You've spoken. We've heard you. Today we are excited to introduce our new Remote Relocation service, a program to make it easy for your employees to relocate and stay with your company. 

Relocating to another country can be complicated and stressful. Not only for the individual, but the team supporting them. There are many steps to complete and trying to find resources for every task is time consuming. Not to mention the complication when reviewing how the move will affect tax situations for both you and your team member. Every detail matters. Our team thoroughly understands employment and has the tax, immigration, and legal expertise to help mitigate risks when employees relocate to new destinations. 

We’re starting this service in 5 countries and for the first 50 companies that sign up. If you're keen to learn more, talk with your account representative today. Please also consider completing the survey below and we'll plant some trees.

With our in-house team of immigration and tax experts, we can help your employees discover and apply for the best work visa for their situation.  

Initial visa guidance: we help you determine which visa is best for your employee.

Visa application support and sponsorship: ready for your employee to move? We’ll help them through the visa application process and depending on their situation, we may even sponsor their visa.

Localized immigration and taxation guidance: each country is different, so we’ll help navigate these tricky areas.

Moving and relocation services: Coming soon

We can provide visa application support and sponsorship for the following countries and will be adding more countries soon.

Discover if one of these countries is in your Best Destinations for Remote Work custom list.

Employee retention and attraction. We help you become more competitive in the global employment space by allowing you to open up the world for your current and prospective talent.

White glove service. You are not left to your own devices. We proactively guide you through the immigration and tax complexities as your team member moves through the stages. If you have questions, we will have answers. 

Compliance. We’re meticulous in our approach and ensure you are protected and guided through local laws, country transfer regulations and the nitty gritty of staying compliant in the host and anchor countries. You can confidently allow a relocation and know you are covered.

Each country has different costs for their visa applications. During the pre-visa check, we can help guide you to an option that's viable for your employee. Criteria varies by visa, so it's a good idea to be prepared for additional costs, like background checks and medical checks.

Help us make Remote Relocation even better for you

We want to hear from you. How can we make this service stronger and better meet your needs? Bonus: for every response, we will plant 50 trees in our Remote Forest. 

If you are an employer, please complete this 2 minute survey.

If you are an employee, please complete this 2 minute survey.

Today we are excited to introduce our new Remote Relocation service, a program to make it easy for your employees to relocate and stay with your company. 

Relocate and work from anywhere

Have you been dreaming of moving to another country? Maybe you just want to move to another state or province? Or perhaps your life circumstances have changed and you need to move to be closer to family.

For many people, one of the only things standing in the way of a relocation is also one of the most important things — their job. According to Remote’s Global Workforce Revolution Report, 81% of tech workers said they would relocate if it wouldn’t impact their job prospects and careers. 

With recent changes in the workforce triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, workers and businesses everywhere have begun to reimagine what it means to work. Employees proved they don’t need to be in an office from 9 to 5 each day to be productive and trustworthy. Remote work is a proven success, and more flexible work practices have become the expectation rather than the exception. 

But what about those employees who want to move to a new place (or those who already made the move during the pandemic)?

In a 2021 report, real estate marketplace Zillow found that more than one in 10 American adults moved during the pandemic, primarily because of remote work. But with some employers asking workers to return to the office soon, employees are wondering what will happen.

Will employees have to sacrifice their new lifestyle? Will they be forced to relocate back to their old area to keep their job? Meanwhile, other remote workers are planning extended trips abroad or long-term moves back to their home countries. 

If this is you, you may be wondering how to broach the subject of relocation or travel with your employer. 

Fortunately, it is possible to keep your job remotely, even if you’re moving to another country. All that’s required is buy-in from the company you work for and some planning to ensure you make the right legal and practical preparations. Remote can help you and your employer to allow you to work from another country (even if your company has never operated in that country before!). 

To help you understand the requirements and simplify the research process, we’ve collected five of the most important considerations you need to keep your job and stay compliant when relocating.

1. Make sure you have the legal right to work.

First, talk to your boss about your plans and be prepared to advocate for yourself to stay remote. If you haven’t done so yet, check out our Choose Remote Toolkit, where we’ve outlined 10 steps to help you make your case for flexible work and collected all the information you need to know to relocate using Remote.

Once you’ve come to an understanding with your employer, you need to consider your right to work in the place where you intend to work.

