Request a Quote

Request a Quote

Understanding Vaccine and Passports for Global Travel
Categories Blog

Understanding Vaccine and Passports for Global Travel

It is a strange time afflicting us all, an unprecedented one for sure. The COVID-19 has turned into a global pandemic, which have led many countries to put up strict restrictions on entry and exit. Visa and immigration rules have altered and have been changing as and when new developments have been unfolding. Work permit issuance is also getting changed. It’s now the era of closed borders and increasingly tightened quarantine rules – every attempt is being taken to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

As an overseas removal company, Writer Relocations is giving you highlights of visa and immigration norms of some of the countries of the world. So, for a person planning a travel from India to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, due to whichever reasons, you need to take into consideration the various new factors in these current times.

AUSTRALIA

Immigration Restrictions

  • Most offshore applications for permanent visas appear to be on hold.
  • All visitors to Australia are urged to leave the country if it is possible to do so.
  • Australian citizens and permanent residents are not given permission to travel overseas due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Immigration Concessions

  • Temporary Skill Shortage and subclass 457 visa holders who have been stood down, but not laid off, will maintain a valid visa and businesses will have the opportunity to extend your visa as per normal arrangements.
  • Those who have been laid off should find another employer within 60 days or make arrangements to leave Australia, where possible.
  • A special category of the Subclass 408 Temporary Work Visa has been created to cater to temporary residents employed in critical sectors like health, aged care or agriculture, who cannot return to their home country and have no other visa options.

CANADA

Immigration Restrictions

  • The US and Canada have agreed to extend restrictions on non-essential travel across their shared border for 30 additional days, until 22 June. Cross-border trade and regular commuters will not be blocked.
  • Effective 18 March, entry is suspended for foreign travelers, including those holding a valid visitor visas or electronic travel authorization (eTA).
  • Foreign nationals who have already committed to working, studying or making Canada their home are permitted to enter Canada (documents issued prior to 18 March).
  • Foreign nationals seeking to come to Canada from anywhere other than the US will need a work permit or approval letter before seeking to travel.
  • Non-essential work permits will not be issued at the border.
  • Immediate family members who intend to reunite with a family member currently in Canada need written authorization from the government of Canada.

Immigration Concessions.

  • Ordinary rules apply for those seeking to extend before current work permit expiry (implied status), and within 90 days of work permit expiry (restoration).
  • Foreign workers already in Canada whose status has been expired more than 90 days can seek a temporary resident permit.
  • Canadian citizenship applicants who are unable to travel to Canada can reschedule their knowledge tests, retests, interviews, hearings or Oaths of Citizenship for a later date.
  • Applicants for visitor visas, work permits, study permits or permanent residence who cannot complete the next steps in their application will be given an automatic extension.

FRANCE

Immigration Restrictions

  • Effective 17 March until further notice, the issuance of all visas is suspended, including applications for which an appointment has already been made.
  • Effective 17 March, prefectural offices are closed until further notice, and all appointments postponed.

Immigration Concessions

  • The Paris Prefecture of Police has launched a web portal to enable foreign nationals to apply for postal delivery of their residence permits that were supposed to be delivered during lockdown.
  • The period of validity of the following permits that expire between 16 May and 15 June is extended by 180 days from their expiry date.
  • Holders of short-stay visas which are going to expire who cannot return to their country of origin can, in case of justified urgency, enjoy an extension of their short stay visa (up to 90 days) or a residence permit that is provisional.

GERMANY

Immigration Restrictions

  • Effective 15 May, border checks at the border with Luxembourg have ended.
  • On 13 May, Germany agreed in principle with Austria, France and Switzerland to coordinate the reopening of their mutual borders by 15 June.
  • Travelers without a valid reason for traveling are not allowed to enter Germany.
  • Immigration offices in several cities have reopened with limited services (mainly for emergencies only) and on an appointment basis.
  • Services at the alien offices in Berlin are unavailable without an appointment.
  • Immigration offices in other cities are closed or offering only limited or emergency services.

Immigration Concessions

  • Foreign residents living in Berlin will not be penalised for the expiry of temporary residence documents while alien office services are restricted. However, exiting and re-entering Germany is only possible with a valid residence document.
  • Foreign residents may have their permits extended by submitting an extension application (online or by fax) before the validity expires. They should obtain a confirmation letter or other proof of submission, which however would not grant reentry into Germany.
  • Hamburg and other jurisdictions may offer to extend C visas if required due to the current situation.

UNITED KINGDOM

Immigration Restrictions

  • From 1 June, some UK Visa Application Centres (VACs) abroad are resuming services, where local restrictions allow.
  • Effective 8 June, passengers of all nationalities arriving in the UK will have to self isolate for 14 days.
  • A breach of self-isolation would be punishable with a £1000 fixed penalty.
  • All priority and super priority services have been suspended until further notice.
  • Applicants can only submit under the standard route. Life in the UK test centres are currently closed so any Indefinite Leave applications submitted without evidence of a completed test will be held until this can be taken and the results published.
  • Many UK Visa Application Centres (VACs) and English Testing Centres abroad are closed or offering limited services, and appointments (for e.g., biometric enrolment) may be cancelled.
  • Applicants who have paid for courier return will receive their passport if courier routes remain open. TLS contact or VFS Global can be contacted directly to request courier return of passports.
  • British nationals abroad who cannot apply for a passport can apply for an emergency travel document.
  • It is taking longer than usual to process citizenship applications because of coronavirus. This will not affect the decision. Extra time will be allowed to enroll.
  • biometrics and provide additional information. Applicants have 6 months (rather than the usual 3 months) to book their citizenship ceremony after receiving an invitation from the Home Office.

