Moving abroad to work is an important career decision that you need to research before you go. We've tried to pull together as many resources as possible to help you make your transition as smooth as possible. Click on the category below to find Web sites that provide you with useful information and cater to your needs.

Business Information
Country Guides
Cross-Cultural Communications
Customs & Import/Export Regulations
Embassies & Consulates
Graduate Schools for International Studies
Health, Travel & Safety Warnings
Human Resources -- International Issues
International Jobs
Passport Applications
Relocation
Repatriation
Resumes/CVs
Student Exchange
Taxes, Finances & Social Security
Travel Guides

Business Information

PricewaterhouseCoopers: With 150,000 personnel in more than 150 countries, the firm provides clients with global HR, tax, legal, business process outsourcing, financial advisory and other services. The site's international briefings offer recent developments impacting business by world region along with other global business information.

U.S. Business Advisor: A U.S. government site for businesses which redirects questions on federal government data, services, transactions and news to the appropriate government sites.

World Chambers Network: Operated by The Consortium for Global Commerce, the site has a registry of contact addresses and phone numbers for international chambers of commerce, world news, stock market updates, executive briefings, links to international trade resources and other global business tools.

Country Guides

ABC News Country Profiles: Quick statistics and summaries of the economy, geography, culture, history and current status of nearly every nation in the world.

CIA World Factbook 1998: The site contains the online version of the CIA's publication, broken down into country listings with maps, geography, demographic, transportation and economic data. Appendix C has a comprehensive list of international organizations and groups, including the International Organization for Migration and Appendix E provides metric conversion factors.

ECA Country Profiles: Annual reports published by ECA International with country data and relocation information for 77 countries. Reports can be purchased individually on the site.

Global Statistics: Charted country profiles including population growth, capitals, area, cities and economic statistics.

InfoNation: A United Nations searchable database in English, French and Spanish which compares current statistics for up to seven Member States of the UN.

Library of Congress Country Studies: The online series of the Library of Congress Country Studies book series, with 92 full-text publications represented on the site. Each country study is divided by chapter and other subheadings, including transportation, cultural identity, geography, health concerns and such economic factors as major corporations, types of industries, labor force and foreign economic relations. Each appendix contains useful tables with country statistics and information can be accessed by individual book or by a keyword search over selected country texts.

National Geographic Map Machine: The "Map Machine Atlas" has maps, flags and quick profiles for both countries and U.S. states. Besides additional physical maps and political maps, the site's "Xpeditions Atlas" has printable continent and country maps.

U.S. State Department -- Background Notes: Online governmental records on the geography, people, government, economy, history, human rights, foreign relations and travel and business information for most countries. Notes on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, European Community, Organization of American States and the United Nations are also on the site.

Cross-Cultural Communications

3-DNET: A global online communications network for individuals and companies in ten languages.

iAgora.com: A site created for and by international people, with a large quantity of links for travel resources, housing and regional information from banks to culture. Select country pages have job links, housing links, travel links and more. Site tools include a currency converter, metric conversion calculators, electricity conversions and tips for traveling abroad from the book The Globetrotter's Guide.

The Web of Culture: Education, products and training on cross-cultural communications. The site has country reference materials, cultural contacts and other resources.

Customs & Import/Export Regulations

U.S. Customs: "Know Before You Go": Everything Americans need to know before traveling abroad in order to facilitate Customs clearance upon reentry to the States, including penalties, exemptions, restricted articles and more.

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service -- Travelers' Tips: The government site lists agricultural items permitted by U.S. Customs, which requires a declaration of plant and animal products brought into the U.S. Limits are also placed upon products brought from Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -- Importing/Exporting: A government site enumerating the process of importing and exporting pets, wildlife plants and wildlife plant goods into or out of the U.S.

Embassies & Consulates

U.S. Embassies and Consulates

U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs -- Links to U.S. Embassies and Consulates Worldwide: Links to the home pages of embassies and consulates, listed by city and country.

