Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with overseas

After the peppermint soap buzz wears off..

bradly — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:28:50 -0800

My roommate is going to be in Tanzania for 6 months to work with a local NGO. I would like to give him something small he can take with him before he leaves in January. What useful item will he be without access to then that I can give to him now? More details:

Male, mid twenties, item would probably be along the lines of something outdoorsy/practical (the way he is) or some comfort that he will likely miss.

He already owns chocos, nalgenes, filter, stove, master chemist Dr. Bronner's magical soap (DILUTE DILUTE, OK!) and is pretty well covered regarding typical overseas purchases.

Thanks in advance!

Financial Advisor Overseas

aggienfo — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:28:07 -0800

I am looking to find some a financial advisor/service (complication: I'm in Japan) Like everyone else I've been barely hanging on to the economic roller coaster the last year or so and looking for some a good advisor. Some background info: I'm 29, have put around $50K so far, but I've been blessed to be able to invest over 1K/month between an IRA, TSP (military 401k), and general investments. I would consider myself semi educated financially - basically follow Dave Ramsey, Suze Ormand in having no debt, 4-5 months savings, and I can understand generally something from CNBC or Wall Street Journal.

That being said I am starting to put a significant amount of money into savings for the future and would like some guidance in asset allocation and more varsity level advice. In catering the the military I know of First Command (bad experience) and USAA (which I would swear by), but I was seeing if anyone else as other idea of services or companies that would be able to adequately work with someone who is over seas.

Reasonable Conditions For Overseas 3 Month Placement?

forallmankind — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:59:34 -0800

I’m meeting with my boss tomorrow to discuss his request for me to oversee specific departmental operations at our India facility for 3 (three) months. What are reasonable contingencies/ incentives to request in this situation? I’ve been to this facility before for a month, and it was a great – though thoroughly stressful - experience, but that said, a month was long enough.

I *always* grab opportunities such as these, but this time round I find the thought of going there for 3 months – this time alone also – reasonably unpleasant. The location kinda blows too – I don’t want to go into details, but it’s not like Paris or New York where you’d consider being assigned there as an enviable bonus. Furthermore, I can’t help but think that I’ll kinda lose 3 months of my life living in a city I don’t want to live in, not to mention the amount of re-adjustment time it takes when you return.

However, I will hear my boss out, and there’s still a tiny part of me that thinks that the character/ resume-building benefits could possibly make this worthwhile. So; were I to accept, what kind of conditions are reasonable to stipulate?

I’m single, live in LA, no pets etc – ie the ideal person to choose to skip town for a ¼ of year.

Best practices for finding a job in the US without US work experience

cimton — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:06:54 -0800

I'm a US citizen, but all of my work experience since I graduated a few years ago has been in francophone countries. I've been thinking about returning to the US, and am uncertain about how best to update my English language resume and, more broadly, how to navigate the job market without US work experience. I'm not sure if it makes any difference, but I'm a woman in my mid-twenties with a BA from a university in the US. For the past few years, I've been working in France and Senegal with non-governmental organizations involved in social service provision and advocacy work, and I would be applying for positions at similar organizations in the US.

(1) When I list an organization on my resume, should I provide a translation of the organization's name? Should I provide some sort of summary of the organization's work? All of the organizations I have worked with have French names and are unlikely to be recognized in the US. That said, all of them are easy to find on the internet.

(2) How should I deal with the fact that most of my potential references are non-native speakers of English with varying degrees of English language competence? I've heard of grad school applicants having letters of recommendation from non-anglophone professors professionally translated--is this something that I should consider, and would translated references be acceptable to US employers?

I would be happy to hear any other advice or personal anecdotes relevant to my situation, and would love to be directed to resources (both online and off) that might be useful.

Withholding for overseas commision earners

Dag Maggot — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:30:03 -0800

We're starting a US based online T-shirt company that pays sales commisions to designers. In the event that the designer is overseas, do we need to withhold tax? If not, what IRS form do we/they need to fill out?