Having the right to work in a location means you are legally authorized to work there, either as a citizen or through another type of status that grants you permission. When you live and work in a place, that country, state, or province will want to collect taxes from your pay. If you’re working somewhere where you do not have the legal right to work and are not paying the appropriate taxes, both you and your employer could be at serious risk. Even if your employer allows your work to be done from “anywhere,” there’s a good chance the tax office of your new local government will have other ideas. 

If you or your employer have questions about visas or compliance in another country, our team at Remote is here to help. Contact our team to talk through your specific scenario.

2. Update your employment agreement for full compliance.

If your visa or citizenship is already in order, the next step is to consider your employment agreement.

Labor laws are complicated and can vary not only from country to country but even state by state or province by province. This means the terms of your employment will certainly be different if you’re relocating to another country, but they may also change even if you’re moving to another state or region.

Depending on the size of your employer, they probably don’t have a locally owned business entity that could legally hire you in your new location. There’s a good chance your employer might not be familiar with the unique local requirements. In such situations, the best approach is to transfer your employment agreement to an employer of record (EOR). 

EORs like Remote take the burden of compliance, payroll, benefits, and more off your employer for a monthly service fee. This is the most stress-free path for continuing your employment when relocating.

It’s as simple as your boss signing up with Remote and onboarding you as an employee. The overall experience is seamless, and even though you’ll be legally employed by Remote on paper, you’ll still be a member of your team, just like always. Your day-to-day operations as a member of your team will not change.

Another option is to continue working with your company as a contractor (1099 in the U.S.). This comes with some significant changes for you as a worker, as it means you are self-employed and have to figure out your own benefits, tax obligations, and more. 

For your employer, there may be risks (such as misclassification or permanent establishment) depending on the nature of your engagement and the country where you’ll be residing. These are all things to consider when evaluating your new employment arrangement. To make contractor management and payments easy, Remote also offers a contractor platform available to workers in 170+ countries.

Once legalities are out of the way, make a plan to ensure the transition goes smoothly for you and your organization. One of the biggest challenges to consider is any potential time difference. 

Amanda Rock, a customer advocacy manager at Remote, decided to move home from Hong Kong to the US while working at her previous job. Her employer was concerned about her ability to interface with clients in Asia from Philadelphia, but they developed a plan for how she would adjust her schedule to still be able to support them. She also saw a growing business opportunity in the American market and suggested that she spend part of her time working with those clients in her new time zone.  

“We planned the transition carefully, which was key. Once I moved, we found that my new schedule actually worked well for both me and the business, and my employer was reassured that I was still able to perform at a high level from another country. I even got a promotion in the process!”

Before relocating, make sure you understand your employer’s expectations for your role, your output, and when you need to be available (assuming your organization isn’t already embracing asynchronous work). Try to get this all in writing to remove all doubt that you are continuing to perform well from your new location. 

Sure, a tropical island sounds like a great place to move or travel to while working remotely. But have you thought about the WiFi? Some of the biggest challenges managers report having to deal with when employees relocate are related to instability in their new work environment or distractions. 

Before you hop on a plane and leave, get answers to these questions:

What is internet connectivity like there? 

Will I be able to make video calls and work effectively?

Will I have access to a comfortable work environment?

Will social distractions prevent me from continuing to excel in my work? 

How long will it take for me to settle in and be back on my game professionally?

If you’re looking for a great place to move where you can thrive as a remote worker, check out our Best Destinations for Remote Work! We searched the globe to find the best destinations for remote workers based on seven of the most important factors for remote work success. You can customize your own list based on your priorities. These destinations are specifically tailored to remote workers, so no matter where you go on the list, you’ll be sure to enjoy a great remote work experience. 

5. Build a foundation to maintain key relationships.

So you’ve relocated and things are going smoothly. The only question that remains is how can you maintain great relationships with your colleagues without having that synchronized timezone and quality face-to-face time?

Just like with any other relationship, the key is making an effort. You’ll have to use new strategies when remote, especially if everyone else is back at the office. 

Nadia Vatalidis, VP of people at Remote, advises that remote colleagues and managers should try to lead conversations with a personal check-in. 

“Start conversations in one-on-one calls or over Slack about family, weekends, life things, and just ask how people are doing. To have a healthy work environment and maintain relationships remotely, it’s important to be people-first. These casual check-ins can make a big difference.”

To socialize remotely, you can also encourage informal calls that anyone can join to catch up. You might also set up some virtual games, coffee chats, or meal breaks. 

