We spoke to our Senior Regional Immigration Coordinator, Sabrina Crespo about her experience working for Crown Relocations. How long have you been with Crown? Can you tell us more about your role? I have been working with Crown for almost eight years and it has gone quickly! I started as an immigration specialist in charge of inbound cases to France for a major client in 2013, looking after the immigration needs of 300 employees and their families. I worked with them for three years, building great relationships, and the role has grown from there. Now I am Senior Regional Immigration Coordinator for the EMEA region, based in France. When did you start your current role and what does it entail? I joined the global immigration team in 2016, which was a great step for me, and started working as EMEA Immigration coordinator straight away. As the job title says, I’m coordinating immigration formalities in the EMEA region for different types of clients (including those in IT, the food industry, and the energy sector). My role is to double check and facilitate the immigration procedure for our client’s employees, in accordance with the regulations in force in the country of destination. Then, after that, to manage the process until the documents are granted for the employee and his or her family – for instance a work permit or residence permit. What kind of qualifications do you have? I have a bachelor’s degree in human resources management in global companies, after studying in Paris. So, I was well prepared for the role when I started working in the relocations industry. You spend your time helping others to live and work abroad. But where in the world you most like to live? There’s a lot of choose from! I think I’d go for Singapore. It’s a fantastic place. What’s the most common question that clients ask you? There are a few! I would say the most common are ‘how long does the process take?’ and ‘When can the assignee start work?’ They aren’t easy questions because, for the countries I manage, there is no clear and strict timeline for immigration. It depends on the process and the workload of the authorities at the time. So, we can only provide estimates. But it’s something the client’s value. What are the most common mistakes people make about immigration? They often underestimate the process. Some people might think of it as regular paperwork that goes alongside a relocations package. In fact, immigration is a critical part of relocation – it ensures you are legal when you work and live abroad. It should certainly be part of the planning process when employees move abroad. What is the moment in your career so far that has made you most proud? To be honest, I am proud as soon as I find a solution for an employee with a complex situation -and it happens very frequently! This is exactly why the role is so interesting. Each case is a challenge and there is always a new one on the horizon.