Immigration Concessions

  • Employees who have applied for a Tier 2 or 5 visa and are waiting for a decision can start work before receiving a decision if they have been assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
  • The Home Office will not take any compliance action against Tier 2/5 employees who are unable to attend their work due to the COVID-19 outbreak (i.e., illness, their need to isolate or inability to travel due to travel restrictions) or against sponsors which authorize absences and continue to sponsor employees despite absences for this reason.
  • There is no need to report sponsored employees working from home due to coronavirus. Some alterations to their working arrangements need to be reported as usual.
  • Sponsors can temporarily reduce the pay of sponsored employees to 80% of their salary or £2500 per month, whichever is the lower. Any cuts in package must be part of a company-wide policy in a bid to avoid redundancies. That cannot be avoided since all workers are treated the same.
  • These reductions aren’t permanent, and the employee’s pay need to be returned to once these arrangements have ended.
  • An employee may still apply for their visa if their Certificate of Sponsorship has become invalid due to coronavirus.

UNITED STATES

Immigration Restrictions

  • Effective 1 June, entry is suspended for certain Chinese nationals seeking to enter the United States on an F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visa to pursue graduate level study or conduct research in the US.
  • Effective 28 May at 11:59 pm EDT, entry as immigrants or nonimmigrants is
  • suspended for travelers of any nationality who have been in Brazil in the previous 14 days. This does not apply to US citizens or permanent residents (green card holders).
  • Effective 23 April for a period of 60 days (with an option to be continued “as necessary”), entry is suspended for first-time immigrant visa applicants.
  • The US, Mexico, and Canada have each agreed to extend restrictions on nonessential travel across their shared borders for 30 additional days, until 22 June.
  • Effective 16 March, the travel ban is extended to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
  • Effective 29 February, foreign nationals (other than immediate family of US citizens, permanent residents, and flight crew) who have travelled in Iran within 14 days of their arrival, will be denied entry into the United States.
  • Effective 31 January, foreign nationals (other than immediate family of US citizens, permanent residents, and flight crew) who have travelled in mainland China within 14 days of their arrival, will be denied entry into the United States.
  • US citizens who had visited or been in the Hubei province within 14 days of their return will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine.

Immigration Restrictions

  • Effective 1 June, USCIS will accept premium processing requests for eligible Form I140 petitions (likely the same types of I-140 petitions accepted before 20 March, when premium processing was suspended).
  • Effective 8 June, USCIS will accept premium processing requests for eligible Form I129 (nonimmigrant worker) petitions, including H-1B petitions filed before June 8 that are pending adjudication and are cap-exempt, and all other Form I-129 petitions (non H-1B petitions) for nonimmigrant classifications eligible for premium processing filed before June 8 that are pending adjudication.
  • Effective 15 June, USCIS pans to accept requests for premium processing for H-1B petitions requesting premium processing by filing an I-907 concurrently with their I129 (or request for a petition filed on or after 8 June) and which are exempt from the cap.
  • USCIS is preparing to reopen some domestic offices on or after 4 June. The offices that will be reopening include the local offices that process asylum claims, permanent resident and naturalization interviews, Info Pass appointments, and biometrics processing. USCIS has announced that they will send notices to individuals and their attorneys when the previously cancelled appointments have been rescheduled.

Keep an eye for our next blog on visa and immigration restrictions and concessions on a few other countries.

