Why the 'Move Abroad' Dream Ends in a Ticket Back Home for Many: Interview With Roman Tsuper, Managing Partner at Relogate

Global expansion remains a top priority in 2026 and beyond for both professionals and businesses. A recent HSBC study found that 77% of businesses plan to expand overseas within the next two years. Yet, global expansion doesn't always end with success in a new location: studies show that many people are returning, while businesses reverse relocation.

In this article, we discuss some legal, practical, and mental aspects of relocation that determine its success or failure with Roman Tsuper. Roman left a 20-year career in Russian Big Tech, where he primarily focused on business development, to co-found Relogate, a relocation business helping skilled professionals and tech startups enter global markets through UK, French, and US immigration programs.

Q: Roman, you had a very compelling career in corporate digital tech. You left everything behind, moved to London, and co-founded Relogate. It's now your fifth year of fostering global expansion for businesses and talents. Has the idea of going back ever crossed your mind?

A: I can't say life has always been easy, but I do not plan to join the OECD statistics so far. [smiling] Their findings show that at least 300,000 migrants leave European OECD countries annually, including France and the United Kingdom. Another 150,000 leave North America each year as well. And these are conservative estimates, since they account only for migrants who arrived within the previous five years and exclude short-term migrants. Just for comparison, before the pandemic, annual returns from European countries — both voluntary and forced — did not exceed 70,000.

Q: So, is the grass on the other side not as green as it seems after all?

A: Well, that's a question without a single answer, because the reasons are multiple, from ad hoc country choices and assimilation issues to legal difficulties that can wear you down mentally. I've seen many people who moved simply because they wanted to run away, regardless of where they ended up. Those are often sad stories, with sorrowful returns. In planned immigration, the issues are different. And most often, highly personal.

Q: Do you know this from personal experience? After all, you changed your context 180 degrees — a new field, your own company, and a new country.

A: Well, I had to start over, or at least I thought I did. My IT capital wasn't in hard skills that are easily transferable across countries, cultures, and languages. I was at the top in commerce and biz dev, but I wasn't sure I could replicate such a successful career, where communication is crucial, in an English-speaking environment. I was pretty much a no-name to the UK business landscape.

It can be a very uncomfortable truth for many professionals coming here from abroad. You arrive brand new and need to learn a lot of skills quickly, build your social network, and many other things. Unfortunately, you can't just teleport into a new country, new society, new culture with all your previous assets. You will inevitably have to downgrade.

Q: Is this what brought you to co-founding Relogate? Were you unhappy with the downgrade?

A: You could put it like that, yes. The idea of climbing the corporate ladder and reporting to the board didn't seem so appealing anymore. At the same time, the idea of helping others like me start anew or bring their established businesses to the UK seemed to be in the air. Lots of people from my network asked me how I did this and sought advice. I realised the need for a new mobility service was there. By the way, a similar case was developing with my partner, Alexey.

I can't claim I was the first to embark on that journey, because the UK Global Talent Visa kicked off in 2020, and I got my endorsement in early 2022. But I did this while it was still a relatively quiet period in terms of application volumes. After that, I saw the demand increase immediately.

Q: You used to build your network within the Russian-speaking community. But as far as I know, Relogate now helps talent and businesses relocate to the UK, France, and the US from a much wider range of countries. Am I right?

A: Yeah, within these years, we have also assisted people from India, Turkey, Pakistan, Israel, several countries in Africa, the UAE, France, and the USA.

Q: Do people face different challenges depending on their country of origin?

A: Each case is unique, always. The country of origin does determine certain legal issues that recur consistently. For example, the UK has probably been the only country so far that shows no country-specific restrictions, which is not the case for France and the United States. The new Trump administration introduced a number of sudden policy changes. Fortunately, they have not significantly affected the so-called talent visa, the O-1 visa, so far. However, further pathways to legalisation, including green cards and residency, are more sensitive to such shifts.