Would you recommend the Virgin Excess Baggage service?

gfrobe — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:02:45 -0800

Has anyone used the Virgin Atlantic Excess Baggage service to send unaccompanied baggage overseas? Seems like a good deal compared with standard freight forwarding but wondering if I'm missing something. I'm moving from UK to US next month and wondering about the best way to ship my stuff. The Virgin Excess Baggage service works out to about £4 per kilo for the first 35 kilo and then drops to roughly £2.50 per kilo after that. Virgin reps tell me that I just bring my stuff to the airport, they weigh it there, ship it and they then provide 4 free days of storage at the destination. Dimensions don't really matter although they said if I was bringing something large (like a sofa, which I'm not), then I should just call ahead to make sure there's room. I'd be responsible for clearing my stuff on the US side but Virgin tells me this is quite simple.

I've searched the board and companies like SevenSeas Worldwide are recommended but the prices seem roughly comparable; however, I'll have to wait 52 days for my stuff using that service. Also, their price quotes are based on weight as well as dimensions so it seems like I could end up paying more for light but bulky items (like guitars).

So, has anyone used the Virgin service and if you have, do you recommend it?

US expat needs new wardrobe

Dag Maggot — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:53:53 -0800

I'm looking for good suggestions for buying US clothes on the Internet from overseas. Clothes are so expensive here in Australia that I think it might be cheaper even with the added shipping costs. I'm looking for male clothes that could be worn to the office - trousers, shirts, shoes.

Cell Phone Query

Spyder's Game — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:11:29 -0800

I will be in the Bahamas for ten days for work. My wife will be back here in the States taking care of our two small children. I am worried that I won't be able to reach her. Will my cell phone work? Can I call her from the Bahamas, and can she call me? We are on a Verizon Wireless plan, if that helps. Thanks!

American working in Japan: What are tax considerations?

lunachick — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:55:30 -0800

My friend is a California resident who's considering whether to accept a job in the Tokyo office of a U.S. company. We'd like to know what income tax considerations he should take into account. The position is for senior level in business development, and he would be paid in U.S. dollars. Would he pay local and/or U.S. taxes? The company is unlikely to pay for relocation costs, so we're assuming he could write them off. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Meds from overseas?

jnnla — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:13:35 -0800

Prescription medication from other countries to the US - logistics? I have recently been prescribed Lexapro in combination with a CBT regimen which has been working very well in combating mild depression / anxiety. My insurance company may be reluctant to cover the drug.

This is frustrating in that it seems to be working for me very well, but I can not pay full price for it (over 100 dollars for a one-month supply) and do not want to have to discontinue using it after just starting (about 6 weeks in). As such I am looking for advice on getting it for cheap from other countries (I DO have a prescription for it).

-Is this even possible / Legal? (If not legal, I am still interested in the logistics from an educational standpoint)

-Is "generic" brand lexapro from other countries trustworthy? Is there a way to be sure? (I understand it hasn't been released as a generic in this country - which makes me suspicious of foreign generics)

- Are there reputable foreign companies that provide US customers with prescription medication? Are some more reputable than others?

-Are there people who do purchase prescription medications from other countries regularly, safely and reliably?

-What are the risks involved?

For full disclosure, I am increasingly frustrated with the US healthcare system and in my experience road-blocks are thrown up EVERY STEP of the way by insurance companies. I have never been on any sort of prescription medication before and am extremely healthy, yet I am finding it very difficult to work within the system to get the help that I need (and a treatment that is indeed working thus far). I am ignorant of the other options out there and have heard about people getting meds from overseas....so I'm wondering what the deal is.

Car insurance during a long overseas trip?

sharkfu — Sun, 31 May 2009 10:25:51 -0800

What can I do about my car insurance during a long overseas trip? I might be going on a long (3+ month) overseas trip and I don't know what to do about my car insurance while gone.

When I contacted a customer service representative, they said lapses in coverage aren't looked upon favorably by insurance companies (especially in California?) and that my rates would probably go up if I stopped coverage and then restarted upon my return. The best she could do was drop it down to the state minimum (about $57/ month for me) while I'm gone.

