International Employee Relocation Services

Nelson Westerberg is a veteran-owned business that has run employee-relocation programs for Fortune 1000 employers since 1944. International employee relocation is one of the most coordination-heavy parts of a mobility program. We move household goods across borders and coordinate each assignment with destination partners and the employer’s immigration counsel and tax advisors, all under Single-Source Responsibility — one accountable program lead from offer-letter to settled-in, pioneered by NW in 1965. We’re an AMSA ProMover in the United States and work through an established international partner network with destination services managed in-country.

What an International Assignment Involves

A cross-border employee relocation is an orchestrated sequence of workstreams that must move in the right order. Nelson Westerberg coordinates the moving and destination components under one accountable lead, alongside the employer’s immigration counsel and tax advisors.

1. Immigration and visa. The employer’s immigration counsel validates the visa or permit category, eligibility, and processing timeline for the destination country. This sets the critical path for the whole assignment, and we sequence every other workstream around it.
2. Tax-residency support. The employer’s tax advisors coordinate obligations across two systems, frequently with tax-equalization so the employee is no worse off than at home. We work alongside them and adjust the move plan as residency timing dictates.
3. Household goods shipment. International transport of the employee’s belongings, customs documentation, clearance, and delivery — this is the part we own end-to-end.
4. Host-country home-finding. Employer-supported or subsidized housing in the destination market, arranged through our international partner network.
5. Destination services. Settling-in support, school search, spousal assistance, and ongoing help through the assignment.

Cultural and language training and dependent support run alongside these throughout the assignment.

The India Corridor and Other Inbound Flows

India is the leading origin for international inbound employee relocation, ahead of France and Canada, driven by sustained corporate demand for skilled and technical talent. India-origin assignments concentrate the three hardest elements of international mobility — visa and work authorization, tax residency across two systems, and host-country housing in competitive US markets. Our role is to coordinate the household goods move and destination services around those workstreams and keep the assignment from drifting when immigration timelines shift.

What Nelson Westerberg Delivers Internationally

Nelson Westerberg’s international scope is focused on what we do well: moving household goods across borders, coordinating destination services through our international partner network, and keeping the assignment’s many moving parts on a single timeline.

• International household goods shipment — packing, transport, customs documentation, clearance, and in-country delivery.
• Destination services through an established international partner network with in-country managed agents.
• Assignment coordination — one accountable program lead under Single-Source Responsibility, working alongside the employer’s immigration counsel, tax advisors, and destination providers.
• AMSA ProMover certification in the United States and full insurance for the household goods portion of every assignment.

What we don’t do directly: immigration processing, tax filings, or visa work. Those sit with the employer’s specialist counsel; we coordinate around them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does international employee relocation include?

Household goods shipment across borders, customs documentation and clearance, host-country home-finding and destination services through partners, dependent support, and coordination with the employer’s immigration counsel and tax advisors. It is broader and more coordination-heavy than a domestic move, which largely ends at delivery.

Which country sends the most inbound relocations?

India is the #1 origin for international inbound employee relocation, followed by France and Canada, reflecting sustained global demand for skilled and technical talent. These assignments carry significant immigration, tax-residency, and host-country housing considerations that the employer’s counsel handles, alongside the household goods and destination work we coordinate.

How long does an international assignment take to set up?

Typically six to twelve weeks, with immigration timelines usually setting the critical path. We coordinate the household goods and destination workstreams against the immigration window so the employee’s arrival aligns with the work-authorization date.

How is an international assignment taxed?

International assignments often involve tax equalization — ensuring the employee is no worse off on tax than at home — which requires coordinating across two tax systems. The employer’s tax advisors handle the filings and the equalization methodology; we plan the move’s timing and structure to align with their work.

Does Nelson Westerberg handle immigration?

No. Immigration work is handled by the employer’s immigration counsel. Nelson Westerberg coordinates the household goods move, destination services, and the assignment timeline around the immigration process.

Start an International Relocation Conversation

If you’re relocating an employee internationally, or building a program to support recurring cross-border moves, the next step is a conversation with a Mobility Specialist. We’ll walk through how we coordinate alongside your immigration counsel and tax advisors, manage the household goods shipment, and run the assignment under Single-Source Responsibility.