Relocation Benefits

Visa Assistance

Immigration is mandatory.

You and your employer must ensure that you have the right type of visa to work in the new location.

The minimum support your company should provide is to sponsor visa application fees.

Most companies extend the immigration assistance to your accompanying dependents.

Each company has a policy regarding dependent eligibility.

Tip: make a note in your calendar when your visa expires, just in case your employer misses or does not track that expiry date.

Normally if you’re in an employer-sponsored visa, then your company would provide ongoing support for your visa extension as well.

Transportation (Flight / Train)

One-way airfare ticket for you and eligible dependents is usually provided or reimbursed.

Depending on company travel policy, you may also reimburse transportation to and from the airport.

Cabin class also depends on your company travel policy. Ask HR if this is not clearly outlined in your contract.

If your eligible dependents are flying on a later date than you, that’s normally allowed.

Temporary Accommodation

Most companies offer temporary accommodation for the first few weeks upon arrival.

It would commonly be a hotel or serviced apartment, typically for 1 week up to 30 days.

Within that period, you are expected to be able to find a rental or a more permanent place of residence.

Don’t panic, and plan ahead. There should be sufficient time for you to find a place and move before the end of your company-provided temporary accommodation.

Tip: If you are shipping furniture, be mindful that it may arrive later than your move-in date.

Home Search

To assist you in finding a long term lease, your employer could offer to provide you home search assistance.

That means, you’ll be put in touch with a network of real estate agents who could help you find a home and negotiate with landlords.

I recommend taking advantage of this benefit if you are offered, because the professional real estate agents empaneled by your company pay very close attention to vetting the lease agreements, and will ensure that you are not taken advantage of by landlords.

Apart from knowing the local market, these real estate agent also knows expat-specific needs and preferences, and perhaps the typical traps expat fall into without professional help.

Host Broker’s Fees (Real Estate Agents’ Fees)

Apart from paying the real estate agents’ service fees, your company could also offer to cover the real estate agents commission fees.

These two Relocation Benefits – home search and host broker’s fees – are different from each other.

Home Search is only the service of assisting you;
Host Broker’s Fees is the cost of the agent’s commission that the tenant is responsible to pay.

Destination Services

Destination Services or Area Orientation program is when a local agent is assigned to take you around the new city, especially to key locations and landmarks.

The agent would show you where are the local market and international grocery stores, where’s the hospital, where are the banks, help you with mobile and wifi registration, take you to the immigration office, etc.

School Search

If you have children, then an accompanied School Search support might also be included in your package.

Not a guaranteed school placement, but taking you to where the local and international schools are, and perhaps familiarize you with the application process.

One-time Relocation Cash Allowance

This is a cash allowance usually given on your first payroll in the new location. It’s meant to help with any miscellaneous expenses, but it’s entirely up to you how you would like to spend or save this allowance.

Tip: double-check if the company will be paying taxes on this amount, and if so, ensure that you do indeed receive it net of taxes.

Tax Services Support

Don’t underestimate the complexity of departure tax filing and arrival tax filing.

For instance, do you know how to accurately report taxes on your performance bonus, if you receive it after leaving your home country? How about taxes on equity?

Depending on your personal situation, your sources of income, the countries involved; tax filing can get complicated.

Companies moving their people could provide tax services support so that an accounting firm can assist you in that first year of tax filing in the new location, as well as a final year or departure tax filing from the previous location.

This benefit is often overlooked, but it really makes life easier.

Tip: ask your accountant to teach you step-by-step how to file for your taxes in the new country going forward. Remember that you are most likely to do it yourself in future years.

Shipment (by air and or sea)

Another undervalued relocation support is shipment by air and/or sea.

If you’re moving by yourself, or with a spouse, most of the time, air shipment would suffice.

But if you’re moving with children, then shipment of larger items by sea would be more useful.

Shipment and shipping insurance requires a lot of logistics and scheduling. It could also get quite expensive. So if this is something you really need, then it’s worth asking for from your HR or your employer.

Tip: Plan ahead. With shipping, you have to schedule the pre-packing survey, the day of packing itself, time in temporary storage (at origin location), the shipment and arrival date, another temporary storage (at destination location). Also plan ahead if you want your items to arrive while you’re still in a temporary accommodation or when you’re already moved in.

Shipment and customs delays happen much more frequently than you’d expect, so be prepared for that.

Tip: I’d highly recommend that you let the professionals do the packing; because if anything breaks, it’s your loss.

Lease Cancellation Fees

If you’re in a rental and you’re breaking your lease as a result of moving abroad; then your company might consider reimbursing you for this lease termination cost, especially if it’s the company that asked you to move.

Look-see Trip

Some companies could provide a look-see trip, usually to more senior leaders. This is usually a 3-day program, mixed with a business trip, where you’re taken around the new country where you’ll move to.

This helps you make a more informed decision if you would like to transfer to that new country, and familiarize yourself where the office and key areas are.

Spousal Support

There could be some assistance provided for your spouse or partner.

Since moving abroad would also disrupt their life and career, a Spousal Support program is where a dedicated agent would help connect your partner to various social networks (like local clubs and charity groups), provide some guidance regarding the local jobs environment (like tips how to find local employment opportunities,), and general coaching to aid with the transition in the new location.

Language and Cultural Training

If you’re moving to a very different region with a strong and unique language and culture that’s different from where you’re coming from; then there could be a Language and Cultural Training provided for you and your partner.

Usually these are virtual classes that you could start taking before your actual relocation.