Are you looking to hire domestic staff from abroad? For various reasons, it can be a very popular option. Perhaps you are relocation from one country to the other, and you want to bring your current member of staff with you. Or you have found someone who seems perfect, but they are living abroad at the moment. Whatever reason you may have, it is important what you can and cannot do when it comes to hiring domestic staff from abroad.
So let’s have a look. Can you hire domestic staff from abroad?
Why Hire Domestic Staff from Abroad?
There can be many different reasons why you may want to hire domestic staff from abroad. We briefly touched upon some of these in the introduction above.
A first very popular option is when you or your household are relocating. If you have been living in one country with wonderful nannies, housekeepers or butlers, for example. You might want to consider taking some – or all – with you to the next place. It is mostly very common form families to do this with nannies. Especially because the bond between a child and a nanny can be a very difficult and upsetting one to break!
Another reason might be because you know or have found someone you think would fit perfectly within your household. However, they are not living in the same country as you. You might know them form recommendation, or another personal connection. Hiring staff to work for you and your family can be a very personal thing. So it is quite natural that you would be inclined to go with someone who feels familiar. However make sure that you still critically access their cv, background and experience. What might be suited for one person, does not automatically have to be suited for you too.
Potential Difficulties
Perhaps you would really love to have someone who is from the same country or speaks the same language as you, working for you. That is a very natural instinct to have. This can often be seen with nannies. Perhaps the parents would want the nanny to help with the native language skills. or help bring some of the culture and habits to their household too.
Another example of this is the British Butler. A highly requested option for people all over the world!
However, what can easily be forgotten, is that when you pay someone to work for you, they need to be legally allowed to work in that country. It is illegal to have someone work for you if they do not have the right visa, passport or work permits for that country. Even if they are only doing part-time or ad hoc work.
And depending on the country, it can be very challenging getting work permits or visas. In most cases, you cannot simply just buy these and it often requires a lengthy selection process. Therefore it often is more worth your time looking at candidates who can legally work in that country already. As there are no guaranteed a work visa would come through – or when!
What an Agency Can and Cannot Do
Many people assume that a recruitment agency will be able to find and place all domestic staff all over the world. That statement is not completely false, but not completely true either.
Some recruitment agencies indeed are international agencies. This means that they will work with clients and candidates all over the world – or in the specific areas they have set out to work with. So no matter where the head office of the agency is based. They could have a job listing in a completely different country.
This, however, does not mean that any candidate can be placed in any job they have worldwide. A recruitment agency is not an immigration or visa office. And although they might be able to advise, and guide candidates who are looking for jobs abroad. They will not be able to give someone a working visa for the country they are applying for jobs in!
So this is an important thing to know. As a candidate, when applying for a job abroad via an agency. make sure you have the right visa, or working documents to work in that country. If you do not, you will need to arrange that separately first.
Agencies will have registered & qualified staff
If you are someone looking to hire domestic staff from another country. Using an agency can be a great and very effective way if you want to hire someone from abroad. A good agency will only have vetted and checked candidates on their books. And would only send you the right candidates who have all the correct legal requirements to work in the country you are offering the job in. So using an agency this way will save you a lot of hassle and time. As the candidates you will be choosing from will all be suited and ready to work in your country!
How Can Polo & Tweed Help?
Would you like some help finding the best, highly qualified and fully vetted staff from abroad? Or perhaps you are a candidate looking to find your new dream job abroad. Either way, Polo & Tweed can help! We have been working as an international agency all over the world from the very first days the company started. Meaning we do not only have many highly qualified and registered candidates on our books. We also have lots of great international jobs for you to choose from. Why not get in touch with us now to find out how we can help.