name the downsides or setbacks less, stories are colored, going on vacation is not the same as emigrating.
•  it is always good to make yourself aware of the pitfalls surrounding emigration. But at the same time, don't let yourself get too discouraged. Realize that on blog sites, on emigration forums and in TV programs it is mainly the "failures" that get attention.
• some returnees indicate that they have not or not sufficiently realized that the problems they encountered before leaving in the Netherlands were caused by their own character, dissatisfaction with themselves. You don't solve that by emigrating, your own personality naturally moves with you and doesn't change that quickly.
• if you get the idea that the decision will be in the direction of "doing it", start keeping an emigration diary; write down as much as possible: the tips and practicalities, but also the considerations, the choices, the doubts, the emotions, the successes, the arguments. With your diary, also collect the articles, blogs, lists, tips, advertisements, etc. that give you inspiration.
•  if the regulatory burden in your country of residence is one of your motives for wanting to emigrate, try to familiarize yourself in advance as much as possible with the written and unwritten rules in your intended new country of residence. Watch documentaries, read books or delve into background articles that zoom in on that topic. And ask yourself if you are comfortable with those "different" rules, in your new daily life.

Quote

"Emigration creates a new starting position, you are freer to tackle new things, to explore. You are not stuck in your current profession, waiting to retire."

France emigrant

There are a lot of things to consider when you want to emigrate to another country. Maybe you already have a concrete plan, or know where to find the right information. If that's not the case, don't worry. Here are some tips to help you start your emigration process.

Emigrate: yes or no?

• It can help to get more self-insight; what are your competencies, your character, strong and weak points and what can be obstacles during the emigration process
• Start an emigration diary, blog or website to document your experiences. All this can be useful in the orientation process, but also for later.
• Read the experiences of other emigrants/expats. Visit emigration events, subscribe for emigration magazines or sign up on emigration forums.

Which destination to choose?

• There are a lot of factors that can influence your decision for a new home country. Your own preferences but also practical matters can play a big role.
• What are the push and pull factors of the destination? What are the immigration policies like, how about the language and culture. How is the healthcare system organised and what is the situation concerning safety and criminality.
• Read through guidebooks, visit websites or get involved in online communities to get answers to these questions.
• If you found good option consider the feasibility of an orientation trip.

What to do in your new home country?

• How are you going to generate income: own business, expat, job, pension? Make an estimation of the minimum salary that is needed to live in another country with your family.
• Check the expat policies at your current employer. If you want to start up your own business, ask for professional legal advice by a legal consultant. And get an insight into (local) insurances for business liability. 
• What kind of activities is your partner going to undertake? Is he or she able to find a local job, are volunteer activities an option?
• Also take into account the extra training, the necessity of learning new skills and the other (work) culture. 

When and how to inform others?

• Discuss the plan with the others involved and respect each other’s positive and negative feelings. Write down the things you discuss, this can be useful for the process or for a later moment.
• Involve your partner or a friend in the process from start to end. Don't forget to involve children, especially the older ones, in this process. Involve your younger children when a decision has been taken.
• Choose someone you trust, who is critical but can motivate. Authorize this person as a signatory to sign documents when you have left, such as tax documents.
• It can also help to talk to people who have been through the same experience.
• After you have taken the most important decisions, inform the people that you are close to. Consider organizing an information meeting. Do not defend yourself but respect all different kinds of reactions and emotions.

If you have experience with emigration and want to share, feel free to leave a comment! Or create your own Worldsupporter account to share your experiences and read the experiences of other emigrants/expats.

• On the day of packing or loading, reserve a clear place or closet for items that the mover must not touch. Think of that bag with important documents, medicines, your children's favorite stuffed animals: without a good overview, there is a chance that these too -for days or weeks- will end up in the moving van.
• Call the planning department in advance (1-2 business days) before the move for start times.
• Take down last remaining curtains.
• Walk around the house immediately after the movers arrive and make notes on final action or attention points.
• Walk a last-check lap around the house after the moving truck is loaded.
• Take meter readings and disconnect gas and electricity (if a new tenant is not moving in or not immediately).
• Drain the water supply in the winter (even if it is not freezing).
• Lock all windows and doors securely; hand keys to caretaker/new tenants.
• Say goodbye to neighbors, family and friends.
• Agree on an indicative time when you will let the home front know that you have arrived; point out once again that there may be time differences and mention that during the trip something may happen as a result of which you will temporarily be unavailable or less accessible, be delayed, etc.
• When you are emigrating with children, where possible discuss the course of the travel and arrival days again, so that they know what is most likely going to happen. As always when traveling with children, make arrangements about what to do if someone gets lost or lost (who to talk to, meeting point at the airport, etc.).
• Despite all the emotions surrounding the actual departure: try to make sure that the "last memory before departure" is a positive one, one with a smile; that will make it a little easier for those left behind.

First things upon arrival

• Register as a new resident with the municipality in your new place of residence. In many countries, a registration number ("citizen service number") is essential for many subsequent administrative matters (e.g. utilities).
• Once you arrive, pay a visit to the town hall; still, especially in smaller towns, the mayor is a powerful person with whom you like to have a good relationship.
• Open a local bank account and provide your new account number to various organizations.

