UK Immigration Update 2008

With UK Immigration laws constantly changing, it's sometimes hard to know and perhaps obtain the proper qualifications for non-European Union migrants to stay in the United Kingdom. Updates to these laws include the Points Based System, which is a very significant change in the UK immigration system, and recent changes to the Work Permit Scheme.

Saunders 1865's Update on UK Immigration gives general information on these new modifications.

Click here to get the update.

Click here for info on our global total immigration management care program.

Hello China!

China's impact on the global economy is potentially immense. As its economy mushrooms, China has already become a major destination for corporate moves.

Relocating to China presents formidable challenges, especially for families, require big cultural adjustments.

Click here to get Saunders 1865's destination report that will guide you on what to expect.

Click here for info on all our services in China.

Amanda (Mandy) Sarkis now part of our family

Amanda (Mandy) Sarkis was born in the UK and is of Lebanese origin. Mandy was brought up in Lagos, Nigeria and joined Saunders 1865 over a year ago as a part-time relocation research assistant whilst studying at Richmond, the American International University in London.

Since graduating, Mandy has now joined Saunders 1865's permanent team of Global Relocation Specialists. Her love of diverse cultures perfectly compliments her work for clients on global mobility issues.

Saunders 1865's CEO, Tony Coe, said, "Mandy has direct, personal experience of living and working in several diverse cultures. This has made her acutely sensitive to the needs of our global transferees and their families. Add that background to the fact that she's an extremely nice person and you can see why she has so quickly become an asset to the Saunders 1865 family."

Grace Sisto - Global Relocation Specialist

While studying towards her BA in Communications, Italian-born

Grace Sisto joined the Saunders 1865 team on a part time basis.

After a year focusing on business development, database management and liaising with corporate clients, Grace recently joined Saunders 1865's team of full time Global of Relocation Specialists.

Grace told the Saunders 1865 Blog: “It’s very rewarding to be part of such a close-knit, international team that works hand in hand to guarantee the successful relocation of our transferees and their families from country to country!”

Saunders 1865 CEO, Tony Coe, said, "Within a short time of joining our team on a full time basis, Grace has proven herself to be a major contributor to our continued success."

http://www.saunders1865.com/ - GLOBAL REACH - PERSONAL SERVICE

Tony & Barbra Streisand Duet

Our CEO, Tony Coe was photograhed in USA this past weekend singing the duet "You don't bring me flowers anymore" at a Barbra Streisand dinner show!

Barbra needed a willing member of the audience to help her out and Tony reluctantly (yeah right!) stepped up to the plate!

We hope to be able to post a video here soon!!

Survey of Corporations on Global Destinations

In order for corporations to compete in the global marketplace their key Employees must be prepared to relocate to foreign destinations.

This can present some challenges for the Employer as well as the Employees and their families that are being asked to change their lives.

At Saunders 1865 we wanted to find out what destinations and issues were presenting the greatest challenges to HR departments, so we carried out a survey which was recently completed.

377 HR professionals from major global corporations participated in our survey and their responses contained some surprises!

CLICK HERE to access the results.

France goes smoke-free

France welcomed the new year with smoke-free zones in cafes, restaurants bars and clubs.

Known for its smokie cafes where the likes of Sartre and Camus were regulars, France is another European countries to have outlawed smoke from all public places.

The ban represents a big cultural change for the French and surely serves as an example for other countries.

Saunders 1865 Team Xmas celebrations!

Photos by Mindy's Photo Services

Relocating to India?

Known for its ancient civilization and cultural wealth, India has established itself as one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

Being well informed and thoroughly supported makes for a stress-free relocation to this wonderful but challenging destination.

For our Saunders 1865's destination report on India click here.

Kuwait as a Destination for Corporate Transferees

The Middle East is no longer relying only on "black gold" and many areas are attracting more and more corporate transferees.

Kuwait, in particular, is doing well.

Despite its fast development, expats need to be aware that Kuwait is very proud of its culture and traditions which remain extremely important.

Saunders 1865's latest educational report addresses various important aspects to bear in mind when relocating transferees and their families to Kuwait.

Please click here to access the report entitled Destination Kuwait

Funny take on subprime fiasco!

Thanks to leading Appraiser, Brad Charnas, for drawing our attention to this hilarious video on the subprime mortgage meltdown.

Click here to access video.

Chinese Immigration Made Simple

China has become the world's business hotspot. It is vital that global HR professionals have the means to navigate the Chinese immigration process.

What are the necessary stages to obtain an Employment Immigration Document issued by the Chinese Government.

