expat network

Expats: What’s The Cost Of Learning A New Language?

If you’re thinking of moving abroad post-Brexit, a new tool helps you calculate exactly how long it will take to learn the local language, and how much it will cost. The thought of leaving the UK is certainly appealing to many – it has been widely reported that there have been record numbers of people...

Buying Property In Hong Kong

The Chinese government owns all the land in Hong Kong, and property owners lease the land (or co-lease it, in the case of an apartment block). Most foreigners can buy in Hong Kong but, in an attempt to cool the market and put off overseas speculation, the government has imposed an extra 15% Buyers’ Stamp...

Buying Property In Canada

Buying property is rarely a joy, but the process in Canada comes closer than most countries. Everything is in English (or French), the process is straightforward and well regulated, the buying costs are cheap and there is no shortage of data and information out there. Canadian homes are big and getting bigger. The average size...

More IT Specialists Opt For Self-Employment

The number of information technology specialists moving into self-employment has increased by 48% in five years, up from 143,000 211,000. According to research by professional services firm Procorre, the number of contractors in IT is growing at one of the fastest rates of any sector. The increase is being driven by rapidly growing business investment...

Expats’ Love-Affair With China Over?

According to a study by UniGroup Relocation, a global moving company, reported in Global Times, twice as many expats have recently moved out of China than into the country. The study said that reasons for the outflow included expiring work contracts, rising costs of living, air pollution and companies cutting labour costs in the wake...

Currency Woes Hit Expat Pensioners

The majority of expat pensioners are now living off an income which is worth at least 11% less than a decade ago, according to Equiniti Group plc which manages the payment of over 60,000 expat pensioners. Of the 60,000 pensioners the largest group is receiving their pension in the Eurozone, where market uncertainty and the...