U.S. State Department -- Bureau of Consular Affairs: The U.S. State Department's branch devoted to assisting American citizens abroad. Featuring a wealth of tips and government links associated with travel, the site is a crossroads for indispensable travel information. Principal functions of the site include detailing the Bureau's services for Americans abroad, listing numerous FAQs on visas, passports and other travel issues and supplying phone numbers for further inquiries.

International Embassies & Consulates

Electronic Embassy: The site provides contact information for all foreign embassies in Washington, D.C., including addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers and URLs as available.

Embassy Web: Currently undergoing a major overhaul, the site soon will unveil a searchable diplomacy database for diplomatic posts around the globe, an inventory of more than 50,000 addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses.

Embassy World's Embassy Directory: The site has a directory of links to world embassies and consulates, alphabetically listed by country and also searchable by either guest or host country.

United Nations Member States: Email addresses and home pages of permanent missions. Many sites contain country fact sheets, links to government institutions such as ministries of foreign affairs and ministries of health and links to embassies and consulates.

Yahoo! Foreign Embassies and Consulates in the U.S.. Links to embassies and consulates by country.

Graduate Schools for International Studies

Organizations for International Studies

APSIA: The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs, a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization, consists of 22 graduate schools for international affairs and 14 affiliates in the U.S. and abroad. APSIA schools offer two-year master's programs blending intercultural studies with career development. The APSIA site has information on member institutions from degree requirements to admissions officer contacts.

ISA: A non-governmental academic organization with more than 3,000 members worldwide, the International Studies Association promotes research in international studies through publications and conventions. Aside from organization information, the site contains links to related organizations and Internet resources.

Schools Abroad

European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD)

London Business School

International Institute for Management Development

American Schools

Monterey Institute of International Studies

Thunderbird -- American School of International Management

American University -- School of International Service

Georgetown University -- Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service

University of Michigan -- School of Public Policy

University of California at San Diego -- Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies

University of Pittsburgh -- Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

Columbia University -- School of International and Public Affairs

Princeton University -- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

University of Denver -- Graduate School of International Studies

University of Southern California -- School of International Relations

Syracuse University -- Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

George Washington University -- The Elliott School of International Affairs

Tufts University -- The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Harvard University -- John F. Kennedy School of Government

University of Washington -- The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies

The Johns Hopkins University -- The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

Yale University --Yale Center for International and Area Studies

University of Maryland -- School of Public Affairs

Carleton University -- Norman Paterson School of International Affairs

Health, Travel & Safety Warnings

Center for Disease Control -- Travel Information: The U.S. government's online compilation of health recommendations and information for travelers planning to go overseas. The site offers reference material on disease outbreaks, health risks by country or region, advised vaccinations and precautions, healthcare providers, travel maps and special considerations for specific circumstances.

U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs -- Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets: The Bureau's site catalogs warnings recommending the avoidance of certain nations and public announcements relating short-term problems in countries which would impact American travelers. The site's Consular Information Sheets disclose entry requirements, medical facilities, registration and embassy locations, crime and safety information and other country status particulars.

U.S. State Department -- Overseas Security Advisory Council: The OSAC is a U.S. government agency that facilitates the flow of security information from the federal government to the U.S. private sector, particularly U.S. corporations and universities. The site features high-priority country news compiled daily from online papers, travel warnings and security guidelines for businesses, business travelers, children and families abroad.

Human Resources -- International Issues

Academy of Management: A professional society with roughly 11,000 members worldwide devoted to promoting management as a science and practice. The society has a HR division and is currently building a site for its International Management division.

The Human Resource Professional's Gateway to the Internet: Links and descriptions for HR and recruiting sites, mailing lists and HR companies.

Society for Human Resource Management: The largest human resource management association in the world, SHRM administers human resource education, services and publications to its 110,000 plus members. The international branch, the Institute for International Human Resources, has online resources for IIHR or SHRM Global Forum members. Links to onsite publications authorizing nonmember use include The Global Employer, Innovations in International HR, Expatriate Observer, Expatriate Newsletter and others.

