Expat Focus

Attorney Mena Maimone joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about the various pathways for moving to the United States in 2025. She explains common visas, such as the E2 investor visa, EB2 National Interest Waiver, and EB3 employment-based visa, detailing the requirements and processes for each. Mena shares her personal motivation for moving to the U.S., the key motivators for immigrants today, and the challenges applicants might face. The conversation also explores the potential impact of the upcoming presidential administration on immigration policies and provides insights on how to successfully navigate the U.S. visa application process. The episode concludes with practical advice for prospective applicants, including the importance of disclosing all information and the benefits of hiring a knowledgeable attorney. 00:00 Introducing Mena Maimone 00:27 Motivations for Moving to the USA 02:00 Common Pathways to Move to America 04:01 Investor Visa Details 05:27 Employment-Based Visas 07:12 Challenges in the Visa Application Process 08:03 Legal Support and Fees 16:26 Future of US Immigration Policies 19:50 Conclusion and Contact Information

Moving has been a top priority for some Americans since the US presidential election, leading to a surge in inquiries to immigration consultants, Canada Abroad. Deanne Acres joins the Expat Focus Podcast to explain exactly what US citizens need to know if they're set on relocating to Canada. For a free immigration assessment, visit: https://canadaabroad.com/assessment/ For job outlooks in Canada, visit: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis/search-job-outlooks 00:00 Why Americans Choose Canada 01:57 Immigration Requirements and Processes 04:46 Work and Study Permits 12:25 Retirement and Investment Options 21:37 Cost of Living and Cultural Considerations 22:45 Path to Citizenship 23:22 Getting Started with Your Move 25:00 Closing Thoughts 

Jake Barber, Founder and Advisor at SJB Global, is back in this episode to talk through the recent UK Budget announcements, and what they mean for UK expats. You can stay up to date with expert analysis like this by signing up to our monthly newsletter - just head to expatfocus.com/newsletter. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:32 Overview of UK Budget Changes 01:16 Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax 04:02 Stamp Duty and Inheritance Tax 07:40 Impact on Pensions and QROPS 12:06 Non-Domicile Rules and Tax Planning 16:06 Economic Climate and Growth Projections 18:34 Global Comparisons and Investment Strategies 21:54 Popular Expat Destinations 25:34 Final Thoughts and Advice 35:28 Conclusion and Contact Information 

Is Panama a tax haven for expat property investors? What sort of rental return should I expect? Can I list on Airbnb there, and do I need to worry about hurricanes? On the show to answer these questions and more, is Melissa Darnay, the CEO of Choose Panama. Originally from California, Melissa spent 15 years in Texas before tragedy struck, and she went on to start a whole new life in Central America. We dive into how Melissa became a real estate and rental agency entrepreneur, what makes Panama appealing for investment today, some location hidden gems, and if you’re looking to buy property in Panama, how to make sure you don’t fall for any scams. 00:00 Guest Introduction: Melissa Darnay 01:10 Melissa's Journey to Panama 05:30 Why Panama? 08:09 Real Estate in Panama 14:43 Panama's Tax System 19:47 Popular Locations for Expats 23:44 Weather and Natural Disasters 33:51 Investment Tips and Red Flags 38:04 Conclusion and Contact Information

Did you know, the USA is probably the most lucrative market for work as a travel nurse? And that while you can take travel nursing abroad, the role doesn’t actually exist in all countries? Kylee Nelson is a nurse who is encouraging others in her profession to take a break from the bedside to help prevent burnout, and get out and see the world. Kylee’s worked as a travel nurse for seven years, including in Saudi Arabia and all over the USA. Nothing is off limits with Kylee in this episode - we talk money - how much you can earn as a travel nurse versus being on staff, how to work with recruiters, or not, how you’ll be welcomed by colleagues when you start your latest assignment, or not, and what countries you should look at if you are interested in travel nursing abroad.

