Become part of the British Expats community and join in the conversations. Once you have registered you can start connecting with expats who live and work all over the world. So what are you waiting for? Register here now!
 
Record Number of Visitors Despite Early Easter
ImageNew Zealand had a seasonally adjusted net gain (more arrivals than departures) of 1,600 migrants in April 2013. This is the highest net gain since January 2010 (1,800). The increased net gain of migrants was due to more arrivals, along with fewer New Zealand citizens departing to Australia
Read more...
 
The Strange Case of Dr Watson’s ‘Deemed Domicile’
ImageDr Watson returned from India after seeing service in the second Anglo-Afgan war where he was wounded and then suffering enteric fever landed at Tilbury docks on 5 January 1881. No longer able to stay in India, his domicile of choice, Watson rents rooms at 221b Baker Street with a Sherlock Holmes. Dr Watson has the ultimate intention of returning permanently to India, his domicile of choice, but has remained in the UK because of his illness and subsequent adventures with Holmes.
Read more...
 
Should British Expats Still Retire to Spain or France
ImageFollowing on from the fallout from the Cypriot economic collapse, many expatriates are extremely concerned about the safety of their financial position if they decide to remain living abroad in retirement. Countries like Spain and France – evergreen and universally popular to date because of undeniable reasons such as their great weather and proximity to the UK – could be about to suffer from a dearth of British retirees if general fears about the eurozone’s strength are not successfully allayed.
Read more...
 
New Zealand Labour Market Showing Signs of Improvement
ImageThe employment rate rose to 63.7 percent in the March 2013 quarter, up from 62.7 percent in the December 2012 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said this week. The unemployment rate fell to 6.2 percent, down from a revised 6.8 percent last quarter. There were 38,000 more people employed this quarter – up 1.7 percent. The rise in employment came mainly from full-time employment and was across a range of industries.
Read more...
 
UK Expats Transferring Savings out of Sterling into Local Currencies
ImageThe latest research carried out by Lloyds TSB International has shown that more British expats are choosing to transfer their savings out of Pound Sterling and into local currencies. In September 20112, 26 per cent of UK expats living in other countries had the majority of their savings in the British Pound, but this has now dropped to just 13 percent.
Read more...
 
Canada’s New and Improved Federal Skilled Worker Program Opening to Applicants
ImageCitizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will be accepting applications to the new and improved Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) as of May 4, 2013. “The government’s number one priority remains jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “Our changes ensure not only that Canada can select the immigrants most needed by our economy, but that they are best positioned for success.”
Read more...
 
Haitian Birth
ImageLindsay de Feliz was born, raised and educated in the UK, where she worked as a marketing lecturer and was marketing director for various financial service companies. She then decided to follow her dreams and travel the world as a scuba diving instructor, ending up in the Dominican Republic. She fell in love with the country and its people, eventually met and married a Dominican and has been living there for the last 11 years working as a writer, and translator.
Read more...
 
Sense of Belonging to New Zealand Strong Among Migrants
ImageThe vast majority of migrants to New Zealand feel they belong to this country, new analysis from Statistics New Zealand shows. New data tables published this week from the New Zealand General Social Survey show that 86 percent of migrants (407,000 people) who have been in New Zealand for more than 12 years say they belong either ‘strongly’ or ‘very strongly’ to New Zealand.
Read more...
 
Buying a House in Australia – What you need to know.
ImageThe Property Market in Australia, according to the latest findings on Property Wire, bottomed out in May 2012 and since then have started to improve.  ‘Australian house prices are up 2.8% in the first quarter of 2013’ in every capital city apart from Adelaide and the general feedback from real estate agents is that this is a good time to buy.
Read more...
 
New Housing Consents up in Canterbury, New Zealand
ImageNew housing consents continued to rise in Canterbury, reaching 444 in March 2013, Statistics New Zealand said this week. “Across the Canterbury region, the number of new houses consented reached a six-year high,” industry and labour statistics manager Blair Cardno said. “Both Waimakariri and Selwyn districts each broke records with their highest monthly totals since the series began in April 1990.”
Read more...
 
British FCO Abandon Expat LOCATE Scheme
ImageThe British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is abolishing its LOCATE system because fewer than 1% of British nationals registered with it.  Instead they are introducing a new approach to alerting British expats living abroad should the need arise. Many British expatriates didn’t even know that there was a system whereby they could register their details with the FCO via their new host nation’s embassy for example.
Read more...