Windham World Newsletter: Windham's international HR newsletter.

Workforce Magazine: The site for Workforce, a publication for HR professionals, has a comprehensive stock of articles, resources and tips on global HR and relocation.

International Jobs

The Association for International Practical Training -- A non-profit organization, AIPT can assist American students and professionals in most scholastic majors and career fields who want international, on-the-job training experiences. The Career Development program assists professionals and recent graduate in nearly any career field.

Employment Opportunities in Australia: Searchable Australian employment postings by employer, consultant, job field and keyword.

InterExchange: A private, nonprofit organization, InterExchange offers a variety of work programs in the U.S. and Europe. Information about their short internships, Au Pair opportunities and seasonal work can be found at the site.

Job Source Network: International Jobs: Links to sites for international employment by career category or country, information detailing the ramifications of international jobs and Internet search engine listings broken down by country.

Labor Market Job links primarily for Europe and the U.S., posted in both English and German.

Transitions Abroad -- 1999 Short-Term Work Resources: Key employers for short-term work by region and country.

Overseas Jobs Express: A U.K.-based bimonthly newspaper listing international employment vacancies, with at least 1,500 new jobs printed per issue. The publication also features advice, personal employment accounts and news about the international job market. The site has a searchable jobs database with listings by profession as well as a bookstore with titles on international opportunities.

International Teaching Jobs

Japan Exchange and Teaching Program: The JET Program offers young college graduates opportunities to become coordinators for international relations, assistant language teachers and sports exchange advisors throughout Japan.

Teaching Jobs Overseas: An online guide for American educators considering teaching abroad, with tips, first-hand accounts, a chat room, bulletin and a newsletter as well as several products and services.

Transitions Abroad -- Teaching English Overseas: Descriptions of training and placement programs for teaching ESL abroad.

Passports Applications

U.S. State Department -- Passport Applications: Applications for U.S. passports, passports by mail, passport amendments or validations and the statement regarding lost or stolen passports are all available for printing at the site.

Relocation

Community Connections: A women-owned, Silicon Valley based international relocation firm with a wide range of services for both expatriates and employees entering the U.S.

Employee Relocation Council: A professional association composed of employee transfer organizations. The site houses an online research center with indexed industry topics like relocation hints and legislative issues plus a worldwide relocation services directory with contact listings for real estate brokers or appraisers and relocation service companies. The online edition of ERC's Mobility magazine offers selections from the current issue and articles from past issues by category.

Employment Conditions Abroad: The ECA provides international human resources consulting and informational services to over 1300 organizations. Principal products include guides for expatriates, cost of living information, country profiles, tax services, software and accommodation information. Summaries of products and consulting services are on the site.

GMAC Relocation Services: The firm, which represents over 15,000 corporate relocations moves per year, offers services such as language training, tax and banking assistance, cultural orientation and a home sales broker network. GMAC's site has a relocation checklist and timetable alongside other relocation tips.

International Orientation Resources: The biggest independent intercultural management training company in the U.S., IOR offers expatriate services, global management training and consulting and research services. Service descriptions, a newsletter and international link groupings including youths and schools are accessible on the site.

Mobility Services International: The firm provides worldwide employee relocation services to companies, from candidate assessment to helping manage the move. The site includes "The Complete Resource Guide to International Relocation," with contact information on everything from educational consultants to pet transportation.

Overseas Digest: A free newsletter, with articles like "Car Combat -- Driving in Saudi Arabia" and "Managing House Guests -- When Home Turns into a Hilton." The publication includes advice, essays and recommended resources.

Overseas Digest -- 26 Vital Government Documents for Americans Abroad: A stockpile of travel tips, security guidelines, contacts and other U.S. government information compiled on one site.

Relocation Central -- International Relocation: Links for relocation company sites and resources for expatriates, including country-specific and service-specific sites.

