An investigation into why an increasing amount of older professionals are relocating to work abroad
Fascinating research from the 2011 Global Relocation Trends Survey suggests that the number of international assignees who are 40 and over is rising.
Out of all of the international assignees who were questioned as part of the research, those in the 40-49 and
50-59 age brackets both increased within the last year, from 35% to 37% and 16% to 19% respectively.
The figure was unchanged over the course of the year for those aged over 60.
Considering that the statistics for those aged 39 and under actually showed decline over the course of a year, these figures appear to be quite significant.
It appears that the number of older professionals relocating abroad is increasing, suggesting that their specific skills/experience are being increasingly valued by corporate companies around the world.
Bettina Hartmann, the director of non-profit making organisation SES, suggests that the “main advantage is their (older assignees) experience, that brings a calmness and a confidence.”
A large number of these older assignees are engaged in development work, which means they will be paid expenses rather than a starting salary.
Potential migration process
Some countries have a migration process which needs to be strictly followed when relocating abroad, no matter how old you are.
Relocation to Australia, for example, is a particularly complex and time consuming process which has to be considered in advance of any plans to move.
There is a migration process which usually takes between 6-8 months to complete. You will also have to pay an entry fee, which can be anywhere around £5,000.
Your company might care of this as part of a relocation package, but it is important to be aware of such details.
Any application for relocation to Australia will be professionally assessed. The fact that you are walking straight into a job should be enough to prove your value to their society.
For any assistance with issues such as migration, it is a good idea to contact a corporate relocation service.