If you’re angling for a promotion in the future but worried about being overlooked, there are ways to combat this as well. Keep your work and successes clearly documented and make extra effort to share them publicly and regularly so you continue to get recognized within the organization. 

At Remote, we are building the foundation for a future of work where your location won’t be a barrier to your employment. If you’re ready to make a move (or have already done so), Remote can help your employer continue to hire you legally and compliantly in your new country, state, or province through our employer of record (EOR) services. We can even assess your visa options with you!

If you’re ready to talk to your employer about your move, we’ve developed a simple template pitch explaining Remote’s services and how it can make the transition seamless for everyone: 

As you already know, I’ve been preparing to relocate. One thing I’ve been determined to figure out is a way to keep my job, because I really value working here. 

If you’d be willing to keep me on as a remote worker, I’ve discovered a way that we can make it work legally in my new location with no extra effort required from the business side! Remote is an employer of record service that can legally hire me on your behalf. 

It’s simple to transition my employment contract over to them, all you have to do is sign up on their website at Remote.com and onboard me as an employee. Remote handles everything else, from compliance to payroll to benefits, for a monthly service fee. 

By working with Remote, I could continue in my role instead of you having to replace me.

Our global hiring team is always available to answer questions, so get started with your planning now and let Remote help you manage your relocation with safest, speed, and ease. Remember to check out our Choose Remote Toolkit to help you make your case for flexible work and collect all the information you need to know to relocate using Remote.

It is possible to keep your job remotely, even if you’re moving to another country. All that’s required is buy-in from the company you work for and some planning to ensure you make the right legal and practical preparations.

Remote job relocation: 5 steps before your remote work move | Remote

Remote job relocation: 5 steps before your remote work move

Do your employees want to relocate to another country? Are you looking to hire someone who is moving across borders? Whatever challenges you face, this guide will help you understand more about relocation for international employees.

Relocation for international employees video guide

Prefer watching to reading? Check out Remote’s webinar on international relocation, hosted by Nadia Vatalidis (head of people), Filipa Matos (vice president of operations) and Roderick van Vliet (head of legal).

In this hour-long special session, these three international employment experts cover a host of questions on important topics and answer real questions from businesses and HR professionals.

[Webinar Recording] Relocation for International Employees

If you’re wondering whether you really need to know about international relocation, the answer is a resounding yes. According to our Global Workforce Revolution Report from last year, 81% of tech workers surveyed would move to a new region, state, or country if they could do so without jeopardizing their career prospects. To keep your best people, you need to be able to offer them the location flexibility they desire.

Now that most knowledge jobs can be done remotely, employees see remote work as a way to guard against recessions and financial difficulties. Sixty-three percent of respondents in our study said the ability to work remotely can protect workers from region-based financial challenges.

We found two-thirds of companies planned to increase remote work options, but that number is growing all the time. Employees have more options than ever as more companies go all-remote. Around a third of people would quit outright if they could not continue to work remotely. The lesson is: businesses need to offer remote work, and employees expect to be able to move anywhere they want if they work remotely. To meet that demand and stay compliant with international labor laws, companies have some work to do.

Unique relocation challenges with remote work

Companies should always seek to treat their employees equally. However, statutory requirements vary greatly from country to country. Overtime laws, minimum benefits, lengths of probationary periods, and hundreds of other details change when employees cross borders.

For example, take a person who leaves the US to work in Italy. In the US, employees usually work under “at-will” employment, a concept that does not exist in Italy. That change in location would require a whole new employment contract to reflect local laws. If that same person moved from Italy to Mexico, the employee would now be entitled to a 13th month’s salary, and the employee’s salary could only be deposited in a bank approved by the government.

Labor laws are mostly behind the times for remote workers. Employers are required to provide safe working conditions, but what happens when the place of work is the employee’s home? How does the employee’s right to privacy conflict with laws about workplace inspections? Is the employer required to cover certain expenses for employees working from home?

Relocation isn’t easy, but as the world becomes more connected, employers must be prepared to deal with the challenges that arise. 

Different types of international relocation

There are three major types of relocation: travel, short-term relocation, and long-term relocation. When your company is in one country and your employee plans to be in another country, you must first understand the type of relocation you are facing.

Travel may last for a few months or a year, but it always has a specific end date. Travelers must typically hold some kind of visa, such as a tourist visa or business visa. The type of work the employee may do is determined by the type of visa they hold.