Relocation Journal & Relocation News: An online publication from Mobility Services International, a firm providing international employee relocation services to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. Articles address employer and employee concerns ranging from relocation real estate to visa documentation. Newsbreak, an MSI newsletter with industry, global relocation and human resource updates, is available free by email.

Transitions Abroad: The bimonthly Transitions Abroad Magazine features information on living, working, studying and vacationing abroad, with articles by travelers and resource directories. The publishers also sell guides, directories and specialized travel publications ("Short-Term Work," for example) independently of the magazine. The site has an extensive bookstore, country listings for their publications, information on traveling and working abroad and a free email newsletter called TA News.

Virtual Relocation: A Yahoo-like portal for relocation, with over 100,000 links to relocation services and related resources.

Windham International: A global relocation management and consulting firm, handling everything from the design of international assignment packages to practical, on-the-ground assistance. The site includes details on assorted relocation services, from negotiating the early end of a lease to various "settling-in" services, such as obtaining a driver's license and understanding the health care system. Of particular interest is the Self-Assessment for Global Endeavors tool.

Family Relocation

BR Anchor Publishing: Having experienced 18 relocations herself, Beverly D. Roman now publishes an online newsletter and relocation books for kids, teens and adults. Family relocation issues are the focus, including family repatriation and expatriation, day care, elder care, single parents and housing. The monthly email newsletter is free and the site has relocation tips by topic.

Expat Exchange: A comprehensive source for advice and resources, with areas devoted to spouses and taxes, along with forums to ask questions of expatriates.

Expat Forum: A gathering spot for expatriates, with 24 country-specific areas, including Australia, Belgium, France, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia.

ExpatSpouse.com: A site focusing on the needs of dual-career expatriate families, with career guidance, employment and volunteer possibilities and help with family adjustment and cultural issues.

Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas Inc.: FAWCO, a nonprofit, nongovernmental international network of 71 women's clubs, supports American women living and working overseas. FAWCO deals with issues involving U.S. citizens' concerns, education, the environment and women's and children's rights. The site has an international club directory and members-only information on traveling abroad.

Mobility Magazine -- "Trailing No More: New Alternatives for the Dual-Career Expatriate Couple".

Repatriation

Cornelius Grove & Associates: The company provides coaching, training and other support services for international employees. The site's Repatriation Planning and Training area includes advice for returning expatriates.

Eaton Consulting Group: The firm provides relocation services, from pre-departure training to on-site coaching. The topics of its "Repatriation to Your Home Culture" program include leveraging newly acquired job skills and learning about new trends in the U.S.

The Insiders' Guide to Relocation: An excerpt on repatriation from Beverly Roman's book covers everything from family preparation to the difficulties for "career-interrupted" partners. An excellent overview on avoiding the pitfalls of repatriation.

Integrated Resources Group: Integrated Resources group, a firm providing cross-cultural training and other services, offers Expat-Repat Newsletter (select the link for free email publications), a monthly for expatriates. The April 1999 newsletter, for instance, includes suggestions on "Ways to Deal with Reverse Culture Shock."

International Orientation Resources: The firm's Repatriation Program aims to "ease the re-entry stress" experienced by returning expatriates by helping them to "anticipate, recognize and prepare for the personal, social, professional and financial challenges of repatriation."

Resumes / CV's

CV Special: A British CV service run by Steven Holmes which has assisted more than 3000 clients in 10 years, Holmes reviews personal information and rewrites CV's and application letters. CV Special grants free appraisals and suggestions based on career materials and aspirations for anyone interested. The site distinguishes between superior and inferior CV's, offers samplings from cover letters and explores CV strategies through example case histories.

MBNA Career Education Center -- Georgetown University: Resume and cover letter assistance, interview tips and further career help is available on the site.

Student Exchange

BUNAC: The British Universities North America Club is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization offering programs which help students in Britain, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, Jamaica and South Africa live and work overseas. Organization publications include newsletters with job listings, travel guides and handbooks. The site outlines existing programs, announces news and special opportunities and has online ordering forms for brochures.

