Expat oil and gas workers are giving up lucrative overseas jobs to return home in a dramatic industry turnaround.
Oil and gas has always been considered a global industry and companies tend to work across borders on their projects.
But the past few months have seen the tide of workers moving overseas ebb back to their home countries.
US, Brazilian and Australian expats are heading the huge numbers returning home as new projects come on line, according to specialist recruiters.
Workers are still commanding high salaries as they are bringing back valuable on-the-job experience from their expat stays in South America, Africa and the Middle East.
Visa problems
One specialist recruiter in the industry, Hydrogen, also points out the visa restrictions in many countries, especially in the Gulf States, are making life too difficult for expat workers.
The company supports this with statistics from research involving customers and clients that shows while 42% of oil and gas workers felt no official barriers stopped them from working overseas, for those who did have problems, visas were at the root for nearly a quarter of them.
Hydrogen also explained that tougher immigration restrictions in the home countries of expat oil and gas workers are also making better paid jobs available with less competition from overseas workers for the posts.
Ivan Jackson, managing director of Hydrogen’s Oil and Gas practice, said, “Most people from the oil and gas industry put the US, Australia and Brazil at the top of their list of best places to work
Return homers
“This popularity stems from the number of projects available, pay and working conditions, but each of these nations also has tough visa restrictions. Employers have widened their net to seek out the best talent willing to return home to get around work permit red tape.
“These returning expats also have other advantages – training and experience from overseas plus they already have personal and cultural attachments to the country where they will work.”
India is another country where oil and gas companies want nationals with international experience to return home.
The government promotes policies to hire Indians ahead of expats wherever possible, but often sees the best talent leaving for abroad where pay and conditions are better.
Jackson said: “Everyone is looking for the best expats returning home, so remuneration packages will reflect the higher standard of living they have experienced while living overseas.”
