“Goodbye…” It’s such a powerful and emotive word, isn’t it? And, as we will see, it’s more than just a word to signify a parting; it’s a way to complete a cycle. By saying healthy goodbyes we bring a sense of closure and ready ourselves for the new chapter in our lives. Here’s how we can do this, and why we should…
We are all familiar with farewells – expats especially so. Whether we’re the one leaving or the one who stays behind, we will always feel the sadness of a parting. Change, however, is the only constant. We will have many opportunities to say goodbye in our lives, and not just because we are expats. Saying goodbye is therefore a skill to practise and an emotional process to go through<
Saying goodbye sucks
This is especially true for expats, who have to say goodbye more than most! A common reaction to an upcoming goodbye is to become detached. Many expats will keep their distance from loved ones, whether friends, colleagues or family, before a relocation. We may shut off and try to avoid the goodbyes entirely.
A very good friend of mine, who I’d spent time with almost daily, did this as he was due to leave the Netherlands. He gave me a quick hug, and left. This wasn’t the goodbye I wanted and it left an uneasy sadness (perhaps for him too).
Why is goodbye so important?
Though we may avoid proper closure or not know how to handle it,going through the sadness of an ending is normal and healthy. “Goodbye” represents that closure and helps with a smoother transition.Closing the cycle gives you a strong foundation as you begin again.
A healthy goodbye also helps you to savour the good parts of your experience; it holds these as treasures from your previous chapter and into your new one. (These treasures can never be taken away from you.) This can give you strength; it can give you love. It can give you the power to continue when the transition is difficult.
Healthy goodbyes beyond the expat experience
They’re valuable in every meaningful relationship we have. For example, you may know your relationship is ending, but find yourself struggling to let go. This is tough, we know, but it’s better to find the strength to say goodbye, sooner rather than later, and to bring in that end. Why? Because your time is precious; it is a non-renewable resource. And you can only start over when it’s over.
If this sounds too painful, it can help to think of your emotions as the seasons: after winter, comes spring, comes summer, comes autumn…. How long you want to remain in winter is up to you to a great extent. What can you do to bring spring, without forcing it? You can take your time in the “winter” months – to reflect, to learn – and then you can say goodbye to winter and begin to lean into spring.
What else do we need for a healthy start?
We’ve discussed the pain – and importance – of goodbyes, but it also helps to look forward. Ask yourself:
- “What else do I need for a healthy start?”
- “What is important to me?”
- “What matters the most to enable as peaceful a transition as possible?”
These transitional phases are difficult sometimes, but they can also be very exciting! There is the pain, yes, for something precious that is gone; there also is the beauty. But isn’t life a little bitter-sweet?
The original article can be read here – www.expatnest.com
Lesotho: Pioneering Electronic Visa Program Aimed to Increase Tourism and Investment
Washington, DC — Lesotho is the only independent nation in the world with its entire land mass above 1,000 meters (3,281 feet). Now the country, with a population of 2.1 million and a surface area the size of Belgium, has another distinction – a top-tier electronic visa program, joining only 13 other countries on the continent, according to the African Development Bank’s Visa Openness Index.
Launched on May 5 – making Lesotho the ninth nation , the platform was created by the Lesotho government in partnership with a U.S.-based, privately owned IT company, Computer Frontiers, with offices and tech staff in Ghana, Uganda and several other African capitals. During last month’s U.S. Africa Business Summit in Washington, DC, where Lesotho e-visa was on display, AllAfrica’s Noluthando Crockett-Ntonga discussed the platform with T’sepiso Mosasane , Lesotho’s acting director of Immigration in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Computer Frontiers President Barbara Keating. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
How is e-visa helping Lesotho?
T’sepiso Mosasane : It has eliminated most of the challenges that we were encountering regarding visas. We used to have a manual system, and there were lots and lots of problems. Apart from that, we were losing out on investment and tourism because many people didn’t know how to access our visa. And our country was not even known in the world because we didn’t know how to advertise.
How long does it take to get a visa for Lesotho?
T’sepiso Mosasane : 48 hours.
Barbara Keating: We have a call center and adjudication of the visas is done 24/7.
Source
Healthy Goodbyes for Healthy Starts – Expat Nest Article
“Goodbye…” It’s such a powerful and emotive word, isn’t it? And, as we will see, it’s more than just a word to signify a parting; it’s a way to complete a cycle. By saying healthy goodbyes we bring a sense of closure and ready ourselves for the new chapter in our lives. Here’s how we can do this, and why we should…
We are all familiar with farewells – expats especially so. Whether we’re the one leaving or the one who stays behind, we will always feel the sadness of a parting. Change, however, is the only constant. We will have many opportunities to say goodbye in our lives, and not just because we are expats. Saying goodbye is therefore a skill to practise and an emotional process to go through<
Saying goodbye sucks
This is especially true for expats, who have to say goodbye more than most! A common reaction to an upcoming goodbye is to become detached. Many expats will keep their distance from loved ones, whether friends, colleagues or family, before a relocation. We may shut off and try to avoid the goodbyes entirely.