INDIA

Entry Restrictions

  • As of 0530 hrs Indian Standard Time (IST) on 22 March 2020, no scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft is permitted to take off from any foreign airport for any airport in India. These instructions shall remain in force till prohibition on international travel of passengers from/to India is lifted by the Government of India. Hence, all incoming passenger traffic on all 107 Immigration Check Posts which includes all Airport ICPs, all Seaport ICPs all Land Port ICPs, all Rail Port ICPs and all River Port ICPs, is prohibited. However, this restriction will not apply to international cargo operations and flights especially approved by DGCA.
  • Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid non-essential travel to COVID-19 hit countries. Currently with the national lockdown, there are no scheduled international commercial flights taking off from India to any foreign country.
  • The following categories of foreign nationals are permitted to enter India via nonscheduled commercial/chartered flights, trains, ships or other transport, having obtained a fresh business or employment visa, as applicable, from the relevant Indian consulate. Existing electronic visas remain suspended and are not valid for entering India. Foreign nationals holding a valid long-term multiple entry business visa (other than B-3 visa for sports) or an employment visa issued by an Indian consulate must have these visas re-validated by the relevant consulate.
    • Business travelers with a business visa (other than B3 visa for sports;
    • Healthcare professionals, health researchers, engineers and technicians for technical work at Indian health sector facilities, subject to a letter of invitation form a recognized and registered healthcare facility, registered pharmaceutical company or accredited university in India;
    • Engineering, managerial, design or other specialists travelling to India on behalf of foreign business entities located in India, including all manufacturing units, design units, software and IT units as well as financial sector companies (banking and non-banking financial sector firms).
    • Technical specialists and engineers travelling for installation repair and maintenance of foreign-origin machinery and equipment facilities in India, on the invitation of a registered Indian business entity.
  • The suspension of all scheduled international passenger services is extended until 30 June 2020.
  • With the suspension of international commercial flights to India, travelling into India is currently not possible. Also, post resumption of the flight services, incoming travelers (regardless of nationality or visa type) will still need to comply with the ‘quarantine’ stipulations as directed by authorities.
  • The suspension of visa services is extended in line with the suspension of all international passenger services.
  • The following categories of OCI cardholders stranded abroad are permitted to return to India: Minor children born to Indian nationals abroad and holding OCI cards; OCI cardholders wishing to come to India on account of family emergency such as death in the family; couples with permanent residence in India, where one spouse is an OCI cardholder and the other is an Indian national; and university students who are OCI cardholders (not legally minors) but whose parents are Indian citizens living in India. Qualifying OCI cardholders are required to contact the Indian consulate in their country of residence to request travel to India on special flights.
  • Air India is accepting certain passengers from inside India for the outbound section of these repatriation trips. To qualify, passengers must be nationals of the destination countries; Indian or foreign nationals holding a visa for the destination country (valid for at least one year); or health workers holding a valid permit for travel to the destination country (and written permission from the Embassy of the destination country). Before purchasing the tickets, such persons are required to recheck their eligibility for travel by referring to the conditions on the respective countries’ regulatory website. The full cost of travel must be borne by the passenger. At the time of boarding the flight, all passengers must undergo thermal screening as per the health protocol. Passengers must ensure that they comply with all travel and health requirements of the destination country. All passengers must sign an undertaking stating that in case of deportation, the entire cost of the deportation penalty, return fare, and cost of quarantine will be borne by the passenger.
  • All existing visas (except diplomatic, UN/international organization, employment and project visas) issued to nationals of any country who have not yet entered India stand suspended until the lifting of the suspension of international passenger services.
  • Incoming travelers, including Indian nationals are required to complete and submit a self-declaration form and undergo universal health screening at the designated health counters at all points of entry, will be quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days, and are advised to avoid non-essential travel.

Immigration Restrictions

  • India Visa application centers and online e-visa application facility are closed till further notice. However, at few locations the Embassy/consulate and their representative offices are in discussion to resume their visa/consular services.
  • Foreign nationals are not permitted to visit the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) or Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) without a prior appointment until further notice.
  • All foreign nationals presently in India allowed to exit India and return at a later date based on availability of flights. However, they must return to India on a fresh visa issued from an overseas mission/consulate only.

Immigration Concessions

  • Regular Visas, e-visas or stay permits of foreign nationals whose visas have expired or will expire between 1 February (at midnight)) and the date of the lifting of the suspension of international passenger services, are extended without fee “Gratis basis”, based on the submission of an online application by the foreign national via the e-FRRO portal. Such extensions are granted for a period up to 30 days from the date of the lifting of the suspension of international passenger services from India without overstay penalties. Exit will also be granted to such foreign nationals on request. As present the FRRO are issuing them Gratis visas until 15 July 2020.
  • The validity of OCI card of foreigners presently in India shall remain.
  • The visas of all foreign nationals already in India remain valid.
  • All foreign nationals already in India should approach their jurisdictional FRRO/FROs through e-FRRO to apply to extend their current Indian visas before the expiry.
Categories Blog

Avoiding the Disaster that could befall your household goods.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started last year, the world witnessed a slowing down or complete halt of global shipments. However, slowly, as demand started building up over a period of time, the situation became worse and started impacting the mobility programmes of businesses as well as their international assignments.

In these challenging times, we, Writer Relocations, as one of the leading international movers and global mobility players, want to ensure you face minimum hassles, if at all. Therefore, in this blog we discuss the detailed household goods challenges, as well as vital recommendations that businesses can follow to help bring down the impact that shipment delays have on move journeys.

Reduction in Departures from the Ports

  • Many shipping companies have drastically cut down the number of departures out of ports. In many places, the weekly routes have been abridged to sometimes just two in a week, and even once a month, too, in certain cases.
  • However, it’s mostly dependent on restriction norms and the demands that are generated accordingly.
  • The productivity ratio at the ports has also gone down as a consequence of that, as well as the fact that the number of dockworkers has been reduced to abide by the social distancing restrictions.

APAC is a very vital region that is especially witnessing considerable delays. The shipments are being hindered by a considerable imbalance of empty containers located in the Western regions, without any provisions being made to return them to ports in the APAC, where there is a genuine need.

Increased Expenses

  • The decline in the number of shipments along with an imbalance of containers has led to a rise in the freight rates, especially in APAC.
  • The increased expenses when it comes to the sea freight rates has led to an escalation in demand for air transport, thereby elevating the prices there, too.

What Writer Relocations Proposes

  • Vigilance and preparation are the crucial elements in this scenario. If your business has planned moves that contain household goods shipments, then ensure that the relocation services provider you have chosen gets to know of this as early as possible.This will help to make sure the mobility schedule does not get hampered at all, even in the face of all possible delays due to the pandemic.
  • Setting realistic expectations. It is obvious that the international assignees will be experiencing longer-than-expected wait times during these challenging times.Delay in the arrival of the household goods will be inevitable and assignees need to be told of this beforehand so that there are no confusions later on.
  • The relocation budget must reflect potential overhead and other supplementary costs. Again, this has to be discussed and decided upon from the very beginning itself. Now, it’s taken that the transport and freight rates have increased considerably, and because of that (and otherwise, too), employees might experience significantly long delays in receiving their cargo.

