A well-prepared move helps international hires settle in with less stress. Supporting employees who relocate internationally requires addressing much more than their first week on the job. HR managers and global mobility teams should start at pre-boarding (the period between contract signing and Day One) to guide hires through visas, housing, and culture.

By offering tailored relocation and integration support, employers make new hires feel valued, reducing stress and turnover while boosting long-term engagement.

Here’s The Key Support Areas You Can Look At.

Visa & Immigration Assistance: Help with work permits, visa applications, and legal requirements (often via immigration experts)
Travel & Arrival Logistics: Coordinate flights, airport pickup, and short-term housing so newcomers arrive smoothly.
Housing Support: Provide temporary and permanent housing help – e.g. rental brokers, deposit aid, and lease assistance.
Cultural & Community Integration: Offer cultural orientation, language training, and introductions to local networks or expat groups.
Family & Education Support: Assist with school searches and admissions for children, plus spousal employment resources.
Administrative & Financial Services: Aid with opening bank accounts, getting health insurance, setting up utilities, and converting licenses.
Ongoing Engagement: Maintain communication and gather feedback; connect hires with mentors or community events to ensure continued well-being.

Each of these elements helps international hires adjust to life abroad beyond the office. Below we examine these support types in detail, with examples from relocation experts including Relocate and Thrive on how to implement them.

Immigration and Visa Support

Supporting an international hire begins with easing their bureaucratic burden. Moving countries involves complex paperwork, so employers often work with immigration specialists. As one guide notes, companies should integrate immigration and relocation support into pre-boarding so hires understand visa status well before Day One For example, Localyze advises partnering with a global mobility service to handle permits, making the “bureaucracy and administrative work” less stressful so employees can focus on their new role.

Clear timelines and updates on visa or work-permit applications keep candidates engaged; research shows that timely immigration assistance “reduces uncertainty and strengthens the employer-employee relationship” during a lengthy relocation process.

Travel and Arrival Coordination

Coordinated travel arrangements like airport pick-ups help international hires begin their stay smoothly. Flights, visas, and initial lodging are another source of anxiety for global hires. Localize warns that forgetting or mishandling travel details (wrong airport or timing) can create major headaches. To avoid this, companies should book and confirm travel, provide clear itineraries, and arrange airport transfers.

Some firms even send a welcome concierge to meet employees at the airport and ease first-day logistics. For instance, Relocate and Thrive’s Essential Arrival service “coordinates airport pickup, provides personalized apart-hotel recommendations, and stocks your space with a starter grocery kit,” ensuring new hires literally land on their feet. These arrival services (flights, visas, temporary housing, SIM cards, etc.) set the tone for a positive relocation experience.

Housing and Local Accommodations

Finding a home can easily derail a relocation if handled poorly. Companies should offer both short-term housing for the first weeks and support finding a permanent home. For example, Localyze recommends hiring a local rental broker or offering deposit assistance so that an employee doesn’t have to navigate rental markets alone.

Expat Management Group identifies temporary accommodation and housing search as a core pre-boarding support element. Specialized providers often help here: Relocate and Thrive’s Home Support walks employees through “identifying the right neighborhood” for their lifestyle, connecting them with trusted agents, and even accompanying them on viewings if needed.

Cultural and Community Integration

Introducing new employees to local culture and communities helps them feel at home. Beyond logistics, helping hires feel socially and culturally at ease is crucial. Many now recognize that supporting an employee’s social integration is as important as their professional onboarding.

Practical steps include providing country orientation programs or language courses. For example, Localyze notes that early language training can greatly reduce culture shock, and suggests offering stipends for classes or apps. Other integration tactics include curated city guides, neighborhood tours, and community networking events. Relocate and Thrive’s Lifestyle & Community Integration service, for instance, offers restaurant and shopping guides plus introductions to expat groups or interest-based communities, helping newcomers discover their rhythm in the city.

By connecting hires to local networks and cultural resources, companies help them build relationships and confidence outside work.

Family and Education Support

Localize advises pairing relocating parents with education specialists who have relationships with local schools. Likewise, Expat Management notes that comprehensive relocation support must include language training and school search for an employee’s family.

Relocate and Thrive’s Education Support exemplifies this: it delivers a curated list of international and local schools, arranges school visits, explains admissions, and guides families through enrollment. By smoothing the school registration and job-search process for spouses, employers remove a major stressor and help the whole family thrive in their new environment.

Leveraging Relocation Service Providers

Companies don’t have to do all of this internally. Many options to partner with specialized relocation companies to deliver a full relocate and thrive experience for international hires.

These providers are experts in holistic support and often have established local contacts. For instance, Relocate and Thrive a leading expat relocation service offers tailored packages for individual assignees and teams.

Their services range from arrival coordination and home-finding to lifestyle integration and family support.

By outsourcing to professionals like Relocate and Thrive, companies can ensure every aspect, housing, schooling, cultural orientation, etc. is covered by experts. This comprehensive approach helps international hires not only adapt faster but also feel a sense of welcome and value from Day One.

Wrapping up

Supporting global talent requires more than cubicles and computer logins. Employers that invest in beyond-the-office relocation support from visas and housing to schools and cultural integration give international hires the best chance to succeed. Partnering with a full-service provider like Relocate and Thrive can streamline these efforts, ensuring expats quickly adjust to their new home.

Next Read: Explore more on how relocation support makes a difference, check out our guide on Why Relocation Services Save Employers Time and Money to see the real benefits for your business.

How to Support International Hires Beyond the Office