Please click here to obtain our educatonal report on the Chinese immigration process. It is free to corporate HR professionals.

Global Immigration 101

Today the battle for talent is a global one and corporations need to be able to move Employees internationally, in the most time and cost effective way. Compliance with immigration laws is crucial to avoid incurring legal problems and issues with future immigration application.

International HR is usually in charge of making sure procedures are followed and requirements are met correctly. When applying for visas and work permits there are considerable differences from country to country. Therefore, expert knowledge and experience with immigration bureaucracy is key.

click here for our Global Immigration 101 Report

Educational Podcast on UK Premium Leases

Big interest in UK Premium Leases is being shown amongst Corporate global HR Professionals.

That's unsurprising because Premium Leases represent an extremely effective way of drastically reducing the costs of your Employee-housing in they UK.

Our Chief Executive, Tony Coe, has prepared the 1st ever educational podcast on the subject for corporate HR professionals, to supplement our very popular paper "Premium Leases Made Simple"

For a brief overview of Premium Leases go to http://www.premiumlease.co.uk/

Rental Hikes Force Big Rise in Expat Allowances

In the past year, rental prices for preferred expatriate districts in Singapore have skyrocketed by 36 percent.

Prime rentals in other cities such as Hong Kong have also been on the rise.

These rising prices have forced many international companies to raise housing allowances for top executives working overseas by up to 20 percent.

Some companies are cutting costs by increasing the number of lump-sum packages they offer to international employees, reserving housing allowances for senior executives.

As always, a good global destination services provider can help corporations minimize costs without sacrificing employee-satisfaction.
Click here for info on Saunders 1865's global services.

Indian Cities Still Among Cheapest in Asia

Although seven of India's major cities have become more expensive, according to ECA International's list of costliest Asian cities for expats, they are still among the cheapest in Asia.

Mumbai and Bangalore each rose one spot;

Chennai rose three, and New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune each rose two.

While cost of living in Indian cities is cheaper than elsewhere in Asia, costs were pushed up, both by a rising inflation rate and by the rupee's appreciation against the U.S. dollar.

Global relocation assistance has become a key factor in acquiring & retaining talent. For info on global transfers to & from India please contact one of our Global Specialists via the Saunders 1865 website.

UK Premium Leases Made Simple

The Premium Lease has for decades been the soundest method for drastically cutting the tax associated with leasing executive homes in the UK. A typical tax saving for a home leased for 2 years at £8,000/month generally exceeds £100,000.

Premium Leases are still accepted by the UK taxman, but the authorities are getting tougher. They must be executed in precisely the right manner. It’s critical that corporate Employers stay right up to date on this issue.

After recent high level meetings with our tax & legal teams, we’ve just finished updating our Premium Lease Guide. Please click here to access a copy of Premium Leases Made Simple.

UK - Home Info Packs have now arrived!

Home Information Packs (Hips), paid for by sellers, have been introduced in England and Wales.

The packs - intended to speed up sales - contain title deeds, local searches and an energy performance certificate, and cost about £400-£700 to compile.

Initially, only properties with four or more bedrooms will have to have a Hip but the government plans to extend the scheme to all properties soon.

Critics argue Hips make selling more expensive and bureaucratic. They say there are too few inspectors to carry out the assessments necessary for issuing energy performance certificates and that key information in the packs, such as local authority searches, will soon go out of date.

The penalties for putting a property up for sale without a Hip can be severe. Homeowners who have not commissioned a Hip by the time they market their property can face fines of up to £200 a day.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has warned estate agents that if they failed to comply with Hip rules and sold properties without a pack, they could be put out of business.

Saunders 1865 provides global home sale assistance to help corporate employers move their Employees to a new work location anywhere in the world.

CLICK HERE for more info on our home sale services.

France - now family members can work

In May of 2007, France became the latest country to permit the family members of international employees to work while they are in the country.

France is joining the ranks of other European countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Sweden, which all have some kind of provision giving family members of non-E.U. citizens the right to get a job.

The United States passed similar legislation a few years ago; the US policy only applies to married couples. Some countries are far more progressive on the issue, allowing spouses, partners, and other family members the same benefits. Other areas with favorable regulations include Hong Kong, Argentina, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Click here to learn more about Saunders 1865's

TOTAL IMMIGRATION MANAGEMENT CARE

Smoking Ban in England

The smoking ban in England came into force on July 1st, 2007.

It is important that your business entity in England has taken steps to comply, even if it already has a non-smoking policy in place.

Click here for our guide which contains advice to businesses on this issue.