In such a scenario, it’s best for the assignees to hold up in temporary accommodations.

Writer Relocations provides Temporary Accommodation services, especially for the assignees under these circumstances. The assignees can also avail furniture rental options in places that are available, which can be considered as a provisional arrangement. To know about our Temporary Accommodation services in detail, do visit our webpage.

Writer Relocations continues to work closely with a few chosen and selected household goods partners to make sure we follow measures to reduce the impact of the difficult times that we are in.

Our endeavour remains to be of assistance to our customers, no matter how trying the situation might be.

For more assistance, reach out to us at https://www.writerrelocations.com/.

Checklist If you have been recently hired by a company abroad or asked to relocate to take up a position in an overseas branch this year, you can count yourself as one of the lucky few who have this opportunity. This is because work-related relocations took a downturn in the past year. Not many people have been given the chance to pursue their careers overseas. But with COVID-19 still a global health threat, you can’t afford to get too excited as it could cause you to make hasty decisions regarding your international move. You have to take additional steps to ensure you remain safe and that you won’t experience any problems before and during your overseas relocation with the pandemic still in full swing. Leading moving companies share below a checklist you can use as your guide to experience a smooth and safe relocation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: ■ Entry Restrictions The first thing you have to know if you are planning to relocate abroad is if you will be allowed entry to your country of destination. Until now, several countries have closed their borders to foreigners. Unless you are on a list of authorised personnel that will be admitted under any circumstance, you can’t consider moving somewhere that does not allow immigrants entry now. If you are not allowed to apply for an entry visa in your current country, it is a sure sign that you won’t be permitted to enter your destination. However, travel restrictions are changing quickly, so always keep close tabs on developments in your destination country. Visit the website of the International Air Transport Association or IATA and the embassy of your destination regularly to read updates. ■ Current Situation in Your Destination If you are allowed to travel to your destination, make sure you know the current situation so that you can prepare well for your move. Find out if banks, government offices, public transportation, and businesses are operating as usual. By doing so, you will know what things you can get done as soon as you arrive, such as opening a bank account and applying for a work permit, and how you can go around. If you are moving with your family, check if schools are open. You can then start shortlisting your options for your children even before your flight. Aside from doing your research online, get the details from your employer. If you have already hired your mover, find out if they offer destination orientation services and get some info from them as well. ■ Local Guidelines While researching the situation in your destination, read about the rules and guidelines that you must follow upon your arrival. All countries have their own strict rules that you need to know before you arrive at your destination. You can be hit with a heavy fine and even face detention if you fail to follow them simply because you are not aware of these policies. Some of the possible guidelines you can expect when you arrive at your destination are: Submitting a medical certificate that shows you are negative for the coronavirus Taking a COVID-19 screening test upon arrival instead of or in addition to submitting a medical certificate Observing self-quarantine in your residence or designated accommodation upon arrival Wearing a facial mask while in public areas Some countries also have soft rules about combatting the pandemic. These include social distancing, washing hands or applying alcohol or alcohol-based sanitisers frequently, and removing footwear before entering your home or another person’s home. Although you will not be penalised for disregarding these soft rules, you show that you are respectful of their practices if you follow them. Moreover, you also minimise the risk of contracting the coronavirus for you and other people if you take note of these guidelines. ■ Availability of Quality Healthcare and Medical Services Knowing how and where you can have access to reliable healthcare and medical services is part of being vigilant against the coronavirus. As such, you will do well to identify the best hospitals and clinics where you can get good-quality treatment for any type of condition or illness, including COVID-19, beforehand. A quick search online will give you an idea of the quality of healthcare and medical services you can expect in your destination. Additionally, you will know which hospitals and clinics are in or near your area. While researching, find out which insurance is widely accepted in your destination. The last thing you want to happen is to get sick or hurt, only to find out at the last minute that your coverage won’t be of much help during consultation and treatment. An international moving company that is also a reliable destination service provider can help you choose the right coverage and provide you with information regarding the healthcare system and services you can expect abroad. ■ Safe Shipping Services Finally, moving abroad during the pandemic also entails keeping your belongings safe. If you need to ship some items, you have to ensure you will hire a relocation company that can manage this tough job. Your moving company should take extra precautions to protect your belongings, their staff, and you, their client, against COVID-19. Additionally, they should have measures in place that will work to your advantage if you need to reschedule your relocation. They should also have procedures to follow in case your shipment will be affected by sudden changes in travel guidelines. We hope that this checklist will help you with your international move during the pandemic. Feel free to connect with our consultants to find out how we can help you experience a safe and stress-free move locally and internationally.
Categories Blog

Checklist for Safe Employee Relocation During Pandemic

Checklist If you have been recently hired by a company abroad or asked to relocate to take up a position in an overseas branch this year, you can count yourself as one of the lucky few who have this opportunity.

This is because work-related relocations took a downturn in the past year. Not many people have been given the chance to pursue their careers overseas.

But with COVID-19 still a global health threat, you can’t afford to get too excited as it could cause you to make hasty decisions regarding your international move. You have to take additional steps to ensure you remain safe and that you won’t experience any problems before and during your overseas relocation with the pandemic still in full swing.