Transport

• If you have your own transportation (car), arrange for a navigation system or app with maps for your local area; you probably won't be able to find your way around without it at first.
• Is your car taken away? Have the license plate converted before you drive it. Rules vary, but usually this should be done within 3 months of settling in. Also arrange a new car insurance immediately. Don't forget to notify your own car insurance company, as soon as your car gets a foreign license plate. In some countries you must actively register for road tax yourself; you will not receive automatic notification.

Networking & relatives

• Make sure that you can be reached (again): for those left behind in your home country, for authorities in your new country of residence, for the nursery, etc.
  • at least familiarize yourself with the telephone line, internet and mobile telephony; which techniques are most used locally?
  • consider a pre-paid mobile subscription for the first period: this gives you time to study the better or most advantageous mobile subscriptions in your new country of residence. Preferably sign up for a one-year subscription in your first year; this will cost a little more, but you will have the option of switching to another, more advantageous subscription after one year. During the first period, gather tips from local or expat friends and acquaintances: they obviously already have experience in what to arrange through whom.
  • Consider more data usage than you were used to in your home country: calling-via-internet, watching TV online, etc.
  • Do you or your partner work for a local employer or an international (expat) employer? Find out if you can arrange subscriptions through that employer: costs may be fully or partially reimbursed, or there may be special favorable agreements.
• Depending on your familiarity with your new location—and of course based on your needs—quickly explore whether there are any (expat) groups, networks, or foreigner clubs after your arrival; they often offer a buddy system. If you sign up, you can request (or be offered) to be paired with an expatriate who has lived in the area longer and can help you get oriented in the first few weeks, assisting you with initial arrangements.
• Do you live in a smaller community and need practical help, for example around your house (handymen, electricians, etc.)? Or do you need to make larger purchases, such as for a welcome gathering? Preferably hire local services and shop with smaller suppliers. This promotes integration and generates goodwill, unlike when you only visit the large regional supermarket or hire people from outside “the village.”
• If you were used to it (or if it’s more common in your new destination): preferably through your new local network, arrange for a housekeeper.
• Get to know your immediate neighbors or consider a quick meet-and-greet with several neighbors at once. Examples of conversation topics (besides general introductions):
  • Good places for small and large grocery shopping (supermarkets, department stores, specialty shops).
  • Addresses for better hardware stores and/or specialized shops for specific topics, plumbers, electricians, etc.
  • Contact information for arranging utilities: gas, water, electricity.
  • Contact information for arranging telecom services.
  • How public transportation works in the immediate area; where the nearest stops are, frequency.
  • Getting familiar with the immediate neighborhood: what is available and where.
  • Are there notable aspects regarding the daily routine: quiet hours, opening times, meal times, etc.
  • What days is the garbage collected, waste separation, requesting containers.
  • Good addresses for sports or hobbies.
  • Who to contact in case of practical, medical, or safety issues; emergency numbers.
  • Better addresses nearby for affordable gas.
  • If your neighbors have lived there for a long time: what is the history of your houses and the immediate surroundings.
  • Also explain why you chose to emigrate and why you specifically chose this location; there’s a good chance people will understand your choices better and find it nice that you chose "their" area.
• Besides practically organizing various matters, also take the time—whether with your family or not—to reflect on your departure period. Evaluate how everything went and what everyone thought about it: closing off the departure period gives you insights into first lessons learned, creates space for initial thoughts about the future, and helps you experience what’s to come more consciously.

Children

• Have you moved with your children? Establish regular routines shortly after arrival. There are already enough things to adjust to; try to maintain the familiar rhythm of your home country as much as possible in the first few weeks after your arrival. Think of certain eating habits during the week, a fun activity on the weekend, (re-watching) a specific TV show that you enjoyed as a family. Gradually transition to the rhythms and habits of your new country.

The tips below are from Emigration experts by experience might inspire you

• Never impose your pace on your partner when making departure plans and never force decisions: everyone has their own pace.
• Allow yourself setbacks or doubts; always give yourself the right to go back on a decision.
• Give yourself enough preparation time; plans can almost always be postponed for a while.
• Do not fight homesickness, it's part of expatlife experience.
• Don't assimilate. Instead you should blend your culture with the local culture. But never forget where you came from!
• Find a new hobby to keep you busy - be it learning a new language, cooking or running.
• Learn to laugh along with people who laugh at you, and you'll find they never meant any harm.
• BE FLEXIBLE! Plans change so frequently because, well, that's the way expat life works.
• In many countries lunch is typically cheaper than dinner. Use this to your advantage to explore the cuisine of your new home.
• Mindset: Think how you can contribute and make a difference in your new environment, rather than how you can benefit only.
• Smile! You might not be able to speak the language yet but your positive body language will set you up for success.
• Make a list of things you want to do/see/try in your new city and country. Pin it to the wall & do your best to follow through.
• Make local friends who show you around and make friends in different circles...
• Get local as fast as you can. Not by joining local expat clubs but joining local routines. Take sincere interest in local life.
• Don't let one bad experience determine your stay. There is always more good than bad.
• Keep a journal, record your honest feelings and insights. It is so great to read them later and see how you've changed.
• Volunteer your time or talents in support of local organisations. You'll make new friends and give back.
• When you are bored, look around you and you will notice enough things to do, to keep you busy, to make a difference and at the same time and to feel more at home at the new place you are living now.