When you are proceeding with an international removal, it is usual to take out insurance for your shipment. Your moving company can provide insurance for your move and will provide you with an Insurance Proposal Form and an Insurance Certificate upon completion of all relevant documentation.

Whilst completing the required forms for insuring your move, you may come across the following words / phrases:

Declared Value = the owner declared value of an item for insurance purposes. Be careful not to under-insure your belongings.

Replacement Value = the value of the goods based on the cost to be replaced at destination.

PBO = Packed by Owner. If you decide to pack some cartons yourself, your Insurer will only be able to insure those items for total loss cover only. This is because if the Insurer does not know the condition of the items before they are packed, they cannot accurately judge if the items have been damaged or not during transit in the event of a claim.

Inherent Vice = the nature of the item to suffer from natural deterioration i.e. not as a result of the removal or any other outside influence.

A new article written on the expatriate investment advice website ‘Shelter Offshore’ has highlighted the hidden benefits of moving abroad. Apart from the obvious advantages which are usually the reasons you are moving  (e.g. better lifestyle, improved climate, more work opportunities), the article points out there are a number of benefits which you may not realise until you have moved.

The article, entitled ‘7 ways your life can improve if you move abroad’, promotes the international expatriate lifestyle as the best way to achieve happiness and fulfilment in your life. By seeing the world and learning about other cultures, it is argued that this is the best way to gain perspective about what you really want out of life and what is important to you.

It is reported that people who have moved overseas become more adventurous, more willing to try new things and generally more open-minded. It could be argued that the type of people who decide to emigrate already have these characteristics as that is why they are brave enough to make the move. In any case, it would appear that moving abroad can reinforce these aspects of a person’s personality.

Some of the seven ways mentioned in the article include the following points:

• You can gain a new perspective on your life by moving out of everyday routine into a new life where everyday is an adventure and a challenge.
• You can enhance your life by learning about other cultures
•  If you start a new life abroad, you are not restricted by the perspectives and preconceptions of friends and family. You have the opportunity and the freedom to ‘re-invent’ yourself.

Shelter Offshore is a website which provides financial information and advice for expatriates as well as providing a community forum. It may be a useful resource for anyone considering a move overseas.

British newspapers are currently reporting on supposed divisions within the UK Coalition Government over the migration cap which is due to be introduced in April 2011. David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May have both made it clear that they wish to cut immigration levels to the ‘tens of thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands’ and believe that the level should return to a similar number as was seen in the 1990s. However, in a recent radio interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Business Secretary Vince Cable argued the case for more flexibility with regard to the level of immigrants accepted. The business case for flexibility within the migration cap is that multinational companies should be able to have the freedom to post employees on internal transfers in order to best respond to the needs of the company. Although Vince Cable states that he does not oppose the cap, he feels that it is necessary to put forward the point of view of many UK and international businesses.

It was evident before the General Election that the Conservatives were determined to reduce the level of immigration to the UK. It was a key agreement with the Liberal Democrats that migrant numbers were to be cut although the Liberal Democrats favoured a more flexible arrangement.

The migration cap, which is due to be implemented in April next year after a consultation, is not yet known. British Prime Minster David Cameron refuses to speculate on the scale of the reduction in numbers at the moment. A consultation is due beforehand to decide the level of the cap whereby numerous bodies will be consulted. For example, the Indian Government will be consulted in order to assess the impact of a migration cap on UK – India trade relations. The outcome of the consultation is due in September of this year.

There is currently a temporary migration limit in place which has been in force since the 16^th July 2010. This was imposed in order to prevent a flood of applications for residency before the cap is imposed next year. The temporary cap is expected to reduce the number of arriving immigrants by 5%. There are presently exceptions to the temporary migration cap including international transfers within multinational companies, religions minister and elite sportsmen and sportswomen.