Since they have a vested interest in continuing to get money from me, are there any other options? Some kind of planned non-operation that doesn't actually appear as a lapse in coverage? Switching to mega-cheap company?

I've been with them (Progressive) 11 years, overall have been a really happy customer with a good driving record, but I don't want to throw away money without checking for alternatives. I'm also kinda bugged "keep using us or else!" approach when I've been loyal for 11 years... but I guess that's the insurance game.

I won't be driving while overseas, if it matters.

Mummy ! They won't ship my new toy to Belgium !

Baud — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:03:27 -0800

The Flip Mino HD with my own image will not ship outside the US. How can I have it reshipped to Belgium ? This has me dropping of small river of saliva on my laptop keyboard.

Alas, the personalised design will not ship outside the US. I live in Belgium. How can I have it reshipped to Belgium in a reliable, affordable way ?

How long will it take ?

UK teacher wants to work in CA

bullox — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:31:15 -0800

I'm a secondary physics teacher in the UK and would like to teach in California for a year or more from September 09. What do I need to do? I have Qualified Teacher Status and I've completed my NQT year. I've taught full time for a total of three years and am now Head of Physics and in charge of developing e-learning at my London school. Ideally I'd like to live in the San Francisco Bay area.

I started teaching through Teach First, which is based on Teach for America. I know several TFA alumni have made the transition this way.

I don't mind what sort of school I teach in, and accept that it's not likely I'll be able to find a similar management position over there. I really want to experience a new country, and that area holds a big draw for me (geek community, TechShop, woo!).

I'm a good teacher with a strong record of helping challenging kids succeed, just need advice on the processes and checks needed, and how to get a job over there!

Thanks in advance.

Gift suggestions for colleague moving to the UK

andraste — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 16:26:25 -0800

Giftfilter: I'm looking for suggestions for a joint present for a co-worker moving from Australia to the UK. Cash, gift certificate, or something else? My work colleague and friend is moving to the UK for a few years and I've been asked to suggest what we should buy as the gift from her colleagues. She's female, in her mid-twenties and very tech-savvy, so she has all the gadgety goodness she could need already. Since she's paring down her life to the bare essentials, cash (in the form of pounds) has been suggested but I think a few colleagues think cash is tacky. Is it? Or are there any UK online stores I could buy a gift certificate for her from? Something that would be useful for reasonably priced homewares or everyday needs would be good.

Forwarding U.K. calls to U.S.

computech_apolloniajames — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:16:43 -0800

Can I set up a U.K. land line to forward incoming calls to a U.S.-based number? I work for a company in New York, and we'd like to field calls from the U.K. here.

Are there any other alternate methods of having a U.K.-based number ring on my U.S. phone?

What would be the costs (and any other factors, such as hassle) involved with this?

...international sales virgin

bonobothegreat — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:06:37 -0800

HoldmyhandFilter... I'm thinking of selling/shipping a rather expensive antique instrument to someone in Europe (I'm in Canada). I've bought stuff from online websites but never sold anything, so I'm a bit nervous and was hoping to get a bit of background before dealing with the buyer any further.

It may take a month before the deal is done (he's asking for time to raise the money), so I'm guessing if we've settled on the price in Canadian funds now, he should agree to pay whatever his exchange rate is at the time the deal goes through. I'd be happy for any advice on the best method of shipping and insuring an old ukulele.

I only know this person through Youtube comments and from his Myspace page (he seems very much on the up and up), so I assume I just wait for his cheque to clear before shipping the item.

Is there anything I'm forgetting?

Free tuition? Nah...

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:59:38 -0800

How do I best explain to my employer, a prestigious & expensive American Ivy League school, that I won't be taking advantage of the incomparable tuition discount and will instead finish my masters with a small-but-well-regarded British polytechnic? I love my job! I raise money for a living and have done so for about three years. This job is perfect for the kind of stewardship training I need to back up the direct mail and internet giving experience I already have.