Leading moving companies share below a checklist you can use as your guide to experience a smooth and safe relocation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic:

Entry Restrictions

The first thing you have to know if you are planning to relocate abroad is if you will be allowed entry to your country of destination.

Until now, several countries have closed their borders to foreigners. Unless you are on a list of authorised personnel that will be admitted under any circumstance, you can’t consider moving somewhere that does not allow immigrants entry now.

If you are not allowed to apply for an entry visa in your current country, it is a sure sign that you won’t be permitted to enter your destination.

However, travel restrictions are changing quickly, so always keep close tabs on developments in your destination country. Visit the website of the International Air Transport Association or IATA and the embassy of your destination regularly to read updates.

Current Situation in Your Destination

If you are allowed to travel to your destination, make sure you know the current situation so that you can prepare well for your move.

Find out if banks, government offices, public transportation, and businesses are operating as usual. By doing so, you will know what things you can get done as soon as you arrive, such as opening a bank account and applying for a work permit, and how you can go around.

If you are moving with your family, check if schools are open. You can then start shortlisting your options for your children even before your flight.

Aside from doing your research online, get the details from your employer. If you have already hired your mover, find out if they offer destination orientation services and get some info from them as well.

Local Guidelines

While researching the situation in your destination, read about the rules and guidelines that you must follow upon your arrival.

All countries have their own strict rules that you need to know before you arrive at your destination. You can be hit with a heavy fine and even face detention if you fail to follow them simply because you are not aware of these policies.

Some of the possible guidelines you can expect when you arrive at your destination are:

  • Submitting a medical certificate that shows you are negative for the coronavirus
  • Taking a COVID-19 screening test upon arrival instead of or in addition to submitting a medical certificate
  • Observing self-quarantine in your residence or designated accommodation upon arrival
  • Wearing a facial mask while in public areas

Some countries also have soft rules about combatting the pandemic. These include social distancing, washing hands or applying alcohol or alcohol-based sanitisers frequently, and removing footwear before entering your home or another person’s home.

Although you will not be penalised for disregarding these soft rules, you show that you are respectful of their practices if you follow them. Moreover, you also minimise the risk of contracting the coronavirus for you and other people if you take note of these guidelines.

Availability of Quality Healthcare and Medical Services

Knowing how and where you can have access to reliable healthcare and medical services is part of being vigilant against the coronavirus. As such, you will do well to identify the best hospitals and clinics where you can get good-quality treatment for any type of condition or illness, including COVID-19, beforehand.

A quick search online will give you an idea of the quality of healthcare and medical services you can expect in your destination. Additionally, you will know which hospitals and clinics are in or near your area.

While researching, find out which insurance is widely accepted in your destination. The last thing you want to happen is to get sick or hurt, only to find out at the last minute that your coverage won’t be of much help during consultation and treatment.

An international moving company that is also a reliable destination service provider can help you choose the right coverage and provide you with information regarding the healthcare system and services you can expect abroad.

Safe Shipping Services

Finally, moving abroad during the pandemic also entails keeping your belongings safe. If you need to ship some items, you have to ensure you will hire a relocation company that can manage this tough job.

Your moving company should take extra precautions to protect your belongings, their staff, and you, their client, against COVID-19. Additionally, they should have measures in place that will work to your advantage if you need to reschedule your relocation.

They should also have procedures to follow in case your shipment will be affected by sudden changes in travel guidelines.

We hope that this checklist will help you with your international move during the pandemic.

Feel free to connect with our consultants to find out how we can help you experience a safe and stress-free move locally and internationally.

Categories Blog

Moving During the Pandemic: Practical Sanitization Tips

The right sanitisation methods and precautionary measures rooted in common sense can help fight the COVID-19 infection.

But during these difficult times, moving home is not the easiest of things to do, and during a global pandemic, it can become an ordeal for sure.

So, what’s to be done? Do people need to screen all their stuff through an ultraviolet tunnel, or maybe spray litres of sanitising solutions or disinfectants on their household goods to ward off the virus?

Well, probably not.

The correct sanitisation methods and the basic preventive measures are more than enough to avert the spread of the infection. Being one of the leading global removal companies, we at Writer Relocations are responsible enough to understand the severity of the COVID-19 situation and take the right steps to ensure that our customers’ goods are sanitised well and are safe during a move.

A lot has been said about the transmission of the virus. So by now, we know that it happens through close contact with an already infected person, mostly via respiratory droplets while coughing, breathing, sneezing or even speaking. And as we all are already aware, the virus tends to remain live or active for hours or even days at a stretch, depending on the types of different surfaces and materials.

This is why it is a prerequisite to clean and disinfect all the surfaces in your house, in a bid to remain safe, and more so during a move.

So, for your convenience, we discuss a few easy and practical tips that will help you in your sanitisation processes during a move.

1. Get the right cleaning supplies.

The disinfectants that you use while cleaning surfaces as well as your goods are of critical importance. The concentration of the liquids, as well as the contact time, are of vital importance. Pay heed to that with proper discretion.

There are other factors as well, like product stability, toxicity or ease. Make sure to consider them well too before the cleaning procedure.

Hypochlorite-based products display a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and can become extremely effective against several common pathogens at various concentrations.

2. Detect and sanitise the most-touched surfaces.

Certain surfaces are usually touched the most, like handles of doors and windows, the touchscreen of personal devices, work surfaces, toilet areas, and a few others. Identify them and use disinfectants in the right concentration to deep-clean the areas.