Unlike travel, which always requires a specific visa, short-term relocation has the employee move to the country as a resident. Still though, the employee moves for a fixed period of time, which separates short-term relocation from long-term relocation. Things become more complicated when the employee becomes a resident.

Under long-term relocation, the employee moves somewhere for an extensive amount of time. This can be for a year or two, or even indefinitely. The main difference between short-term and long-term relocation is the lack of a fixed end date. Employees who relocate for the long term become residents, though the specific type of residence varies by country. Issues of long-term relocation may include immigration, international taxation, and compliance with local labor laws.

No matter how much time your employee plans to spend in another country, you need to be familiar with the laws that will apply to your continuing employment relationship. 

What to know when your employee wants to relocate

Any type of relocation can be a stressful process for both employee and employer. Visas, immigration, and other concerns often become complicated affairs. Each situation is different, but you can make life easier by understanding more about how relocation works, what to watch for, and how to do the paperwork.

(Psst! Remote can help you with visas, immigration, compliance, and more, including international payroll and benefits. Let us know about your situation and we’ll walk you through it from start to finish.)

1. Fulfilling requirements for immigration and visas

For your employee to move to another country without breaking the law, you need to understand the specific immigration rules in play. Employees must often meet minimum thresholds of residency, for example. Even if your employee takes the responsibility of staying compliant seriously, your business could still face issues if the employee breaks the law unknowingly.

Be careful not to hire someone who does not actually have the right to work in a specific country. Always confirm the employability of a candidate or current employee. It’s possible to have a work permit while still needing sponsorship from a company, for instance.

The concept of taxes is simple: the country where the business operates wants a cut of the business’s revenue. Things get complicated when the company operates with employees in multiple countries. Income taxes and corporate taxes can get messy, and physical residency and tax residency are not always the same thing. Tax treaties between countries dictate which taxes businesses pay and when.

Be wary of permanent establishment risk. Simply having workers in a country isn’t always enough to trigger permanent establishment, but certain actions by employees (or the type of role an employee fulfills) may be. Permanent establishment is not a one-and-done issue, so businesses must continuously reevaluate their risk factors.

3. Staying compliant with local employment laws

No two countries are alike in employment laws. Noncompliance with local laws can lead to major fines and penalties related to the misclassification of workers and more. Further, companies cannot legally employ someone in another country without having that person employed by a legal entity within that country.

If you have multiple employees in a country and plan to have a long-term presence there, you may want to open a legal entity yourself. Doing so usually costs a lot of money and takes several months, and you will need to manage your own payroll, benefits, legal work, but owning your own business does have its advantages.

Most companies choose to use an employer of record to employ full-time workers in another country. This is what Remote does. We help you employ team members in other countries legally and easily.

We only offer services in countries where we own our own legal entities, so you never have to worry about third parties handling your data or providing a bad experience for your employees. Whichever employer of record you choose, make sure your employer of record owns a legal entity in the country and does not outsource to a third party provider.

Mastering international relocation to grow your business

The world has permanently embraced remote work, and many employees will never go back to full-time office roles. Choosing to limit your business to local candidates will cut you off from some of the best talent the world has to offer. To stay competitive, businesses must allow their employees the flexibility to relocate, even internationally.

Remote is here to make this transition easy. With our self-serve platform, you can onboard international employees in minutes. If you have questions about immigration, visas, or other specifics, we are always here to help — just reach out! We look forward to helping you grow your global team and providing the best experience for your relocating employees.

How to Handle International Employee Relocation

How to handle international employee relocation

How do you legally employ workers when they move from one country to another?

Three of Remote’s top experts in global employment have shared their wisdom in a one-hour online event. In this seminar, you will learn about:

Travel, short-term relocation, and long-term relocation

How employee actions affect companies unintentionally

Gaps in employment law for remote workers

In addition, this recording includes an extensive Q&A session highlighting more issues companies should consider as employees relocate.

If you have specific questions about relocation for your team, we are always happy to help. Fill out the form on this page or send us an email at hello@remote.com to get started.

On-demand video now available! In this one-hour online event, three of Remote's top global employment experts share their knowledge on relocation for international employees.

Visas and Work Permits

Relocate and work from anywhere

Remote job relocation: 5 steps before your remote work move

How to handle international employee relocation

[Webinar Recording] Relocation for International Employees