Ruairi Spillane joins the Expat Focus Podcast to discuss what it takes to immigrate to Canada in 2024. Ruairi moved there from Ireland back in 2008, initially working in finance. He was motivated to start his own business in Canada after seeing so many expat friends struggle to navigate the system, and get access to the essential information they needed to be able to settle and thrive in the country. Ruari launched the website moving2canada.com, and in the years since, he has collected a swag of titles, including being named Best Immigrant Entrepreneur. Listen to find out what makes Canada attractive to foreigners right now, some current job opportunities, the typical visa application timeline, and some hurdles you can expect to face along the way.

Have you ever visited a city or a country and just known deep down that it's where you were meant to be? This is what Steph Zakas experienced on her first visit from the USA to Iceland, and it's the reason why she's living in the country today. Steph Zakas is a true slashie - she’s a coach, advisor, consultant, and photographer. In this chat, you’ll find out how she made Iceland her home, what it’s like to live in a country of such extreme contrasts (so much darkness in winter and a sun that never sets in the summer), and how Steph thinks that contributes to such a creative society. You’ll also learn that if you do come to Iceland, you shouldn’t treat the place like Disneyland.

So, you’ve fallen in love with the beautiful country of New Zealand. How can you go about moving there to live and work? What sectors are especially interested in employing foreigners, and what’s the visa application process like? David Andrews joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk through your various visa options, application requirements and the costs involved. David’s the founder and director of Visa Visa Immigration Services and Hire Minds Recruitment. He’s also an expat in New Zealand himself, so he knows exactly what it’s like to pack up your life and move to a new country.

We’re all about providing practical tips and advice on this show, and in this episode I’m joined by Jake Barber, Founder and Advisor at SJB Global, who is going to talk through transfer options for expats with UK defined contribution pensions. Jake is based in Spain, and he’s worked with British expats - in fact anyone with a work history in the UK - for a decade. We’ll dive into how Brexit affected pensions, your options for transferring a UK defined contribution pension so you can access it abroad, and specific rules and transfer fees that you should be aware of. Now for the usual caveat - Jake is providing only general information in this episode. If you want advice more specific to your situation, you should get in touch with him, or another professional advisor.

Today’s guest, Jess Drucker, has made a career out of helping LGBTQ+ people and their families move abroad. In fact, she’s created the world’s first and only, global relocation resource for this expat community, called Rainbow Relocation. Jess is a seasoned expat herself, and we chat about some of the additional practical elements that come into play when you’re queer and moving to a new country. From choosing places that are safe, where marriage and children will be legally recognized, where you’ll be able to thrive in your career, and find your community.

If you’re lucky enough to have a job that you can do from anywhere, you’re now pretty spoilt for choice when it comes to the number of countries offering digital nomad or equivalent visas. UN Tourism reports that almost half of all global destinations now offer visas for at least a year. Spain is in the spotlight in this episode, as I chat to American nutrition strategist Aimee Gallo, who moved with her husband and young son to the Catalonia region. You’ll find out why Aimee and her family chose Spain, the telework or digital nomad visa application process, timeline to approval, what their remote working life is like, and why, if you follow in Aimee’s footsteps, you should get comfortable in the uncomfortable. Now, one point we didn’t cover in this interview is what the minimum income requirement is for Spain’s digital nomad visa. Tune in until the end to find out.

Did you know that if you move abroad with children, or have them while living in a foreign country and then split from your partner, you may not be able to bring your kids back home? You may also find yourself ‘stuck’ abroad, in a country that you no longer want to be in. It’s a situation that my guest Roz Osbourne has personal experience with, and it’s why she founded the charity, GlobalARRK more than a decade ago. With Roz we’re going to deep-dive into how expats become stuck parents, why they’re so often mothers, and the risk factors that go along with their situations - for example, 81% report they have suffered domestic abuse. Keep listening until the end if you’re in an international relationship and have or are considering kids. Roz has some practical advice to share to help prevent an international custody crisis.