It is advisable to disinfect these areas first before deep-cleaning the entire home.

3. Protect yourself and others.

It is recommended that everyone should wash their hands with soap and water whenever possible as this can be a resistant factor against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Even sanitisers with at least 60% alcohol can help to avoid spreading germs to others.

During a move, keep soaps and sanitisers within easy reach as people from the family, as well as the movers, might need to frequently use them and clean their hands.

4. Keep the doors open.

It’s best to avoid the most frequently touched surfaces, and doorknobs and keys would be most in use if doors are locked and unlocked multiple times during a move. It’s best to keep the doors open so that you stay away from harm’s way.

As the professional movers and packers’ crew bring and place cartons inside as well as outside the house, it’s easy to prevent them from touching items and surfaces, like doorknobs and keys, if the doors are kept open throughout the move.

Managing a move becomes easier if the standard pandemic protocols are followed, social distancing is practised, and sanitisation norms are abided by.

So, set aside the fears and get ready for a well-protected move even during the time of COVID-19.

 

Moving During the Pandemic: Practical Sanitization Tips | WR

Praful Gupta: Head – Commercial and Asset Mobility

Author Bio: Praful Gupta is PMI certified Project Management Professional who heads the Commercial and Asset mobility practice at Writer Relocations. He has a rich and diverse experience in designing and implementing solutions driven by customer issues, technology and compliance in buildings, industries and large production facilities. Over the past 10+ years he has worked in organisations of a diverse set of trade including Energy Optimisation, Automation, Pharmaceutical Process Consultation, Logistics planning and Programme Management. As a business leader he currently handles all major B2B customer engagements and specialty move projects for domestic and international logistics.

How Remote Learning Can Alter the Relocation Industry
Categories Blog

How Remote Learning Can Alter the Relocation Industry

The concept of remote learning is comparatively new to educators and students, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made it a necessity in the current times. However, institutions and organisations have already been offering online courses and certification classes for a long time. We cannot forget about the homeschool communities, too.

But now that remote learning has become the need of the hour, it remains to be seen if it becomes a norm for the future as well. And, even though it seems a bit of a stretch initially, this new trend of remote learning within the current education sector can, in the long run, transform the relocation industry, as observed by international relocation companies.

Let’s see how:

  • When education is imparted online, employees would not have to wait for the beginning of an academic year to plan their family relocation. Earlier, many things were dependent on the academic sessions of schools because children would not easily get transfers and new admission in the middle of a year. That eliminates the hassle.
  • Sometimes, even if the children get an admission, adjusting to a new curriculum can become taxing at times. The language barrier can be an issue with a move to a different country.
  • This way, the entire family can relocate together and there is no added tension of looking for a suitable academic institution for the children immediately after relocation. The fact that children can connect with teachers and peers from anywhere virtually will help the family remain united, move together, and overall, create consistency on the education front.

So, now, if the employees are able to accept suitable positions during any time of the calendar year, what will be its impact over the entire relocation industry? The implications can be astonishing.

Real Estate

If children’s education can be conducted online and there is no restriction to a particular time-frame when it comes to employee relocation, the flow of talent will be more consistent. This will, in the long run, ease the burdens that suppliers and employers experience (when all relocation processes have to be arranged within a fixed span for a lot of people together).

Household Goods

Supply and demand metrics can be fixed to a great extent if the rush of the peak season can be controlled. The high demand that is faced during this period often leads to transportation companies recruiting seasonal employees who may not be trained enough, and this can result in stupendous mistakes.

Housing options

After relocation, people often have to take up accommodations on rent or buy them. If the move is spread out throughout the year, it’s easier to get good options in housing; otherwise, a sudden spurt might hit the market badly, leading to unnecessary skyrocketing of the rent dynamics.

So, let’s embrace the change and move on amidst the challenges that we are facing. The pandemic has taught us to be creative and stretch our limits in many innovative ways. It’s time to adapt to the change as we go towards a new direction for a better beginning.

Writer Relocations, one of the most reliable international movers and packers, is with you, every step of the way, on this. Get in touch with us today.

Categories Blog

Using Departure Service Assistance: Crucial for Relocation

When you’re planning an international move, or getting ready to head back home after your stint in a location is over, your mind is mostly focused on three major aspects of the relocation process:

  • Removal of the household goods
  • Searching for places to live in the new destination
  • Understanding and settling down in a foreign location or back home

In this process, what’s often overlooked are the small but very crucial tasks that are essential to check off the list before you depart from your current location.

As one of the leading international removal companies, Writer Relocations has seen that these small things can often become quite taxing for you to complete all by yourself. These things can be as small as closing down your internet and cable TV subscriptions, notifying the utility companies, getting your kids’ transcripts for initiating the transfer process to a new school, booking cleaning services of the house, arranging for your pets as you pack your household goods – well, the list is actually never-ending.

However, you need not have sleepless nights fretting about these. As a part of our Departure Services, we will provide assistance in resolving all of these issues for you.

The support we provide

We have our own professional relocation consultants who will take care of these necessary tasks for you. As per your time and convenience, they will have a meeting with you to understand what pending chores are left for you to finish, and will also offer valuable suggestions on other aspects that you might not have thought of earlier.

They will then chalk out a detailed plan and help you set up meetings to finally close or suspend accounts. If needed, or if you are pressed for time, our consultants can even close these accounts for you in your absence, if you give prior permission for the same.

