Are you a British national living abroad, who is interested in helping shape future services offered to you by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO)? If so, Virtual Surveys, a UK-based market research agency, would like to hear from you.

Virtual Surveys is working on behalf of the FCO, and is looking speak to a range British nationals about their experiences of living and/or working abroad, as well as what services they would like the FCO to provide in the future.

What’s in it for me?
By contributing your thoughts, not only will you influence how the FCO develops the services it offers to people like you, but if you are eligible to participate in the forum, you could receive up to £50 of Amazon vouchers. You'll also get to discuss your experiences of living overseas with other British nationals from around the world.

How do I join?
Taking part in the community will be interesting, fun and could not be simpler. It will run from 8th to 26th of June, with a new topic discussed every week day. To find out if you are eligible to join, simply answer the introductory questions by clicking the survey link below:

Survey

To find out more, read FAQs below or contact Virtual Surveys at livingabroad@vsdiscuss.com.

Thank you in advance for your interest.

Kind regards,

Tim Griffiths
Research Manager
Living Abroad Community
C/o Virtual Surveys Ltd
livingabroad@vsdiscuss.com

Some frequently asked questions:

Q. What is this all about?
A. The Living Abroad community is a private research community being run by Virtual Surveys on behalf of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. The FCO wants to use the research community to speak to people like you, so you can advise them on key issues related to living abroad. This will help them make sure they develop the services that British nationals living overseas want, the way they want them.

Q What are the benefits of taking part?
A There are lots:
• You will get a chance to influence the future services offered by the FCO.
• You get paid for your contributions (see below).
• You will be joining a small select community of like minded people.
• You can find out what others think of the issues raised on the community.
• You will have some fun along the way!

Q. How long does it last and what I am committing to?
A. We are looking to run the community for three weeks. Over the three weeks we’ll be emailing you most days with details of a new subject / topic to discuss. We would ask only about 20 minutes of your time each day, which equates to just 5-6 hours in total over the course of the three weeks. You do not have to take part every day, but the more you can do the better and the more you will earn!

Q. Tell me more about the payments?
You will only be eligible for reward if you contribute to the discussions on the community (not for filling out the selection questionnaire). Payment will be made dependent on the number of research topics members contribute to on the community. By posting comments, members will receive the following payments:-

• Response to 15 topic areas - £50 voucher per member
• Response to 10-14 of the topic areas - £30 voucher per member
• Response to 5-9 of the topic areas - £10 voucher per member
• Response to less than 5 topic areas - £0 per member

We will notify those being paid within 10 working days of the end of the community.

Q What is your privacy policy and what will happen to my personal details?
A. We take privacy very seriously. Virtual Surveys will never pass on your personal details to third parties. You can find a copy of the detailed privacy policy on the community website or you can read it by clicking here.

Q. How do I get off the community once I join?
You can leave the research community simply by emailing livingabroad@vsdiscuss.com and putting the word 'unsubscribe' followed by your username in the title. However, by doing this, it will naturally impact on the amount of money you get paid for contribution.

Q. How do I find out more information?
A. You can email livingabroad@vsdiscuss.com if you have any questions or want more information.