Relocating around the world is complex and it is time-intensive. For us, there are three elements related to the timing:
- waiting times
- processing times
- expectation management
Waiting times
Waiting times occur at authorities, like the embassy or immigration offices because the demand for appointments is simply too high. Depending on the country or city where your employee is trying to get the appointment, the time may vary from a few days to a few months.
Processing times
Once your employee has applied for a visa or residence permit, the application needs to be processed, and the permit has to be printed. This may take another few weeks! An example is the German Blue Card. Here, the printing time can take 4-6 weeks. Keep in mind that the time frame can change; especially due to Covid-19.
Expectation management
If you are not aware of the time span the immigration process is taking, it could really break your neck, when your colleagues are waiting eagerly for their new team member to start and you have to apologize because he or she is still stuck waiting for an embassy appointment in India. And here is my last point: expectation management! Inform yourself beforehand and let your colleagues know how long it will approximately take! It’s safe to give it 10-12 weeks between signing the contract and starting the job.
How you can accelerate the process
My tip on how you can accelerate the process is to prepare all required documents. Missing documents are often what makes the process even longer. Find out which ones are required and also let your employee know!
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