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I've been working at my current job for about 7 months. I really like the company, my boss and the job. The pay is great and I'm comfortable in the role. I'm a web developer. The thing is...

My husband wants to move in 8 months time!

We want to move because we have no family where we are currently located. There is another office/branch for this company near our future home. It would be a move to another country. I don't have a work visa yet but because I am the spouse of a citizen I just have to get my passport stamped when I'm there.

I hope that I don't have to quit working here altogether and could transfer or possibly work remotely part time.

Other than losing a productive employee I don't see much benefit to transferring me for them.

How and when should you tell them about your plans? How do you bring it up?

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    You may want to check up on "I just have to get my passport stamped when I'm there". Most countries usually need a little more than that. An immigration attorney in that country would be your best bet, but a question on expats.stackexchange might give some insight.
    – brhans
    Commented Mar 31, 2016 at 19:42
  • While it's not my place to comment on your relationship, I find your word choice rather interesting: "my husband wants to move" which suddenly becomes "we want to move". Be very careful when considering a move like this, especially if your immigration status would remain dependent on your marital status.
    – Lilienthal ♦
    Commented Apr 1, 2016 at 8:22

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I would wait until I had a year under my belt before asking anything, but that wouldn't leave much time.

When you do discuss it, just be upfront about it. I'm moving to XXX country around YYY month, is there any possibility I could continue working for the company in the branch there?

But don't count on this job, it's a big ask and depending on the country web developers are probably thick on the ground already. It also depends what sort of autonomy the branch there has in hiring, many companies don't get involved in the hiring/firing of overseas branches. Still worth asking though.

Check pay as well, depending where you are going to there may be a huge disparity from what you are making now. I know people doing comparable jobs in a few countries, but locals here make about 6 times less money than their counterpart in New Zealand or Australia. And for that reason alone a branch here would not want an outsider foisted on them.

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  • While I agree with most parts of that answer, I'd say that depending on your boss you could go straight to him and be honest with them. Since you willl anyway fail to get both experience time and time to set up a transfer.
    – clem steredenn
    Commented Mar 31, 2016 at 6:55
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    @bilbo_pingouin that has it's own dangers, if I have invested 7 months in someone, then they tell me they're leaving in 8 months, I may well start looking for a way to get them out faster. 7 months is not much seniority and it's just a web developer position, not difficult to fill. It's a judgement call on the OP's behalf, not something I want to try and make for her.
    – Kilisi
    Commented Mar 31, 2016 at 6:59
  • I know, but if you wait too much, you're sure not to have a chance to organise any transfer. Those things take time.
    – clem steredenn
    Commented Mar 31, 2016 at 7:01
  • True enough, she'll have to work the timeframe out herself though. I've seen transfers organised within a few days though, it all depends on the company and boss, availibility of position etc,.
    – Kilisi
    Commented Mar 31, 2016 at 7:03
  • @bilbo_pingouin I agree with Kilisi. He's the Simon Cowell of SE. Brutally honest. Pick which word you wish to emphasize. He doesn't sugar coat his advice, but he's on the mark most of the time.
    – Old_Lamplighter
    Commented Mar 31, 2016 at 15:45
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First, a lot of things could happen in 8 months. I would hold off saying anything at this point. What you have right now is a potential plan not a real one. You also have less than a year at that job. I would wait at least until I have a year in. Many companies do not allow a transfer internally until you have at least a year in.

In the meantime, use the company resources to find out about the local branch of the company - they may or may not have jobs that would be useful to you. Check out what job they advertise for. If you see one that you can qualify for when it is closer to the time of the move and you have cleared any time-restrictions on internal transfers, then you can consider applying for the position.

You also could consider asking your boss if he would let you work remotely.

Now for both of those to be feasible options, the one thing you need to do in the next 3-4 months is to really start to shine as a top performer. Companies will go to more effort to keep a top performer than they will to keep someone who is easily replaced. Your boss is more likely to push for your internal transfer due to a move if he really thinks you are an asset. He is more likely to let you do something like work remotely. At one of my employers we had several people who moved because of a spouse and only the top performers were kept on in a remote position. Average employees were told that remote work would not be possible.

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