A popular holiday song promises listeners “I’ll be home for Christmas” and speaks to the joy that arises when loved ones reunite for the holidays. However, various circumstances can make it difficult or impossible for people to see those that matter most to them, at Christmas, as well as any other time.
Fortunately, video chat tools like Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Zoom work well for bridging the gap and facilitating face-to-face communications despite the distance. They don’t take care of all the necessities that people often face when being apart from one another, though.
More specifically, people may want to send money to different countries. They often do it to give gifts to loved ones. In other cases, a sender wants to financially provide for family members after emigrating. Money-transfer services cater to people in those situations, during the holidays and the rest of the year.
The Global Pandemic Keeps People Apart
The novel coronavirus pandemic has drastically disrupted life for people around the world. Unfortunately, it will not stop wreaking havoc just because the holidays are near. Health experts warn that the holiday season could make COVID-19 outbreaks even worse.
Federal guidelines released in the United States discuss how this year’s holiday gatherings must be different than usual. For example, if a person has COVID-19 symptoms or is awaiting their test results, they should not attend holiday festivities at households other than their own. Moreover, if a person is an older adult or someone with medical conditions that make them more at risk for coronavirus complications, they should avoid them, too.
Consider the example where a person emigrated to the United States from Brazil and had saved enough money to fly some of their loved ones over for a Christmas celebration. That idea could have been years in the making and thought up long before COVID-19 existed. It’s arguably not safe to go through with those plans now. However, the person living in the United States could at least send remittances to Brazil so that their loved ones get financial gifts.
Services that enable people to transfer money across borders also work well for helping people celebrate life milestones. For example, if a Brazilian emigrant’s sister has a baby boy, they could send funds to help cover the cost of essentials like diapers, formula, and clothing. That’s an excellent option for staying present in someone’s life, even if COVID-19 causes travel restrictions for the foreseeable future.
Transferring Money Lets Emigrants Provide Stability
Statistics indicate that more than $100 billion moves from the United States to other countries. Much of that activity happens because people who have moved elsewhere in search of a better life regularly send money to their home countries to provide for relatives.
For example, a Brazilian emigrant may carefully work out a budget and find that they have at least $500 remaining each month after covering for their expenses and putting some aside for any unforeseen expenses that may arise. They may then decide to send several hundred dollars monthly to their parents who are still in Brazil and have no plans to immigrate.
Services exist that facilitate a safe and secure transfer, whether a person is a first-time user or someone who has sent money for years. Companies specializing in money transfers also provide specifics about the timeframes and fees associated with the movement. That kind of transparency is exceptionally helpful for an emigrant who wants to set and uphold accurate expectations for the people who are waiting on the funds.
The upcoming holiday season will certainly be challenging for many people who typically spend the period together but cannot do so this year because of COVID-19 or other reasons. However, the positive reality is that services operating through the internet, including money-transfer websites and apps, help the distance seem less unsettling and unpleasant.
