| Are you hoping to emigrate to the USA, Canada or | | | | extra assurance to prospective landlords and future |
| Australia? | | | | creditors of your reliability. Remember, you will probably |
| At any stage in the process of emigrating prior | | | | have no credit history in the country you emigrate to |
| preparation is vital so that you can adapt quickly to | | | | and these things take time to build up after you have |
| your new home. | | | | arrived. |
| Over the last decade major destinations like Canada, | | | | -- Call or write to your household and car insurers and |
| the USA and Australia have seen millions of new | | | | ask them for written details of your claims history and |
| immigrants arrive to their shores. It is perhaps not | | | | any no claims discount that you have accrued to date. |
| surprising that the Government of Australia recently | | | | Doing this will help to ensure that you do not pay |
| tightened their entry requirements on January 1, 2010, | | | | exorbitant premiums for insurance after you have |
| making eligibility under the skilled worker category | | | | emigrated. Do not leave this until after you have |
| slightly more difficult to attain. | | | | emigrated - the international calls and time differences |
| The rationale behind the Australian move was to | | | | are a headache you could do without. |
| "ensure that overseas workers are not competing | | | | -- Ensure that you have sufficient medical insurance to |
| with Australians for jobs". In light of the recent global | | | | cover you and your family upon your arrival. Each |
| economic downturn, from which the world now | | | | country has differing public healthcare provision, so it is |
| thankfully appears to be emerging, other popular | | | | important that you establish what is covered and |
| countries for immigrants might well follow suit. | | | | when. For example, in Canada the mandatory medical |
| There are however many avenues to be considered | | | | services plan that covers all Canadian residents does |
| and explored when planning to move overseas - a job | | | | not take effect until 90 days after you have landed, so |
| that is probably best suited to an immigration consultant | | | | for those first 90 days you need stand alone cover, |
| or lawyer. Wait times for Australian visas have tended | | | | which can be purchased online. Thereafter you must |
| to be relatively short when compared to destinations | | | | pay monthly, quarterly or yearly premiums to the |
| like Canada, which can typically have wait times for | | | | government plan. Buying a simple travel insurance plan |
| approval of anywhere between 3 to 5 years, or | | | | is usually not an option, as these require a date of |
| longer. Attempting the process on your own is for | | | | return to your home country and you will not be |
| most a very time consuming and daunting task, and | | | | covered. |
| with only a layman's understanding of a country's | | | | -- Call your family doctor and ask for copies of your |
| immigration policies there is every chance that your | | | | medical records. They will probably require a small |
| application could be delayed yet further or worse still, | | | | payment for production of the records and a signed |
| may fail. | | | | authority from you, but ignoring this step will mean that |
| If your application is already in and you are at the | | | | any future medical care that you receive after you |
| stage where you are preparing to put everything in | | | | have emigrated will be reliant upon your memory and |
| order for your arrival, you will need to consider a | | | | probably guesswork! |
| multitude of things -- accommodation, schooling, | | | | -- Finding the right job before or after you have arrived |
| transport and perhaps most importantly, employment! | | | | is vital to ensuring that you settle quickly and happily, |
| Speaking as one who has faced each of the | | | | and doing so can be just as hard as applying for the all |
| challenges above, I would urge you not to overlook | | | | important visa! Employment markets differ from |
| any of these aspects, and leave yourself enough time | | | | country to country, and it is easy to underestimate just |
| to make the appropriate arrangements or enquiries | | | | how different things are until you are right there. Do not |
| beforehand. | | | | be fooled into thinking that your experience and |
| Some of the many things to take care of before you | | | | qualifications in your home country will carry you into a |
| leave your country of origin are as follows: | | | | similar job overseas. Although in some instances this |
| -- If you intend to rent accommodation upon arrival you | | | | may be the case, in many others it may not! Have |
| will need references from your previous landlords. If | | | | your credentials evaluated for the country you are |
| you have never rented before then proof of money in | | | | travelling to before you go and you have one less |
| the bank will probably be needed by your landlord, in | | | | thing to concern yourself with. |
| order to assure them that you will be able to meet the | | | | Remember, immigration policies change! If you are |
| terms of your lease for its duration. | | | | thinking of emigrating, now is the time to set the |
| -- Obtain a credit history report before you go. This is | | | | wheels in motion before the authorities raise the bar |
| cheap to do and can prove invaluable as it offers an | | | | yet higher. |