The Home Office has published ideas for further proposals with regard to the future of the UK migration system in a Consultation Paper. A suggestion was made of giving more points to non-EU migrants who choose to take out private medical insurance. A further proposal involved doing more to help and encourage Tier 1 applicants. Tier 1 applicants are classed as ‘highly skilled and / or highly educated’ people who would be of most benefit to the UK and who are likely to contribute a great deal to the UK economy. Examples of people in Tier 1 include investors, innovators, entrepreneurs, successful businesspeople, writers, composers, artists and other skilled people who do not need a job offer to come to come to the UK.

With regard to the impact on international removals, a migration cap for non-EU migrants would no doubt impact the moving industry. Restricting migration flows will inevitably reduce the number of international moves inbound for the UK.

The migration cap will also of course mean that is more difficult to move to the UK and will therefore affect people considering moving to the country in the future.

In a recent article in The Australian newspaper, Australian government advisors expressed their opinions on the ongoing Big Australia debate. The article, entitled ‘Reject Little Australia: PM Advisors’ which was published on the 22^nd July, announces the views of three key government advisors. Many people considering moving to Australia may be interested in this debate and the subsequent consequences which a possible population cap would have on immigration levels.

The debate currently centres on conflicting views of the general, mainly city dwelling public who are concerned about about urban congestion and business leaders and economists who believe that robust immigration is needed for economic growth. City inhabitants are also concerned about rising house prices, pressure on resources such as electricity and water and increasingly lengthy commutes to work which many people claim is due to unsustainable population increase. The current population growth rate in Australia stands at 2%.

There is a consensus of opinion between the government advisors quoted in The Australian newspaper. All three interviewed agree that population growth should be encouraged or else face potential ‘dangerous’ consequences for the country. Glen Withers, a Population Economist and Rod Eddington from Infrastructure Australia both commented on the need for healthy immigration numbers. Rod Eddington pointed out that migration is one of the reasons that Australia has grown to be a successful nation. He also pointed out that immigration is needed in order to bring skilled workers into the country and that ‘the hunt for talent is a global hunt’.

Peter McDonald from the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute has stated that he feels migrants are being used as a ‘scapegoat’ for government failures and favours a high immigration level also.

The debate is one of the principal issues in Australian politics at the moment and is a divisive issue among voters in the next federal election due to take place in August of this year. The challenge for the next Australian government will be to balance the need for immigration with the resulting pressures on infrastructure and resources in certain highly populated ideas. This may result in a serious examination and reform of urban planning in Australia.

The majority of people when moving overseas will experience a certain degree of culture shock. This can often be unexpected as our own culture is usually invisible to us. Culture shock may not affect you until a couple of weeks after you arrive at your new destination. The initial excitement of arriving in a new country may override any other feelings and time will be taken up dealing with finding a place to live, organising your overseas removal delivery etc.

Culture shock can be defined as ‘the difficulties or trauma arising when assimilating into an unfamiliar culture’ or ‘a condition of confusion when exposed to a foreign culture’.  The condition can include distressing feelings such as anxiety, disorientation, confusion and shock.

It is worth nothing that experiencing culture shock is completely normal and is a very common issue when moving overseas. Reverse Culture Shock can also occur when moving back to your home country after your international relocation to find that you need to become accustomed once again with your own culture. Similar feelings are usually reported with Reverse Culture Shock.

There are various general stages of culture shock during an international relocation.

The Honeymoon Period: Fascination with the new culture. Many people will experience feelings of excitement and enthusiasm for their new life.

The Distress or Negotiation Period: Sometimes people begin to feel anxious as they begin to notice differences between their old and new culture. Emotions such as frustration and homesickness are not uncommon during this phase.

Adjustment Period: People become accustomed to their new country and begin to understand attitudes and behaviours which help them deal with situations in their day to day life, thereby reducing anxiety.

Mastery Period: The migrant embraces and fully adjusts to the new culture and in some cases, treats the culture as their own.

Many people experience all of these phases in the order above but some people also only go through one or two of the phases. Furthermore, migrants tend to go through the phases at different paces.