A more complex situation has emerged in France. Until recently, Russian passport holders who received endorsement from French authorities could apply for visas directly in Russia, regardless of broader geopolitical tensions. Now, that is no longer possible, neither in Moscow nor in other locations like London.

Q: That can be frustrating...

A: It really is! In my view, the role of Relogate is to help people reach their final destination with minimal friction amid constant change, which is inherent to global mobility. A strategy that worked for a friend three months ago may already be outdated or irrelevant today.

You need guidance from people who have gone through similar paths themselves and stay in this field not just daily, but hourly, to help develop a route that actually fits your specific situation, including further life and business plans, family issues, etc. Otherwise, there is a real risk of ending up in OECD statistics. By the way, that is also partly the approach my partner and I used when building the Relogate team: most of the team are expats living in the EU or the US, who are engaged with this reality 24/7.

Q: The situation seems to be even more complicated, when you are relocating your business or launching a new one in a new country, isn't it?

A: If you expand into a new market and you are not a BigTech like Alphabet, with extensive financial and human resources, it is quite a challenge.

In your home country, an established business already has inertia and social capital in the form of networks, reputation, and a functioning team. That is easier both mentally and operationally. You have a base to rely on. In some cases, this inertia even allows you to slightly underperform in the short term without immediate consequences for operations or market position.

When you are entering a new market alone, with a relatively unknown product, you become the backup not only for yourself but also for the team working on the project. And you are expected to build that system without the resources you are used to, including local expertise, external financing such as loans that may not be available immediately, and all the operational infrastructure: tax reporting, HR, marketing, sales, and the full stack required for end-to-end market deployment.

Q: Do you advise your clients on these when they're moving businesses abroad?

A: Of course. We typically stay with our clients long-term. Sometimes for three years or more. We provide support with formal registration at local authorities, business setup both legally and operationally, as well as business development and ongoing guidance to help reduce legal risks over time. The aim is to ensure you remain fully compliant and positioned to qualify for your next legal status, whether that is permanent residency or citizenship.

Q: Has it been your initial plan to run a full-cycle relocation service?

A: I wouldn't say so. It evolved naturally. Probably that's also how my partner and I came to realise that Relogate is not just a relocation company. It is a service supporting the first couple of years in a new country, effectively substituting the role of a community when you need guidance on how to structure your life today so that your desired legal status is secured tomorrow.

In the UK, for instance, you are required to report annually to the Endorsement ноBody, and at the end of the third year you also report to the Home Office. Based on this final report, the decision on permanent residency is made. Naturally, demonstrating business progress requires structured documentation and systematically collected supporting evidence.

In the US, similarly, you may need to maintain a level of public and professional visibility to successfully qualify for EB-1, which is the green card pathway, even after obtaining an O-1 visa. This process typically takes around 6 to 12 months. It requires building a strong professional media profile with US-based or international media coverage, while simultaneously establishing yourself in a new environment. That's quite a challenge, even if you have established media relations.

Q: And that is where Relogate functions as the community factor, guiding you through those first years of settlement in a constantly changing environment...

A: Yes, that's exactly what I meant. When the legal setting keeps changing daily, you always need to understand your options because they exist even when they are not immediately visible. For instance, if you move to the UK to run your own business, the relatively new Innovator Founder route is a relevant option. It allows you to take up employment while developing your own venture, which can become a key source of income if needed.

Q: Isn't it exhausting to constantly navigate emerging challenges across multiple countries?

A: I wouldn't say it is a stress-free job. [laughing] Sometimes you simply do not get the chance to switch off. You have a stressed client on one side and a similarly stressed team member on the other. You have to remain that 'island of stability', keeping a clear head and steady judgment, without getting too emotionally involved. That kind of mental support becomes a major factor both in client and internal team relationships.

So far, I have never regretted choosing this path. Even though some of my former colleagues may now have a more comfortable corporate chair with perks, I value the freedom of building a long-term service that helps people build their lives. Getting back to your initial question, I cannot say with certainty whether it was the 'right' choice, but I can say I have never regretted making it.