Maria Iotova

Are you an expat or planning to move to one of the following countries while considering to start a family in a non-traditional way? Adoption is another way to create a loving family by welcoming a child that couldn't be raised by its birth parents. However, many are disheartened due to the lengthy and expensive adoption process. Expat.com has made a list of the countries that encourage international adoption and support applicants in every step, making the process smoother and less costly.

  To prevent the relocation of big companies and corporations to countries with low tax rates and stop the offshoring of their profits to tax havens, America's 46th president, Mr. Joe Biden, advocates a global minimum corporation tax of at least 15%. The Group of Seven has also backed Biden's proposal. The finance ministers of the G7 agreed to battle tax avoidance by making companies pay more in the countries where they do business.

Citlalli has been living and working as a biodiversity scientist in Ecuador since October 2015. After completing her master's and PhD studies in the UK, Citlalli moved to Ecuador to work on a conservation project she had developed during her PhD research at the University of Sussex.

Camilla is from Vienna, Austria, and for the past 2,5 years, she has been living with her husband and three children (six, five, and four months old) near Bilbao in the north of Spain. Camilla started her expatriation journey when she was 18 — first as an undergraduate student in the UK and then as a graduate student and professional in Spain. She met her Spanish husband upon repatriating to Austria, and ever since, she has been following the trail of his international career, which has taken them to Munich, Madrid, Vienna, and now Bilbao. 

Barbara is a two-times expat and a forever devotee of travelling and getting out of her comfort zone. The first time she became an expat was in 2006 when she followed the love of her life and now husband to Brazil, São Paulo.

Flo, a self-deprecating, determined, and focused woman from Kenya, moved to Rwanda in 2015 due to her partner's work. Two years later, she founded Kigali Farmers´ and Artisans´ Market, which bridges the gap between MSMEs and consumers, and maximises businesses' reach through different platforms.

This year's International Women's Day theme is Choose To Challenge, inviting observation, critical thinking, reflection, and communication to solve problems and bring change. To this end, let's all take some time today to think about how we will help forge a gender-equal world, not just today but every day.

America's forty-sixth President, Joe Biden, has rightfully committed himself to reform the ill immigration system he inherited from Mr Trump, and rectify America's reputation as an unwelcoming and solitary country. Mr Biden aspires to re-instil into American communities the pride in diversity and kick in international mobility to attract some of the brightest and most talented in the world and grow the economy. 

The benefits of international mobility are great for organisations and expat employees who want to develop their career through international experience and come out of their comfort zone. Of course, global mobility comes with many challenges for all stakeholders involved. With the pandemic still in the picture, there's a lot of re-evaluation and adaptation to be made.

Science has proven that climate change is the result of human activity and the industrial revolution, which started with the steam engine and continued with mass production and digital technology. Hence, it's widely agreed that a radical shift in human behaviour is needed to fight the threats against the environment and humanity due to climate change. How can you, expats, help?

Globally, factors such as inflation, unemployment, and economic growth define salaries. With the ongoing pandemic, countries have witnessed an increase in unemployment levels, higher inflation rates, and an economy that is in an indefinite crisis. What does it mean for salaries?

We discuss the impact of movement limitations on expats' mental health with psychotherapist and seasoned expat, Lisl Foss. Moreover, we talk to sisters Hannah and Miriam Mold about their stay in the UK during the pandemic and their plans to return to their expat locations, Vancouver, Canada and Melbourne, Australia respectively.    

Like most sectors, the global real estate market has also been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. So what should you keep in mind if you're a property owner or you're looking to buy or rent a property as an expat amid the crisis?

In June last year, the IMF had predicted a 4.9% drop in global growth for 2020 — a percentage that was revised to 4.4% in October. We are in February 2021, and there are no signs of transition to normality before this year's third and fourth quarters. But innovation and entrepreneurship, accompanied by aspiration, discovery, and evolution are forces that cannot be suppressed until we wipe out Covid-19.

In a climate of uncertainty and change, university students worldwide are adapting or struggling to adjust to the new educational landscape. International students are particularly prone to the unprecedented challenges brought on by Covid-19, such as isolation, online learning, and anxiety. Some students have seen their academic performance deteriorate while others are dealing with additional stress due to financial insecurity, visa hardships, career unpredictability, and lack of support network.