There are various methods which can be helpful to employ to minimise the effects of culture shock. These include the following:

• Understand the phases of culture shock so you can identify why you may be feeling a certain way.
• Keep active and engage in physical activity / exercise for a natural boost if you are feeling low.
• -          Learn as much as you can about your new culture before your move. If possible, learn as much of the new language as you can.
• -          Be open minded about your new culture and view it as an educational experience which will broaden your mind.
• -          Embrace the culture and be enthusiastic about exploring and trying things you may never have tried before.
• -          Keep in touch with friends and family back home.
• -          Join an Expat club or go to Expat bars and restaurants in order to meet other people who may be suffering from culture shock also. It will help you know you are not alone and that it is a normal process that many people go through.
• -          Join sports clubs, societies and participate in community activities in order to make new friends in your new country.

Over the past few years, FIDI have been working to develop and improve the FAIM qualification in order to raise standards and improve customer service levels. The result of this is the launch of FAIM 2.0 which will become the new standard for FIDI members.

FIDI FAIM Certification is the quality standard for the international removals industry. John Mason International are FAIM accredited and have been for many years. FAIM 2.0 will replace the previous FAIM Certificate.

The FAIM Steering Committee developed FAIM 2.0 by analysing research from corporate customers with regard to the moving process. Matters examined included looking at which aspects of the move are most important to clients and critical aspects of service delivery during international removals.

FAIM 2.0 includes the following improvements:

• Environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies are now included.

Under FAIM 2.0, all companies must have an environmental policy which outlines steps which are being taken to reduce waste and conserve energy in addition to recycling procedures, in particular the recycling of packing materials.

With regards to CSR, the issues of respect for human rights and business ethics must be addressed and an appropriate policy written and complied with.

• More stringent financial requirements and financial security benchmarks are now included. There will also be more frequent financial reviews (i.e. on an annual basis) of FIDI members to ensure sound financial health of companies and therefore to provide greater peace of mind to the client / customer. Financial measurements which will be requested by FAIM auditors include gearing  liquidity ratios.  
• Business continuity plans to be included in FAIM procedure.
• Increased requirements with regard to security measures including data protection systems as well as the physical protection of a customer’s household goods when moving overseas. Data protection systems also apply to employees of FIDI member companies.
• Focus on training and education of staff and the promotion of continuous education so employees of FIDI affiliated companies are as knowledgeable and as qualified as possible. 
• Increased number of customer-focused policies such as:

1.  Improved communications with customers with a focus on time responsive communication. A fast response to customer enquiries is seen as a key indicator of quality.
2. Customer Feedback module expanded and improved. The new module will comprise of policy recommendations for recording and monitoring feedback for customers moving overseas.

Boris A. Populoh, Managing Director of the FIDI Global Alliance comments about FAIM 2.0 in a recent edition of Mobility magazine:

‘The functional focus of the new FAIM 2.0 standard will remain the progressive monitoring of evolving requirements of both the customers’ and service providers’ needs to respond to the changing needs of the ultimate consumer: the international assignee and his or her family’.

(Reprinted with permission of Worldwide ERC^®, from the June 2010 issue of MOBILITY).

In summary, the purpose of FAIM 2.0 is to ‘raise the bar’ in terms of quality in the international moving industry. It will now be more difficult to achieve FAIM meaning that FIDI members must reach and maintain higher service levels and quality controls. Ultimately, this means improved service for the customer and a strengthened guarantee of receiving a high quality service when using a FIDI mover.

FAIM is the sole requirement to be a FIDI member, therefore all FIDI members will be required to adhere to the new standard. It is expected that FAIM 2.0 will be launched later this year.

If you are planning an international removal to Queensland, you may be aware of the new plans for the creation of three new cities in the Australian state.

In response to population growth, the state government have generated an innovative solution to this problem. The three new ‘satellite cities’ are to be built in the South East of Queensland, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast and will be named Ripley Valley, Flagstone and Yarrabilba. It is expected that construction of the new cities will begin sometime next year.

As they will be built from the ground up, the new cities will be designed to be ‘model cities’ or ‘mosaic cities’ i.e. places where you can live, play and work in the same place. The idea is for people to be able to cut down their commuter journey and distance. Of course, for this to happen, local jobs are needed and thus businesses and industries must be persuaded to re-locate there. Therefore a business park, Swanbank Enterprise Park, will be constructed for this purpose. It is also hoped that homes in these new areas will be more affordable and spacious.