Given below are the most common responsibilities that you can expect relocation consultants to execute as part of departure service assistance from professional service providers:

  • Giving the leave notice to your landlord
  • Informing the school and initiating a Transfer Certificate
  • Transferring or closing utility accounts
  • Closing your existing bank accounts in the city
  • Closing memberships from places like sports clubs, gyms or others
  • Clearing all your subscriptions and pending bills
  • Closing your phone plan or looking for a more reasonable international plan
  • Checking your house for repairs that need to be made before you can hand it back to the landlord
  • Negotiating the return of your rental security deposit from your landlord
  • Handling any insurance claims as part of your property handover

So, before you plan a move, discuss with your relocation consultant how to go about organising your departure services. For more than 65 years, Writer Relocations has been helping people to move across international borders seamlessly. Our Departure Service Assistance is noteworthy and it has helped many of our clients considerably as well.

Categories Blog

Benefits of Office Relocation When The Need Arises

It’s often thought that an office move will usually entail much upheaval, followed by a protracted period of settling in, as you and your employees eventually get used to the new office space and the facilities. However, many times, you have to make a move and specially, during these unprecedented times, it’s more than necessary to shift your office space because of various constraints. Reliable office movers and packers would help to ensure the relocation process is executed seamlessly. And after a much-needed move, you will certainly be able to reap the most essential benefits.

Let’s us read about the benefits of a hassle-free office move which can bring about a much-needed improvement in how your business functions.

Better space utilisation

In these COVID times, many of your staff members might be working from home and so you might not need such a big office space with the staff with which you might be operating from your office. In this way, if you shift to a new office space, which is smaller and more compact, you might save a lot of money in rentals. This money can help you in other business functions. So, team up with Writer Relocations, one of the most reliable names in office moves and you can be sure of a seamless relocation, and it will turn out to be cost-effective in the long run.

Closer to clients

The location of an office is as crucial as its size and the amenities it offers, if not more. There are some businesses, which for a proper execution need to be in the client vicinity. You might feel that your business isn’t reaching the right target audience that it should or that the staff members are facing hassles when it comes to meeting certain specific clients. At that juncture, an office relocation will be beneficial for you.

Gives the business the opportunity to reach its potential

When the COVID situation improves and all the staff members start operating from office, the visibility factor will become crucial once more. So, now it might be the best time for a move, because the rentals are comparatively low or reasonable. So, you might be able to crack the best deals possible.

A move to a location that’s more suitable might help you acknowledge the capabilities of your business and boost upon the best practices like never before. The new environment can up the motivation quotient of all the employees and help them work towards the next level altogether. This can improve the work quality.

Save expenses in the long run

You have to understand if your current office space is giving you the right value for money. If it’s not, then you must not hesitate to undergo an office move. It might seem a costly affair to begin with, but the right office relocation partner, like Writer Relocations can help make the process seamless.

An office is more than a space to just work, it’s a zone where you and all your employees need to be in complete sync with your professional responsibilities in order to come up with the best results. So, look for that ideal space and we at Writer Relocations are there to shoulder all the office move responsibilities.

The main advantage of an office relocation is an immediate return on investment specifically on rental expenses which can happen as one moves into a more economical area or consolidation of office spaces. One can also move their assets into storage to save on a considerable amount of rental till the time work from home is considered inevitable.

Writer Relocations can help you achieve this at a fraction of the cost that you will save by moving your assets into storage of cheaper real estate. We partner and consult our clients into making such transitions with ease.

Categories Blog

How Age Influences Relocation Decision

Relocation is a very crucial decision for all of us and the decision to move can have different implications at various stages of our lives. It’s just not a move from point A to point B, but a complete overhaul of lifestyles for people making the move as well as their family members. Alfresco living might suit some, while others may change cities or countries for better educational or career opportunities. The reasons might be varied but it’s an undeniable fact that age plays a crucial role, when it comes to the reason for relocation as well as the place one is moving to.

Let’s see how age can or cannot be a barrier when it comes to relocation plans and needs.

When one relocates between 22 and 32 years:

Relocation becomes more hassle-free when one is single and has no family responsibilities to shoulder. At this phase, one can be ready to only focus on career and so willing to move anywhere at this stage, to give shape to their professional needs.

Countries like Bahrain, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, and others are good enough for people who are ready to relocate without family, be it for a better lifestyle or earning good money or building a sound career base. The Middle Eastern countries might pose various restrictions, but they are excellent when it comes to offering enviable pay packages.

When one relocates between 32 and 47 years:

At this phase people usually have families and a relocation decision is well-thought-of and a long-pondered one. A family person will not choose any place that offers good money in a job. Partner’s career opportunities are considered, along with good educational options for children, which become the primary concerns before making a move. While there are countries around the world that offer hospitable living conditions to families, the decision to move rest mostly on the opportunities that are primarily available for children. UK, Austria, Brazil, China, India, Brunei, Taiwan, and a few other countries are home to some of the top-rated international schools in the world. People at this stage of life make a move mostly to seek an improved quality of life along with the will to stabilise one’s career.

When one relocates between 47 and 60 years:

When one relocates within this age bracket, it’s mostly with an intent to settle for good in that particular country and the reasons can be many like better lifestyle, hassle-free living, improved medical facilities and welcoming communities. The International Living Retirement Index suggests that Malaysia, Spain, Peru, Spain, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and others are amongst some of the best countries in the world for the superannuation phase of life.

