Welcome to Mobility Minute, a newsletter published every Friday byWorldwide ERC®for the benefit of members and the global mobility and relocation industry. Here’s a quick glimpse of what you’ll find in this week’s issue:
Worldwide ERC Research Shows Expansion of Self-Initiated, Short-Term Transfer Programs
Submit Letter on USCIS Fee Increases
Texas Senate Committee Holds Hearings on Property Ban Bill
What to Do If You Lose Your Passport Abroad
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Worldwide ERC Research Shows Expansion of Self-Initiated, Short-Term Transfer Programs
As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that mobility professionals have the tools they need to continue catalyzing transformation in the workplace, Worldwide ERC is committed to providing our members with key insights on the issues that matter most to our industry. Building on our existing research examining the impact of remote work on global mobility, we recently released the results of a new study on the increased use of self-initiated, short-term transfer programs. Our latest report, “Self-Initiated, Short-Term Transfers: Volume & Cost,” found that these programs have the potential to be beneficial for both employers and employees alike.
On 3 January, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a proposed rule to increase its fees for naturalization and immigration services. The agency is proposing to significantly increase what it charges for several filing fees, as well as adding new fees. Worldwide ERC is submitting a comment letter outlining our concerns about the large increases and has suggested changes. We encourage our members to use the letter as the basis of their own letter.
Texas Senate Committee Holds Hearings on Property Ban Bill
On 2 March 2023, the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs held public hearings on Senate Bill 147, which would implement restrictions on the ability of individuals and entities from four countries—China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia—from purchasing or being able to acquire a title for certain types of property in the state of Texas.
Under the revised bill, citizens of these four countries would still be unable to purchase property in Texas unless it falls under the “residence homestead” exemption outlined in the committee substitute. After six hours of public testimony, the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs left the status of SB 147 as “pending” and did not take a vote on the bill.
Worldwide ERC’s public policy forums and its members have been monitoring SB 147 and have engaged a range of Texas-based stakeholders regarding the bill and its potential impacts. Worldwide ERC will continue to track this bill throughout the remainder of the Texas legislative session.
For those traveling abroad, losing a passport can be a harrowing experience. However, in the event of such a mishap, it is crucial to act with immediacy and inform the appropriate authorities. This entails contacting a U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as possible to report the incident.
Why is this important?
Regrettably, international travel is only possible with a passport. Renewing a passport within the United States typically takes four to six weeks. However, if you need to renew your passport overseas to make an urgent flight, the wait time may be considerably shorter if you apply for an emergency passport.
ReloOlogy Inspection Services and RAL Inspection Services Combine — The two companies announced their agreement to combine resources and move forward under the ReloOlogy brand.
Women’s History Month Celebration— Join the Corporate Housing Providers Association and Worldwide ERC for a virtual Women’s History Month event on 30 March. With a dynamic keynote and two interactive, breakout sessions, learn while connecting with other industry professionals in this three-hour online event. Learn more and register.
Mobility Day— Join us for the first Mobility Day event to be held across the United States on 10 May. Worldwide ERC is excited to work with four regional groups to bring you the best content from local to regional to global. We are excited to partner with the Greater Washington Employee Relocation Council (GWERC), North Texas Relocation Professionals (NTRP), Puget Sound Relocation Council (PSRC), and Corporate Relocation Council of Chicago (CRC) to bring this event to life. Learn more and register.
Global Economic Snapshot
Ireland's two dominant banks, AIB Group and Bank of Ireland, expect commercial real estate values to fall this year. A shift to home working has put pressure on the Irish office market, which experienced a boom in recent years thanks largely to high levels of investment from multinational tech firms, some of whom are now cutting back on their hiring sprees, including letting people go. — Reuters
U.S. trade with the rest of the world grew in January, adding to signs that the global economy started the year surprisingly strong. Imports grew 3% to a seasonally adjusted $325.8 billion, reflecting increases in the shipments of automobiles and consumer goods such as cellphones, toys, and sporting goods, the Commerce Department reported. — The Wall Street Journal
The theme for International Women’s Day 2023, chosen by the United Nations, was “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” While the digital economy is a very broad category, according to the International Finance Corporation, women could add over $300 billion to e-commerce markets alone in Africa and South-East Asia between 2025 and 2030. — World Economic Forum
Should you trust a bot to plan your next vacation? With the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology by airlines and online travel agencies to improve customer service, the question arises of whether travelers should rely on a bot for planning their next vacation. These travel companies are now dedicating more resources to investigating the potential of AI tech in efficiently planning and booking vacations.
While AI technology is capable of assisting with some of the research involved in vacation planning, it's not immune to errors and is still not advanced enough to automate the entire process entirely.
The publicly available version of ChatGPT currently in use by many individuals has a limited understanding of the world beyond 2021 since it doesn't search the internet for answers. Additionally, the underlying model supporting the chatbot is susceptible to the phrasing of questions, and it may make assumptions about the desired answer instead of seeking further clarification from the user.
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