If you are moving to Australia, you may well end up as one of the expected 250,000 people living in one of these communities and benefiting from the advantages mentioned above.

The new plans however have their critics. Environmentalists are objecting to the fact that the new communities will be built on Greenfield land. Furthermore, although the Southeast Queensland Regional Development Plan did suggest new districts in order to ease population expansion pressures, the report recommended that the new communities should be built near or in existing suburbs rather than the creation of new areas.

Other critics, in particular economics researchers, have pointed out that it may be more cost effective to improve infrastructure in the surrounding suburbs of Brisbane rather than to invest heavily in new urban centres.

John Mason International facilitate many international removals to Queensland each year. For further information on our moving services, go to our Moving Overseas page – the link can be found here: Moving Overseas.

Recent statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have revealed a new picture of the UK’s migration position.

Net migration in the UK last year was less than in the previous year i.e. the number of people immigrating to the UK minus the number of people  moving overseas / emigrating. The figure for 2009 (data up to September 2009) was 142,000 compared to 160,000 in 2008.

Another trend is that there has been an increase in the number of migrants being awarded British citizenship. This figure is now the highest in five years. However, according to the Home Office, nearly a third of people sitting the citizenship text last year failed it. The official pass rate of the test currently stands at 70.9%.

The UK citizenship test lasts for 45 minutes and is undertaken at a specialist test centre, usually on a computer. The test incorporates questions on British history and culture, the British Constitution, aspects of society and family life and practical issues such as the legal drinking age in the UK. Passing this test is necessary in order to be able to apply for full citizenship.

The statistics and trends mentioned above will be used by the UK government to form new immigration policies. Anyone considering moving overseas to the UK may not welcome the news that the new coalition government have announced measures to cap immigration from non-EU countries. 

Immigration minister Damian Green has recently commented on the proposed immigration limit:

‘I believe that immigration has been far too high in recent years which is why we will reduce net migration back down to the levels of the 1990s – to tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands’.

When planning a move to an international destination, you will need to consider the best way to transfer your money. There are many options to exchange funds including using money transfer providers such as Moneycorp and Travelex, bank services or pre-paid money cards,

Things to consider and research include rate of exchange, fees, transfer method and speed of transfer. With currency fluctuations now being more volatile after the global financial crisis, this can be a particularly complicated matter to deal with.

The website www.sendmoneyhome.org is an independent comparison site dedicated to finding the best or most economical way to send money overseas. The website originally began as a way to send money home to friends and family but has now developed into a more advanced resource for expatriates and people moving overseas. The site finds the best rates from money exchange providers, advises on which options have the lowest fees and also provides information on which methods are the quickest.

According to the latest US Census, the number of Americans moving in 2009 was higher than in 2008 but there were more cross-county moves than in 2008. The Census statistics show that the mover rate for 2009 (i.e. the number of people that reported a domestic removal last year) was 12.5% compared to 2008 when 11.9% of the US population moved home.  

The statements above are due to the fact that many people lost their homes last year and so were forced to move in with family / friends or to a rental property. Therefore this led to the majority of people moving home in the US to move intra-county rather than inter-state. 

With regard to state-to-state moves, this rate remained the same as in 2008. This could be due to the fact that people aren’t moving due to a lack of job opportunities although demographers predict this to rise in the coming years as more jobs are created within the US economy and people relocate to benefit from job prospects.

The mover rate is an economic indicator as a high mover rate means that more people are moving because of increased employment an opportunity which is of course a positive sign for the economy. Over the last few years, the USA has experienced what is often called ‘the great migration slowdown’. William H. Frey, a demographer from the Brookings Institution was quoted in the Wall Street Journal last week stating that the current mobility situation does still not show any signs of recovering to normal US migration patterns.

In terms of regional trends, the West of the US had the highest mover rate in 2009, followed in descending order by the South, the Midwest and lastly the Northeast.