Pre-Assignment Services

It’s essential to know what and who is involved with each global relocation service. Each assignee is treated as the individual they are. For example, experts discuss work options with assignees’ spouses. Those travelling with families are keen to understand the education options in their new location. Pre-Assignment counselling will allow pre-destination services to be adapted to their needs plus the requirements of the organisation.

The cost of living can vary greatly between original and host locations. Compensation planning takes this into consideration, ensuring that assignees and their families enjoy a similar standard of living within their new country. The BTR team can offer detailed insight for each location, facilitating realistic compensation forecasting.

Anticipating and preparing cost projections for each assignment ensures that budgets are met and best value is delivered. It is especially important to understand how costs are likely to change over time for multiyear assignments. Our specialist team ensures your cost projections for each international assignment considers:

• Exchange rates and inflation
• Cost of living changes
• Tax laws
• Transportation and supplier costs

The resulting figures can help determine the viability of planned international relocations and inform global mobility budgets.

This letter is drafted for each assignee, detailing the terms of their assignment. We recommend that the assignment letter is prepared after the relocation is discussed with the assignee, ensuring that all the salient points are included. A comprehensive assignment offer letter should include:

• The title, responsibilities, benefits, effective date and location involved with the role.
• An outline of your organisation’s global mobility programme that is applicable to the assignee, such as: assignment allowances, relocation support services such as home finding and household goods and all related assignment costs.

Providing the necessary details at the start helps to minimise the stress and uncertainly that can be associated with an international assignment.

Assignees should be prepared for the tax laws that they must adhere to in their home and new locations. Professional advice will help them to stay fully compliant and minimise their tax liability, dependant on assignment duration.

Our tax planning service includes:

• The coordination of income from all sources in various currencies
• Recommended splits between home and host country payrolls
• Full audit of calculations prior to payroll implementation

This service can also help with the structuring of compensation ensuring it is as tax efficient as possible.

Compensation costs for each assignee are an important part of the overall global mobility budget. Our team will prepare a calculation for you, ensuring that each aspect of international relocation is included. This offers you thorough financial insight and confidence that the budget is under control.

From visa applications to immigration advice, our friendly experts are here to help you. Our team will help your employees maintain compliance with immigration rules and regulations and deliver outstanding global visa services.

The expertise available via our international network helps with:

• Understanding the visa/immigration options and data requirement involved with each relocation.
• Establishing a clear timeline for the securing of the applicable visa/permit.
• Preparing applications for permits, visas and work authorisation documents as required.
• Tracking visa status regarding progression and renewal.
• Monitoring services to keep assignees and their families compliant within their host country.

The Cost of Living Allowance report ensures an assignee’s relocation allowance enables them to retain the lifestyle they enjoyed in their home country in their new host location. Reports encompass a multinational approach to cost of living, offering city-to-city indices. This enables a fair allowance for each individual assignee regardless of their location, salary and position with your organisation.

Understanding the culture and being able to communicate in a host location are fundamental to the success of an international assignment. Planning appropriate training, structured to the place and people involved, will help assignees and their families to settle in their new home and role as quickly as possible. This helps both individuals and the organisation to make the most of each global assignment.

Our education consultancy services ensure that we provide the necessary support for families relocating to a new country. This support is tailored to each family’s requirements and host location, involving:

• Researching schools and other education options such as preschool, childcare and playgroups for younger children.
• Organising appointments at potential schools including transport arrangements.
• Helping with applications and registrations as needed.
• Counselling and assistance for any child who requires specialised education support.

Our home marketing services are country specific as these are not available from a legal perspective in all locations.

Our property partners can help with the marketing of assignees’ homes, should they want to sell their home when relocating abroad. We can also consult with assignees about location and housing options in their host country. This service starts with a needs analysis call and supports assignees and their families throughout the move process. We look after every detail from area tours to arranging services, according to each country’s specific data protection laws.