Realities of Working for Yourself Overseas

Normally, I use this blog as a platform to keep all of my friends and family in the U.S. updated on our adventures abroad. As a fair warning, this blog post is really for other entrepreneurs and spouses who have joined the foreign service or are thinking about joining with the spouse. This is the knitty gritty reality of trying to run your own business abroad.

Most of you know I am photographer by trade. I am told on a regular basis how great it is that my career is flexible and works with my husband's job. The reality of the situation is that every place that we have lived has been a struggle in terms of obtaining a work permit. Dom and I always carefully analyze our options. We choose countries that have bilateral agreements in place. We try to go to places that are pro foreign business. So when Rwanda basically fell into our laps as a option, we ran through the paces.

Prior to arriving at post, I made phone calls. I spoke with the Community Liaison Officer, the Management Section, and HR. I was put into contact with other foreign photographers on the ground who had gotten their business up and running in short order. I read the FAMER:

Work Permits:

A bilateral work agreement was implemented in 1992. Family Members of US Direct-Hire Americans do not need a work permit to work in Rwanda. The Embassy issues a diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Bilateral Work Agreement in order to obtain permission to accept employment. There are no fees.

The verdict, Rwanda is one of the easiest countries in AF to work in. I felt like we hit the jackpot. Finally, a post where we could both be successful.

We've been at post since July. I started the work permit process in July. I still don't have a work permit. The last five months have been a wrestling match between the U.S. Government and the Rwandan Government on their interpretation of our bilateral agreement. After much back and forth about whether I even needed a work permit, I was told to go through official channels and register the business and start the formal process.

Rwanda is a post that is pro-business and has an incredibly easy process for starting one. My front office, CLO, and Management office have been supportive and proactive. This should be the best case scenario. But what it means for me is that as an official American, it is more complex for me to get a permit than an unofficial one. If all goes well, I might have a work permit at the six month mark. That is a quarter of the way through my tour. I will have a year and half to establish my business and then I will pick up and move to the next tour and start the whole process over again.

Why am I laying out this story? I spent time in D.C. in our last tour. I set up meetings with FLO, AAFSW, PROPS, and any other FS spouse group I could find. I talked to spouses who struggle with the same things that I am struggling with. I learned that I am not alone in trying to conquer this mountain at every post. When spouses of FS officers face situations like this and we have done our homework. When we have chosen our post wisely and it still doesn't work. It feels hopeless. It feels like no mater how hard we push and stretch ourselves that the system is against us. We are destined to "trail" and for most of us that means the fail. We fail to reach our potential, our hopes, and our dreams.

When this is what the future looks like for the spouses of foreign service officers, there is something wrong with the system. It is impossible to keep good officers when their families are limited to embassy jobs that may or may not be in their skill set, local jobs that pay well below their qualification, and bilateral agreements that don't work the way they are designed to.

I am curious about other spouses experiences in situations like this? How do you keep the faith?

For spouses who want to start their own businesses. Make sure you have these items on hand when you arrive to a new post:

Notarized Copies of your Diplomas
Notarized Copies of your transcripts
A police report that says you have no criminal history (the RSO can prepare this document for you)
CV
Extra Passport Photos