The Australian culture and attitude to life is very unique in a world where issues are taken out of context and many things are taken too seriously.  Their attitude and national pride has evolved over the years, in what is still a very young country.  This land is now becoming one of the most popular countries for Expats to relocate , due to a mixture of the weather, the laid back attitude to life and potential for the future.  

The country itself offers such a variety of landscape and lifestyles with many of the nationals living in the “outback” where their nearest neighbour can be literally hundreds of miles away.  The fact that such a vastly spread society has been able to prosper is a testament to both the authorities and the Australian’s themselves.

Ads for new jobs in Australia reached more than a quarter of a million each week by May 2007. It is a 40.8% jump from last year’s figures. The combination of a flourishing economy, the lowest unemployment rate in three decades, and a low birth rate have resulted in a serious shortage of skilled workers. Australian employers need foreign workers. Every year Australian companies sponsor 26,000 skilled foreign workers whose 457 work visas allow them to work in the country for a period of three months to four years. Right now there are 105,000 sponsored workers in Australia and the number is expected to increase substantially this year. The Australian Department of Immigration showed that the number of new skilled workers that enter the country is increasing annually and will reach almost 103,000 in 2008.

Canada is a vast country which is often over shadowed by the neighbouring United States of America.  Unknown to many, Canada is actually the second largest country in the world by land mass, and is one of the top 10 economies (by size) in the world. Hence there is plenty of room for the growing number of Expats deciding to live in Canada . 

In what some may find surprising, the country was original inhabited by the aboriginal tribes commonly associated with Australia, although the country has very strong links with the UK and France, hence English and French are stated as the two main languages of the country. 

A consensus among expatriates is that it might be difficult getting jobs in Cyprus if you do not know Greek. It might not be the lack of jobs that would affect you but rather the difficulty in finding a desired position as a non-Greek speaker. If ever you encounter such a problem, there are placement agencies which could provide you help. If you are only still planning on working in Cyprus, perhaps it would be better if you find an employer before going there. Companies in the island usually allow application submissions even though no call for employees has been made. All you need are your curriculum vitae, copies of diploma, certificates, and a cover letter. Nevertheless, do not lose hope if it takes some time because Cyprus' inclusion in the European Union has proved to be advantageous to their economy. 

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Dubai is one of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates. although the term is also used to describe the Emirates largest city, Dubai City.  Strangely for a country situated deep in the heart of oil country, the nation does not actually have significant oil reserves - it makes up only a very small percentage of the economy.

However, Dubai does have a style and sophistication all of its own and has developed at lightening fast pace over the last 20 years or so.  The country is well known for a number of innovative issues, and while human rights problems have been highlighted in years gone by, this area of society has improved.

Dubai, fueled by its oil industry, is growing faster than any other city in the world.  Most available jobs are to be found in that sector and in fact, about 80% of Dubai’s population is foreign oil workers. Jobs, however, can also be found in the booming construction industry and other  sectors. 

The safest option for a foreign worker would be to secure a job before actually going to Dubai . This can be done through the help of countrymen who already work in the city or through employment agencies. Agencies based in major cities such as Paris usually supply managerial level employees while manual workers are recruited from agencies based in their own countries. Make sure that you tap only registered and reputable recruitment agencies.

France is one of the power houses of the European Union and has attracted much interest from foreign residents looking to relocate overseas. The country itself has a style and look all of its own, and is often mentioned in the same breath as Italy as a popular country for romantic breaks.

There is however a lot to France behind the scenes, with culture, art and architecture once again coming to the fore. This country certainly has a lot to offer both in terms of employment and everyday life and a deeply engrained freedom of speech which forms the basis of French law and culture. These are some of the reasons that the Expat community living in France grows every day.

Though France suffers from some serious labor shortages, the country’s unemployment rate is high, especially among male immigrants (20% versus 9% for locals).   Immigrants who are not EU citizens are not allowed to work as pharmacists, midwives, airline pilots, architects, and in at least 46 more professions and occupations. 

The French usually identifies the immigrant population with social problems such as higher crime rates and lower school standards, and there is still considerable prejudice against foreign workers with religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds different from the French majority.  The newly elected French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has also promised tougher immigration rules which will effect prospects for jobs in France . 

Spain has quickly become one of the hot spots of Europe, with regards to the place of rest for many foreign nationals.  This has resulted in a truly multi-cultural society, offering a safe and pleasant haven for many looking to settle overseas.  The excess sunshine also seems to attract many from the colder areas of the world!

Spain is one of the more popular destinations for foreign nationals looking to move overseas and become Expats living in Spain . An estimated 4.8 million foreign residents as at the end of 2005 were Expats in Spain .  The country is very popular with Moroccan and Ecuadorian nationals, although the British (8.09%), French (8.03%) and Germans (5.58%) also make up a substantial part of the overall 4.8m total.  The country has particularly strong cultural ties with south America, hence the high number of south American nationals choosing Spain for their new home.

In the space of ten years (1996-2006), the immigrant population of Spain has jumped from 1.37% to 8.75% of its total population, and 10.4% of the country’s total employed population. Within the same time frame, many Spanish jobs have been created, but unemployment remains relatively high at 10.4%. 

Construction and agriculture, personal services, and hotels and restaurants are the sectors that have the most number of hard to fill vacancies. Most foreign workers are, understandably, concentrated in these areas. Spanish employers prefer to hire either Spanish nationals or expatriates fluent in the Spanish language 

The UK has for some time been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, with the American tourist very common place in the country.  The country has a number of factors in its favour including the colourful history (starting with the Celts) which has taken in the Roman invaders, Vikings, Saxons and Normans and many more who have tried and ultimately failed to conquer the land.

Consisting of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the UK offers the full range of climates from the cold winters of Scotland to the warmer climbs of the South coast of England.  All elements of the UK have their own personal history, and they are all within easy travelling distance, by plane, car, water or train.

From 2004-2006, more than a million foreign workers entered the UK with long term work permits, with the option of staying permanently. About 700,000 came from Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004, but the rest came from non-EU countries including India. Such large-scale migration has reshaped the country’s population profile. Five million individuals, equivalent to 10% of Britain’s 50 million adults, are now foreign born.  As expected, public opinion is divided on whether the entry of foreign workers has been negative or positive overall. Foreign workers can be found in all areas of the UK.  However large communities are located in London, the South East, East Anglia and Scotland. Most are employed in health care, construction, cleaning, education, agriculture, IT and food manufacturing. Skilled foreign workers are issued work permits when there are no local workers or employees available.

As well as being the economic power house of the world, the USA offers an unrivalled mix of cultures, religions and employment opportunities.  The tourist market is also enormous, with every tourist attraction you would ever wish to see!

The terrain is by far the most varied in the world, with glacial plains and deserts, high mountains and sub sea level hot beds and everything else in between.  The USA is the world leader in a variety of areas, and if something is popular in the USA you can guarantee that it will spread worldwide at some stage - the ultimate trend setter. These are just a few of the postive aspects why the number of Expats living in America is growing. 

Foreign workers in the US are classified as green card holders or guest workers. Green card holders are permanent residents who intend to live and work in the U.S. for good. Guest workers are temporary residents in the U.S. who are in the country either illegally or legally through temporary Work Visas. The issue of guest workers has stirred up a lot of controversy.  Labor unions and similar groupings believe that the entry of large numbers of foreign workers has impacted negatively on  the employment of local labor. They believe that there are no actual labor shortages and that the real reason behind “importation” of foreign workers is the fact that they are willing to receive lower wages and less benefits. Employers, on the other hand, warn against the possibility of economic growth being curtailed by lack of certain sectors of skilled and unskilled workers.