Remote usually means remote in one country
The single most expensive misreading in an international job search.
You find a remote role, it matches your skills, you spend an hour on the application, and the first screening question asks for your right to work in a country you have never lived in. This happens because remote is used to mean two completely different things.
Two meanings, one word
- Desk policy: you do not have to come to the office. You must still be employed in the country the company operates in.
- Hiring policy: we will engage someone anywhere and have a mechanism to pay them.
The first is now common. The second is rare, and it is the only one that helps you if you are applying across a border.
The phrases that distinguish them
Genuine cross border hiring almost always names its mechanism, because the company had to build one. Look for employer of record, EOR, Deel, Remote.com, Oyster, Velocity Global, independent contractor, contractor of record, work from anywhere, or hire globally.
Be sceptical of work from anywhere used as a perk in a benefits list. It often means you can work from anywhere for four weeks a year while remaining employed in one country.
Check before you write, not after
Two minutes reading the eligibility line saves an hour writing an application. If the posting says nothing, check the careers page for a list of countries they hire in. Companies that hire internationally tend to say so, because it is a recruiting advantage.
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