One of the reasons I decided to do my MA with a British school is that I can't transfer the credits I already have to a program where I work. A university there offered to let me finish my dissertation with them so long as I come for one week of discussion and then come when it is reviewed to make a defense. This is reasonable, the school has a sterling reputation in the field I was in when I learned fundraising, and I have already done all of the coursework leading up to the dissertation - so the process will be vetted all the way through for irregularities and I will be in constant contact with an adviser.

My boss has been hounding me not to start a degree yet. She thinks classes and work will be a strain. I heartily agree and want to tell her I have found other options. But I worry she will misconstrue it to mean I am looking another job or will soon go back into my previous industry. This isn't the case.

Please help me make that crystal clear to her and this university.

How can friends call me in Switzerland from US affordably?

worthylakepix — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:29:34 -0800

I live in Switzerland, family/friends live in the US. I have only a cell phone, no land line. Other than Skype and calling cards, how can people call me cheaply? Do I need to get a US-based land line and somehow forward to my cell? There has to be a way? ... I hope ...

Two Americans on AT&T heading to Chile for two months, what do we need to know to use our iPhones?

adrock31 — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:20:22 -0800

Two Americans on AT&T heading to Chile for two months, what do we need to know to use our iPhones there? My wife and I will be visiting Chile for two months and would love to take our iPhones and use them. We have 1st gen iPhones and neither have been unlocked. I jailbroke mine at one point, just to see what it was like, but since 2.0 have been back to official firmware.

Questions:

1. I'm assuming we'll have to unlock the iPhone to use in Chile, but when we return, will we be able to roll-back the phones to official *Apple* un-unlocked-ness?
2. And also, what will we need to get in Chile to be able to use our phones? I've never traveled with a phone before overseas, so forgive me if this is obvious.
3. Does anyone know if AT&T allows you to temporarily suspend service, or will we be stuck paying full-price for our plans while we're gone?
4. What is the safest and most "established" ways to unlock your phone? I know there's a lot of information out there, but I'm not sure where to look for the best resources.
5. Will we be able to get a reasonable data plan on a Pay-as-you-go service in Chile?
6. Finally (sorry), will a Chilean SIM card work in Argentina if we travel into Argentina for a week or so?

Sorry for the many questions, thank you to anyone who can answer any part of this list.

Absent but not gone.

Magnakai — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:18:18 -0800

Question from Ms. Magnakai: What should I do about absentee ballots and registering to vote from an american in the UK? Hello. So basically I have a bit of a situation. Right now I live in the UK, and I would like to send off for an absentee ballot. However, last time I voted, I was registered in NY State. I hadn't lived there for three years, and my family is based in NJ. Would I have to register in NJ? Or could I still vote as registered in NY? I am just a bit confused.

Is It Smart To Have My Foreign Employer Pay Me In Their Country?

chartreuse — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:22:41 -0800

Being a 21st Century kind of guy I find myself now doing long-term work for a few companies overseas (India and the U.K.). I would like to be able to open a bank account in each country and just get the money I need via ATM. I'm thinking that since the dollar sucks it would probably be better financially for me long term. Is this a smart move? How hard is it for citizen of the US open a bank account in a foreign country? Do I have to report that income? And if so will I end up getting taxed twice?

Revisiting career changing question of a year ago.

wile e — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:56:50 -0800

Remember me? Well it's a year later, a LOT has changed and I have more questions! Come on inside, out of those wet clothes and we can have a nice chat by the fire. Ok, so last year I asked some questions on here and the responses led to me changing my life. So first off, thanks to all that helped me to gain the confidence to move forward!

After realizing that I would not be throwing everything away by changing my career path, I actually went a step further and bought a motorbike, shipped it over to Europe and while working with my web design company as my only source of income I rode over 9,000miles (14.000kms) around Europe over the last 6 months! I left in December and have had the time of my life and truly changed the way I view the world. I am now here in Helsinki, Finland back to trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.

I am soon to be a permanent resident here in Finland. I still have all the experiences previously mentioned, but a different view on what I want. One of the posters previously mentioned something that triggered something within me. So I have been doing some more research into robotics, AI and other types of automation as they are a strong part of my background and something that I am truly interested in. So I am beginning to put my resume (CV) together to look into these fields.