So, decide on the reason, location, and intent for your move. And we, one of the most trusted removal companies of the world, are there to give you all possible move assistance that you may need. For more than 65 years, Writer Relocations has been helping people not only move but settle down well in the countries of their choice.

Tips for Choosing the Most Trustworthy Office Movers
Categories Blog

Tips for Choosing the Most Trustworthy Office Movers

Moving an office to a new location isn’t easy. The task of packing every office item, moving them cautiously, and then unpacking followed by organising in a new location can be a tedious task besides being extremely challenging. When you hire the right movers and packers, this task can be simplified considerably. However, finding a suitable corporate relocation services provider is not easy.

Choosing the right packers and movers from the multiple options available online can be extremely confusing. However, following these few ways that can help you opt for a professional service provider that can expertly handle your office relocation.

Begin with a thorough research

Research plays a crucial role when it comes to finding reliable office movers and packers. So, spend some time looking for good options that specialise in office moves. You will find quite a few results for your search. It is recommended that you collect as much information as possible and then compare the different service providers, the rates that they are quoting, and so on, before finalising on a particular company. You can decide on the best possible option if you have multiple players to choose from.

Experience in office moving

One of the best ways to decide which packers and movers to hire for your office relocation is to find a moving company that specialises in office relocation. Your research will give you information about moving companies with maximum experience in this field.

Seasoned moving professionals are completely aware of all the details and the specific processes that entail an office move. Their expertise will help them to pack and move the office items to a new location seamlesly and with minimum disruptions whatsoever. You can be assured and confident of the fact that all your things will be handled with utmost care during the entire relocation process. So opt for packers and movers that have the most experience in office relocation.

Team size

An office mostly has multiple things items that need to be dismantled, packed, and then relocated to a new facility. Therefore, it’s crucial that it is important that the office relocation company which you hire should have the necessary manpower, tools, vehicles, and equipment to execute the task. Before hiring packers and movers, ensure they have a team and infrastructure that would be suitable as per your relocation needs. A small moving company might take a much longer time to complete the task at hand, which can result in unnecessary delays.

Cheapest is not always the best option

When it’s the question of an office move, you have to consider the expense factor as well. You will get many smaller players who will quote much lower rates and you may get tempted to use their services as well. However, can you guarantee their expertise, and if they will be able to execute something as crucial as an office move seamlessly? And if there are damages in the process, it will lead to useless expenses on your part, resulting in unnecessary hassles. There can be delays as well and as a person who runs a company knows a few hours of delay could actually mean hundreds of staff members wasting precious working hours as they wait unnecessarily without assets and computers. Customers could also get upset because of the delays. These types of downtime are irritating and can be very costly. Hence, it’s best to use a professional for office moving.

Writer Relocations has been offering seamless services to customers for more than 65 years, and this way has been able to capture the pulse of office moving quite right.

Categories Blog

Discover how Relocations empowers your workforce to work efficiently from diverse locations globally

Even amidst the times of COVID-19, businesses across the world are slowly opening up. To keep ourselves safe, there is a spike in sanitisation measures, and everyone is being super cautious about safety and hygiene. In this scenario, keeping the business perspective in mind, you might have to send across some of your key resources to other cities from the base location. However, since people are your greatest assets, you cannot ignore their safety and well-being as well. Writer Relocations, as one of the leading global removal companies, is here to solve all your problems. As a part of our consulting assignment management, we offer the full spectrum of relocation and consulting services to businesses and their assignees, and keeping in mind all the safety and hygiene concerns of the current times as well.

We can be partners to the HR processes of organisations, when it comes to reaching out to those employees who have been assigned to shift base to a new location as per their job requirements. It might be a whole new city, a new country, or maybe a new continent altogether.

At this juncture, it is important to take into consideration their well-being primarily. And we at Writer Relocations, help to do that as well. The task at hand is not merely to help move employees from point A to point B, but ensure they settle in as well so that they continue to function seamlessly from a new location.

And as you broaden your horizon and allow your employees to go offshore, you help make your business become increasingly dynamic. Let’s see what the areas are, where you can boost your business as you let your employees work from diverse locations globally.

Increase your customer base

Your employees can reach out to new customer bases when they go and work from another location altogether. They understand the client’s perspectives and choices better, and cater personalised services accordingly, which boosts your business in the long run. This will for sure open more doors of opportunities and make you more profitable as an organisation.
And when it comes to sending your employees to respective locations, you need not take that added hassle. At Writer Relocations, the bouquet of our services under Consulting and Assignment can take up this complete responsibility for you.

New ways of working lead to greater productivity

Your employees get to learn new ways of working in a new place. And many times, a fresh new perspective is essential to help businesses grow and boost revenues. Processes are improved and solution-finding becomes easy with more people from diverse backgrounds sorting out issues.

Opportunities to relocate attract new candidates

When a business offers opportunities to work from onsite locations to employees, the worth of the company increases. It’s quite understandable that your employees would want to be a part of the global workforce so if you can provide that opportunity then your business will certainly get increasingly lucrative to greater talents.

So, help your employees grow and they will for sure give you the returns in the long run. For all your relocation concerns we are there to sort them out, even during these times of global pandemic. From consulting & assignment, residence facilities, and expense management, rental & utility payments, and mobility consulting, we offer every possible service, so that your resources can settle down without any hassles in the new country.