Some pretty big life events happened around the time Australian expat Rachael Kowald turned 30. She moved from London to Glasgow for the lower cost of living, returned to school as a mature age student, and then, she decided to buy a house! Rachael’s studying nursing, she also works as a carer for people with spinal cord injuries and - now she’s a homeowner. In this interview, we talk about how she got into college and then university as a foreigner, the different streams of nursing study that you can choose between in Scotland, the house-buying process and local living costs.

What does it take to become truly location independent? Do you have the qualities needed to thrive working remotely? And what boring-but-important admin elements do you need to think about if you intend to work from anywhere? Find out the top countries hiring remotely today, and the various ways you could go about sustaining a location independent life in my chat with Lucy Jeon. She’s an International Career Expert, founder of HeyGlobally, AND she hosts the podcast ‘Self-Made Expats’ where expat entrepreneurs share their stories.

I have a returning guest today - it’s Mia Stewart, who joins me to talk about winning the US Green Card Lottery. Also known as the DV Lottery, or the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. If you’ve listened to my first interview with Mia, you’ll recall that she and her husband moved from Australia to the USA a few years ago, to LA specifically, on an O-1 Visa. So we’re going to find out the process they’ve gone through to adjust their visa status, and what made them enter the green card lottery in the first place? But that’s not all that Mia’s been up to, she’s also had a baby in the States. And if you listened to my recent interview with Cigna Healthcare, you’ll know just how important it is to have good health insurance when you live in the USA. So Mia and I are also going to speak about that, and some of the costs related to her pregnancy.

Gabor Holch’s relationship with China began two decades ago, on what he thought was simply a two-year sabbatical. As an Intercultural Leadership Coach and Consultant, Gabor has worked with China-based managers at countless multinationals over the years. And he was there for what was dubbed the ‘Golden Age’ for foreign businesses in China, when loads of expats were moving there on lucrative work packages, for a guaranteed boost in their careers. Gabor joins me for a chat about how the business landscape has changed, and the key attractions and benefits of China for today’s international talent. We touch on China’s infamous internet restrictions, and some of the many anecdotes that Gabor gathered on work and life from expat professionals for his latest book, called Dragon Suit.

How easy is it for a foreigner to find a job in Denmark, if they haven’t been fortunate enough to line up something for when they arrive? What sectors are they most likely to find work in, and what are some need-to-knows about Danish workplace culture? My guest to answer all of these questions and more is Kate Dahl, a career consultant for internationals in Denmark.

Writer and Editor Kirsten Raccuia is known for her Sand in My Curls blog, which until recently, was all about her expat life in Malaysia. We last spoke at the height of the global pandemic, when she and her husband were closing in on a decade in Penang. Fast-forward a couple of years, and they’re in a new country, Mexico. I’m chatting with Kirsten again to find out what factors influenced their decision to move, and why Mexico? And what it was like to close the Malaysia chapter of their life abroad.

I first spoke to Max Lee just over a year ago on the show, and he was preparing to move his young family from North America to Taiwan. It was a move abroad that they’d been planning for many years, and Max intended to focus on his music career in their new country, while his wife would be remote working for a company back in the States. One year on, I’m excited to find out where they’re at - what went to plan, and what plans changed.

A topic that comes up quite often in our Facebook groups is moving abroad with children. What’s the ideal age? Especially if they're going to need to learn a new language? What about the best time of year to move? And how do you make the assimilation process, from learning new cultural norms to making new friends, as smooth and enjoyable as possible? My guest today is someone who can speak from experience. Sharon Green is the founding editor of online publication SHE DEFINED. And in 1998, just before she turned 12, Sharon migrated with her family from Durban in South Africa to Melbourne in Australia. Sharon’s going to share her experience of being a third culture kid, and how it has shaped her sense of belonging as an adult.