As I have my web company still, I am in no rush to find something. I have the time and ability to wait for the right opportunity. I just don't know where to look.

I want to stay located outside of the states for now. Not making any political statements with this, just enjoying life overseas for now. Doesn't need to be Finland as I can move around EU easy enough, but could also be Asia, Africa or wherever I can get work permission easy enough.

But what I would really like is to find contract work. 3-6month assignments. Or a company that is looking for someone to handle their international duties.

For example, I found one company that is looking for someone to travel extensively on assignments, but wants them to return stateside and work in the labs during the down time. Sounds perfect to me, if they let me return to Europe (or wherever I am living at the time) during those down times.

I'm sure that there is high demand somewhere for a skilled, technical type project manager that is willing to travel/be stationed overseas for periods at a time, I just don't know where to find these type positions. Is there a database somewhere?

I've looked through many job listing sites (Monster, CL, Jobster etc) but there's no listing for these type positions. And without going through each and every post on every site, I am having difficulties. I don't fit in any of the categories, nor can I easily search by location.

So any thoughts? Anybody with similar experiences? Or do I just continue contacting each company individually until I find one that I match with?

Civilian Medical Work for the US Armed Forces?

dougiedd — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:44:48 -0800

Wondering if anyone on the threads has any experience with civilian medical jobs for the military or could point to a resource on the web where people might discuss this. In particular I am looking at some medical officer position with the air force overseas. the pay isn't great (though not bad either), but i have reason to want to consider living in a couple locales where they have openings and where otherwise my medical degree would be unusable secondary to licensing reqs.
Things i wonder about: is the work and lifestyle more military or civilian in nature? Could one reasonably be opposed to our war effort and yet work in such a field? how are employees treated in general in your own experience?

How do I find members of my family who are overseas?

kldickson — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:57:06 -0800

How do I find family overseas? My mother has family who live in Poland and Australia, both of which have probably not been contacted for years. Nobody knows who they are. How do I go about finding them? (Re-establishing contact with them might be of some use in the future.)

The most COMPLEAT working abroad thread EVAR. Or, help me get out of Jersey already!

twins named Lugubrious and Salubrious — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:17:53 -0800

I'm looking for resources on doing paid farm work (preferably in Scandinavia, but anywhere else in Europe is fine, too). I want to work on a farm in Scandinavia for a couple of months. From what I can tell, it's incredibly hard for non-EU people (I'm American) to get working papers to go there, so my options are these (in order of most to least wanted):

1) Drill through the process and end up on a farm in Scandinavia for a couple of months. Anyone have any experience with this? How can I make this process easier?

2) Work doing something else in Scandinavia for the next couple months. My options are pretty limited -- haven't finished college yet, don't really have any marketable skills as far as I'm concerned. Past jobs have included office work, temping, waitressing, cashiering. Could I actually get away with doing something like teaching English?

3) Work in another English-speaking country in Europe where it's easier to get a visa/permit. I'm ok with this, but I've never had a driving need to visit the UK, Scotland, or Ireland.

4) Volunteer to work on a farm in Scandinavia. As far as I can tell, the papers process might still be pretty complicated. Plus, my money situation is really tight; I'd really like to be compensated in some way, not just in food and board.

So the priority here is to basically a) get to Europe this summer b) get paid, although the preference is on Scandinavia, and farm work (the only widely offered job I can see myself being qualified for).

Any suggestions? Are there positions or locations that I've overlooked?

My research has basically turned up these sort-of relevant threads:

How feasible is it for me to live and work abroad?
money for living abroad?
How do I get a job outside the UK? ASAP.
How can I move to Spain for couple of years?
Summer programs
How to find jobs around the world?
Travel jobs
12181

and a handful of links basically pulled from these pages:

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/shortterm/farm_jobs_agriculture.shtml
http://www.pickyourown.org/jobsonfarms.htm

Any other suggestions? TIA.