Career Guide to International Employment -- Dickinson College: An online guide with tips, articles and links for students considering employment abroad, covering everything from preparing forms to short-term opportunities.

CIEE: The Council on International Educational Exchange is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that manages international exchange programs and services for students and teachers around the world. The CIEE site includes information on the Council's programs, types of international employment and internships and a searchable database of seasonal job or internship openings in the U.S. The offshoot site Council Travel has a travel gear store, rail pass price guide, international identity card information and other travel tools.

International Study and Travel Center -- Work Abroad: A University of Minnesota site tailored to inform students about work abroad issues, including acquiring work permits, landing a job overseas, types of employment and suggested additional resources. ISTC also renders products and services online, such as International Identity Cards, passport photos and Euroline pass information.

Overseas Opportunity Office -- University of Michigan: The Work Abroad page contains much information for students on finding work abroad, including short-term, Au Pair, teaching, language-specific, job field-specific employment. The Travel Abroad site has thorough information on travel financing, passports, visas, airfare and other topics of student travel interest.

U.S. State Department -- Tips for Students: Essentials American students should heed when planning a trip abroad, namely familiarization with destinations, visas, passports, studying and working abroad, registering with U.S. consulates and embassies, medical insurance and general precautions. Topics briefed have links to online State Department brochures plus links to other sites for international student travel.

United States Information Agency: A U.S. government foreign affairs agency supporting international cultural and educational exchange programs such as the Fulbright Program, International Visitors Program, Humphrey Fellows Program, Exchange Visitor (J-visa) Program and English Language programs. Besides information on these and other exchange opportunities, the site features the online version of "Key Officers of Foreign Service Posts: Guide for Business Representatives".

Taxes, Finances & Social Security

Ernst & Young: A leading accounting, tax and consulting firm with 85,000 personnel in 132 countries. The Global Employee Solutions site has articles on expatriation, global HR, international taxes and similar information. The site for Ernst & Young International has online tax guides for 141 countries, which examine business, corporate taxes, executive taxes and executive immigration for each nation.

FMA International: Based in Cyprus, Financial Management Associates International provides financial advice to expatriates and international investors worldwide.

Global Assignment Americans Abroad -- U.S. Tax Matters: Fundamental tax instructions and tips for Americans going overseas.

KPMG International: A global professional advisory firm offering consulting, tax and legal, financial and assurance services from over 800 locations in 157 nations worldwide. Special site features include a separate tax and legal site with news, country tax figures and links to regional tax centers and international finance and revenue authorities by country.

U.S. Social Security Administration -- Office of International Programs: The site has Social Security information for American citizens living outside the U.S., with contacts for services in foreign nations, payment information, a downloadable application for Social Security cards and accounts of special agreements with 17 countries concerning payments for multinational companies and expatriate workers.

Travel Guides

Fodor's Travel Publications: Publishers of more than 290 English-language international guidebooks separated into fourteen series, ranging from city guides to language instruction phrasebooks. The site's resource center has overviews of topics like health issues abroad, passports and visas and money, plus many related links. Travelers can create their own online "mini-guides" for the destinations of their choosing, personalized by generating information on specific subjects requested. The mini-guides cover everything from business hours and mail to cultural practices and packing.

Getting Through Customs: The site for GTC, a software and training firm for international travelers, sells business, holiday and cultural data on 65 countries. Articles pertaining to international travel and international business, such as "Doing Business Abroad," are accessible online as well.

Let's Go: Publishers of the world's best-selling international budget travel guides, the student-run Let's Go series familiarizes travelers with the hostel and budget travel scene around the globe. The site contains excerpts from their publications, links to online booksellers offering their series and general travel advice ranging from personal safety tips to passport requirements.

Lonely Planet: A publisher of international travel guides, atlases and phrasebooks geared for the independent traveler. Destination profiles on the site outline subjects such as culture, health risks, visas, expenses and transportation. The site also features the latest world travel news, in-depth health information and a "Postcards" section posting commentary and advice from travelers by country.