There is often a great deal of work involved in setting up expatriate assignments. The administrative requirements can be far ranging and extend beyond the employee to also include family issues. Suppose you were faced with the following scenario. What would be the most pressing considerations that you would need to address? 

The Scenario 

You are the head of HR for Sarip International, a consulting firm specializing in hotel and restaurant management. Your firm is opening an office in Paris, France, and Jim Verioti, director of sales and marketing, has been asked to assume responsibilities for the expansion. Jim understands that the expatriate assignment will last two to three years, and although he has travelled to Europe for work on several occasions, this is his first long-term assignment overseas. He has a lot of questions about what he can expect and some personal constraints. Jim and his wife Betty have just moved into their new home (their mortgage is around $2,750 per month). In addition, Betty is an elementary school teacher and doesn’t really know how the move will affect her job security. Their three children, Veronica (14), Reggie (12), and Archie (10), are of an age at which school considerations are very important. A friend told them about the American School of Paris, and this is a consideration. None of the Veriotis speak French. Assignment Working in teams of four to six individuals, put together the package that would allow Jim to move his family to Paris while still maintaining his present lifestyle (his current annual salary is $160,000 plus incentives). Address at least the following issues: 

1. visas and permits 

2. Relocation allowance and housing 

3. Language and culture training 

4. Spousal employment concerns 

5. Health/medical/insurance issues 

6. Compensation and incentives 

7. Education for the children 

The following websites may be helpful to you, but other resources may prove valuable as well: 

• Canadian embassy in Paris (http://www.france.gc.ca) 

• French embassy in Canada (http://www.ambafrance-ca .org/-English) 

• Expatica.com (http://www.expatica.com/fr/main.html) 

• Easy Expat (http://www.easyexpat.com/paris_en.htm) 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://wwwnc .cdc.gov/travel/) 

• American School of Paris (http://www.asparis.org/) 

• Medibroker (insurance) (http://www.medibroker.com) 

• TravLang (currency calculator) (http://www.travlang.com/money)