A very good friend of mine, who I’d spent time with almost daily, did this as he was due to leave the Netherlands. He gave me a quick hug, and left. This wasn’t the goodbye I wanted and it left an uneasy sadness (perhaps for him too).
Why is goodbye so important?
Though we may avoid proper closure or not know how to handle it,going through the sadness of an ending is normal and healthy. “Goodbye” represents that closure and helps with a smoother transition.Closing the cycle gives you a strong foundation as you begin again.
A healthy goodbye also helps you to savour the good parts of your experience; it holds these as treasures from your previous chapter and into your new one. (These treasures can never be taken away from you.) This can give you strength; it can give you love. It can give you the power to continue when the transition is difficult.
Healthy goodbyes beyond the expat experience
They’re valuable in every meaningful relationship we have. For example, you may know your relationship is ending, but find yourself struggling to let go. This is tough, we know, but it’s better to find the strength to say goodbye, sooner rather than later, and to bring in that end. Why? Because your time is precious; it is a non-renewable resource. And you can only start over when it’s over.
If this sounds too painful, it can help to think of your emotions as the seasons: after winter, comes spring, comes summer, comes autumn…. How long you want to remain in winter is up to you to a great extent. What can you do to bring spring, without forcing it? You can take your time in the “winter” months – to reflect, to learn – and then you can say goodbye to winter and begin to lean into spring.
What else do we need for a healthy start?
We’ve discussed the pain – and importance – of goodbyes, but it also helps to look forward. Ask yourself:
These transitional phases are difficult sometimes, but they can also be very exciting! There is the pain, yes, for something precious that is gone; there also is the beauty. But isn’t life a little bitter-sweet?
The original article can be read here – www.expatnest.com
Immigration – Focus on the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Located on the Congo River, Kinshasa is the Capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to over 80 million people, who inhabit a land considered to be one of the richest in terms of natural resources, including, but not limited to, raw minerals such as gold, copper, cobalt, and diamonds, in the world.
As such, many multi-nationals in these sectors are keen to create a presence in this mineral-rich nation and, as such, are required to send expatiate employees to this location as part of their skills-development agenda or as part of start-up operations.
The framework for legalising the stay of expatiate employees in the DRC is rather basic and local authorities wield much power in decision-making processes. There are two kinds of work permits that can be granted: Visa d’établissement de travail or “Vet”, which is a general work permit(the “General Work Permit” VET) and the Visa d’établissement de travail – catégorie spécifique or “VETS” whish is a skills-specific work permit.
All applications must be submitted in the DRC therefore it is imperative that you enlist the assistance of Relocation Africa in aiding you in this process.
If you have need of assistance in the DRC, please contact immigration@relocationafrica.com
Immigration changes in Africa: Morocco and Zambia
MOROCCO | Online Work Permit Submission Now Mandatory
Effective June 1, companies sponsoring foreign national employees for work permits are required to submit applications and track their progress using the Ministry of Labor and Professional Integration’s (MOL) Taechir online portal. Furthermore, the MOL has announced that it will no longer accept submission of manual work permit applications. Companies that have not used the online process in the past should register on the Taechir site immediately to obtain log-in credentials to avoid delay in submitting future applications.
This final MOL announcement making the electronic process mandatory brings no change in application requirements. The initial application submission is completed online and notification of adjudication or requests for additional documents are sent through email. However, subsequent paper submission of signed original forms and documents to the Department of Employment is still required.
The Moroccan online application system has been available now for over a year, and Pro-Link GLOBAL has already been successfully filing work permit applications through the platform. With these applications, we have already seen a significant improvement in processing times with most applications being adjudicated within two to three weeks.
ZAMBIA | New Stricter Employment Permit Guidelines Issued
Effective May 26, the Zambian Department of Immigration (DOI) has issued revised guidelines covering foreign nationals seeking employment permits to work in the country. The new stricter guidelines are in furtherance of the county’s Zambianization policy to increase local worker employment while still allowing companies access to needed foreign talent. The changes are of particular note to Zambia’s large mineral mining sector, which accounts for 75 percent of the country’s exports.
Companies should take note that new guidelines – applicable to employment permits valid longer than six months – are a significant departure from past practice. Included in the changes are the following:
The official publication of the new Revised Guidelines for Employment Permit Issuance is available online here. The Zambian Home Affairs Minister had called a suspension of issuing employment permits to foreign nationals in February of this year, citing abuse on the current system. The suspension – purportedly to give officials time to implement the new revised guidelines – has now been lifted.
These changes are part of an ongoing movement to overhaul the Zambian immigration system, which is locally seen as inadequate for the global economy. Reportedly, plans are also underway to implement a new national biometric identification card system, rules for dual citizenship, and increased tourist visa options.
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