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• August 24, 2026
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For many people, moving abroad is seen as the moment life changes. After months or even years of planning, the visa is approved, the job is secured and the move finally happens. But what comes after the move?

New World Bank research on refugee labour mobility offers an interesting look at what happens when displaced professionals get the opportunity to move to another country for work.

The study, Skilled-Worker Visas for Refugee Talents: An Impact Evaluation, examines how moving through skilled-worker visa pathways affects employment, income, wellbeing and family life.

The findings are encouraging. Among the refugees studied, those who relocated were more likely to find employment, earn higher incomes and report feeling safer, more welcomed and more respected in their new communities.

But the research also highlights an important part of the migration experience that can easily be overlooked: getting to a new country is one thing. Building a life there is another.

There Is Talent. The Challenge Is Access

One of the important points in the World Bank research is that many displaced people already have valuable skills and experience.

The Talent Beyond Boundaries Talent Catalog, which forms part of the labour mobility model studied in the research, had almost 149,000 registered candidates as of early 2026. They include healthcare professionals, engineers, IT specialists, professional services workers and skilled tradespeople.

Yet having skills does not always mean having the opportunity to use them.

Many displaced professionals struggle to find work that matches their qualifications, with some unemployed and others working in informal or lower-skilled jobs despite having years of education and experience.

There can be several reasons for this. Qualifications may not be recognised in the country where someone is living. Important documents may be difficult to obtain. Language requirements can create another barrier, while some professions require additional checks before someone can practise.

Skilled-worker migration offers one possible way to close that gap by giving people a legal route to move for employment and use the skills they already have.

What Happens When the Opportunity Finally Comes?

The World Bank study compared people who successfully relocated with other candidates who had gone through parts of the same recruitment process but did not relocate.

The difference was significant.

Relocated candidates experienced a 40.2 percentage-point increase in employment compared with the control groups used in the study. Their monthly wage income also increased substantially, while household income rose as well. Spouses of relocated candidates were also more likely to enter paid employment.

But the impact goes beyond income. For someone who has spent years unable to work in their field, a job can mean using their skills again. For a family, greater income can create more room to plan, manage expenses and think about the future.

The research therefore shows that employment can affect much more than someone’s professional life.

A New Job Can Bring More Than an Income

The financial results are only part of the story.

People who relocated also reported feeling safer, more welcomed and more respected in their new communities. They were significantly more likely to see themselves staying in the destination country for five years or more.

The effects also reached family members. The study found improvements in children’s wellbeing, including lower levels of anxiety, worry and social isolation.

This gives us a broader way to think about what a successful move looks like.

It is not only about finding a job or earning more money. Feeling safe, respected and at home in your new surroundings matters too.

Starting Over Comes With Its Own Challenges

It would be easy to look at the employment and income figures and assume that moving abroad automatically makes life easier.

The research tells a more complicated story.

Relocated households experienced significant increases in spending, particularly on housing, food and childcare. Higher earnings can therefore come with a higher cost of living.

There are also practical challenges that can make the journey longer than expected.

Professionals may need to have qualifications checked before they can work in their field. Visa applications can take months. Language requirements can affect access to certain jobs, and important documents may be difficult to replace or verify.

The research also highlights long waiting periods between receiving an employment opportunity and actually relocating. For some candidates, this uncertainty can last for months.

For families, the process can be even more difficult. Relocation may involve periods of separation, financial costs and uncertainty about when everyone will finally be able to live together.

The move can create new possibilities, but it also comes with a new set of practical realities.

The Emotional Cost of Starting Over

There is another part of moving abroad that employment figures cannot fully capture: missing home.

You can be excited about a new job and still miss your family. You can enjoy your new city while missing the food, familiar places and everyday routines you grew up with. You can make new friends while still wishing you could spend time with people who have known you for years.

Sometimes, homesickness appears in very ordinary moments.

It might be a birthday you cannot attend because you are thousands of miles away. It might be a family celebration happening while you are at work. Or it could be something as simple as wanting to hear a familiar voice after a difficult day.

Different time zones can make staying in touch more difficult. Distance can also make everyday responsibilities more complicated when someone at home needs your help.

Staying Connected Is Part of Building a New Life

Home can exist in more than one place.

You can build a career in the US while your family is in Zimbabwe. You can start a new chapter in Canada while continuing to support loved ones elsewhere. You can settle into life in France, Ireland or the UK while remaining close to the people who matter to you.

Staying connected can mean helping with an everyday expense or checking in when someone back home needs support.

This is where PlanetTalk can become part of everyday life abroad. PlanetTalk helps customers stay connected with family and friends through international calls, while also supporting loved ones with airtime and data top-ups, utility bill payments and gift vouchers.

Moving somewhere new does not mean becoming disconnected from the people who are still part of your life.

What This Research Tells Us About Moving Abroad

The World Bank research offers an important reminder: migration does not end with relocation.

For displaced professionals, access to skilled employment can open the door to greater financial security, wellbeing and social integration. But the experience of starting over also involves adapting to new systems, managing new responsibilities and maintaining relationships across borders.

For migrants and international workers more broadly, there is a lesson here too. A successful move is not simply about where you end up. It is also about the life you build once you get there, and the connections you choose to carry with you.

A new country can become home without making the old one feel far away.

About the Research

This article is based on findings from Skilled-Worker Visas for Refugee Talents: An Impact Evaluation, a World Bank Group Social Policy and Labour Discussion Paper published in July 2026. The study evaluates refugee labour mobility as a complementary pathway to traditional humanitarian resettlement and examines its effects on employment, income, family outcomes, wellbeing and social integration.

The research was conducted by Marina Brizar, Jean-François Maystadt, Nour Moussa, Nada Rostom, Jade Siu, Olivier Sterck and Sarah Walder, with Talent Beyond Boundaries and academic partners including the University of Oxford, the University of Antwerp and UCLouvain.

Source: World Bank Group, Skilled-Worker Visas for Refugee Talents: An Impact Evaluation, Social Policy & Labor Discussion Paper No. 2708, July 2026.

Read the full World Bank report