As an expat, you get to have the experience of working and living in a new country. It’s your fresh start to living a different culture and way of life. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people and things you don’t need to stay connected to in the US. Read on to see how a virtual mailbox can solve the major problems that you deal with as an expat.
Common problems For expats
While you have to pick up and leave for relocation for your new role, you still want to stay connected to your friends, family, and employer while working outside of the US. The question is, how can you do that? How can you stay connected while working in a new country far away from home? No need to wait, read on to answer these questions.
1. You need a US permanent address to maintain your tax and other financials and government documents
When you move to a new country, it can be difficult to have a US permanent address. However, maintaining a US permanent address is a very necessary item when it comes to maintaining your driver’s license, credit cards, existing US banks, and receiving important documents like tax filings. Plus, you’ll need to have a US permanent address in order to obtain a work visa. With all that important stuff depending on a US permanent address why spend thousands of dollars on an apartment just to maintain a US property. What can you do instead?
One option is to use your friends’ or family’s address, but this can get tricky. They need to be in the specific state in which you registered your taxes and driver’s license. What if they move to another state? What if they move in general? You’ll always have to be updating your address based on their life. If you fall behind, you may no longer be able to work in your new country because your work visa could become invalid. That’s a lot to keep track of when you’re already adjusting to a new life in a new country.
A virtual mailbox can provide you with a permanent US street address that can be used to receive all of your mail and correspondence. With this service, you can have a permanent US address without having to pay the expensive cost of renting an entire property that you will never inhabit. This way, you will be able to stay connected with important communications in the US, such as your employer who sends benefits packages. And you don’t have to depend on your friends’ or family’s address and their life changes.
Oh, and speaking of packages, let’s dive into other ways a virtual mailbox can help you as an expat.
2. You still want to receive US brands and items from abroad
Packages are always exciting to receive, whether it’s from your favorite store or from your best friend. But, the problem is, it can be very expensive to ship from the US to your new home abroad. Or if your best friend wants to send you a birthday gift, the shipping cost will make you both cry and not in a good way. Other than cost, in many cases, your beloved US stores won’t even ship internationally or shipping costs are more than what you are buying. So, how can you shop online with US stores?
With a virtual mailbox, you can still receive packages no matter where you are in the world. Update your current address with your virtual mailbox service address, and the package forwarding service that’s provided will allow you to receive necessary items or care packages from afar.
For example, say you are working in China through the humid heat of the summer. You won’t be able to get deodorant locally, but you can’t live without it. Trust me. With a virtual mailbox, you can get the deodorant from your favorite store forwarded to you with package forwarding! This package forwarding service will not only allow you to purchase US products from abroad and receive packages from all couriers, but you can enjoy fast processing, meaning you will receive notifications of your packages on the same day it is received for tracking. To make your international shipping costs more affordable, you also have the option to combine packages for savings.
Now, that sounds ideal, but now you might be worried about the safety and security of your mail and packages getting delivered across the globe. Is it really safe? Read on to see why you won’t have to worry about your important mail and packages getting lost, stolen, or opened with a virtual mailbox service.
3. You care about the security of your mail and packages
As an expat living in a new country, it is expected that your mail and packages will be traveling long distances to reach you. It also makes sense that you would have concerns about mail loss or package damage that occurs on the long way there. How do you make sure that your mail isn’t read, lost, or stolen? What if you ordered a new perfume - how do you ensure that it doesn’t arrive smashed to pieces? Or worse, stolen, opened, or missing items?
With a virtual mailbox, your worries are reduced. Virtual mailbox services have a secure mail-handling delivery process, which ensures that your mail is not read by anyone, only yourself, and that your packages are treated with the utmost care.
You also will want to receive your mail and packages as fast as possible, if there are time-sensitive documents that you are waiting for like that employer benefits package or the dreaded time-sensitive taxes. With a virtual mailbox you’ll get real-time notifications so you can act on it quickly and in-real time.
While virtual mailbox services vary in their delivery times, because VPM owns all of its locations, the risk of lost mail and delays is reduced. You can expect your mail and packages to be processed faster because it avoids the multiple stops and third parties involved in sorting and processing. This all means, because we own our locations your mail and packages will go through less of a journey to you.
Ready for your virtual mailbox?
Living the life of an expat is an exciting time, moving to a different location and experiencing life in various parts of the world. However, it is still important to stay connected to your home base in the US to receive important mail, documents, and packages. You also want peace of mind knowing your mail are handled with all of your personal information. Plus, it’ll be nice, in general, to have your things handled with care. A virtual mailbox will make all your concerns abroad a non-issue!
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Now, with TruResidence, you can get a premium home address in a high-rise condo tower to help establish state residency and open personal bank accounts. Your exclusive residential address allows you to maintain your U.S. presence and manage mail while living abroad, enjoying the freedom you’ve worked so hard for.