We spoke to our Immigration Consultant, Silmara Barbosa about her experience working with Crown as part of our Swedish team. As well as her top tips to help you prepare to live and work abroad.
How long have you been with Crown and what experience do you have in immigration?
By April 2022 I will have completed six years working with Crown, so that’s a great achievement! Immigration has always been part of my task list since my early days here as a Mobility Advisor. I am experienced in immigration coordination for inbound and outbound services such as Work Permit Applications, Business visas and Legalizations.
What would be your number one tip for anyone preparing to live and work abroad?
There are lots of tips that you develop over the years, but I would say the number one tip is: make sure your passport is valid for more than six months! This causes a lot of problems at the border for people travelling to countries which only recognise a passport if it has at least six months remaining. It’s one of the new issues created by Brexit for UK citizens travelling to Europe, too.
An additional tip would be to bring all your important documents with you on the journey – originals, not photocopies.
How difficult is it to keep up to date with immigration regulations? How often do new updates come through?
Immigration news are updated on weekly and monthly basis, we remain updated through government publications and immigration newsletters.
In addition, our EMEA teams are always sharing information with each other, making it simpler to work and assist our clients anywhere in the world. Having access to an immigration expert who is up to date with all regulations is incredibly useful – it’s very hard to do that as an individual.
What is the most popular country for clients to move to? Is there one which comes up more than others?
England is still a popular country to move to, not only for the opportunities and diverse market, but also the language. Though, since Brexit and with the changes to immigration laws, countries within EU are more popular. I would say that Sweden stands out.
What’s the moment in your Crown career that has made you the proudest?
It was when I was offered the Immigration Consultant role. I was already working as a Mobility Advisor at Crown for five years and it was a great recognition, and important step for my career development, too.
Tell us all about the Crown immigration consultancy offering. What is the advantage of using the consultation service ahead of starting the visa process?
The immigration consultancy is valuable to foresee any concerns in the application and to determine the eligibility of the applicant. Because no immigration service is really granted until you assess the case, it’s an important step for the client to clarify any questions and to feel comfortable with the process.
