Parent-Country Nationals (PCNs)

What is Parent-Country Nationals (PCNs)?

Parent-country nationals are employees who are citizens of the country where the multinational organisation’s headquarters is located and who are assigned to work in a foreign subsidiary. For example, an American employee sent to work at their company’s office in Germany is a parent-country national. Organisations deploy PCNs to transfer corporate culture, maintain control over foreign operations, and develop global leadership talent. However, PCN assignments are typically more expensive than hiring locally due to relocation costs, expatriate packages, and tax implications.