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International Schooling: Options and Challenges /company/reloc8-asia-pacific-group /reloc8apg Issue 21, April 2015 ASIA PACIFIC UPDATES Immigration Updates ASIA PACIFIC GROUP

Transcript of ASIA PACIFIC UPDATES€¦ · ASIA PACIFIC UPDATES Immigration Updates ASIA PACIFIC GROUP . ... The...

International S chooling:

Options and Challenges

/company/reloc8-asia-pacific-group

/reloc8apg

Issue 21, April 2015

ASIA PACIFIC UPDATES

Immigration Updates

ASIA PACIFIC GROUP

Dear Friends In our continuing efforts to make our newsletter more valuable to our readership we are taking up yet another topic that we have not broached in detail before, Schooling. The ability to find quality schooling for the children of assignees is a continuously evolving issue, not only because of growing expatriate populations in the usual centers that encourage the rise of new schooling options, but also the trend to place assignees in secondary cities that have not previously had much requirement to provide schooling to international students

In particular, we not only want to explore the quality and availability of international schools in our various countries, but also the value and practicality of local – and usually free – public school options.

We are combining this subject with a short update on immigration for selected countries where there have been changes.

We hope you find this valuable. And if you need any more information please feel free to contact me or any of my Reloc8 partners directly for more information. You can, of course find us on our website at www.reloc8asia.com.

Kind regards

Ken Arbour President Reloc8 Asia Pacific Group

Scan the QR code to receive the R e l o c 8 A s i a P a c i f i c G r o u p Q u a r t e r l y N e w s l e t t e r

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Schooling is an important, and possibly the most important issue for expat families moving to new countries. Contrary to the expectations of many newcomers, schooling available to expatriates within the Reloc8 region is first rate. In this edition of our Newsletter we provide information on the main schooling options for expatriate children in every Reloc8 country. We provide lists and website addresses for all the main schools, plus information on the different curricula available. We advise whether IB, that educational vehicle which assists with global mobility for high schoolers, is or isn’t available. We also highlight other issues such as waiting lists and supplementary English support for non-native English speakers and whether attendance at local schools is possible or advisable, or indeed, the only option. Please note that this information is a general guide, please contact our local Reloc8 partners for more detailed information.

AUSTRALIA

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS A common surprise for incoming expatriates is that almost all children of international assignees go to the same

schools as locals. There are very few international schools following a curriculum other than the Australian, or where the language of tuition is other than English. For example in Sydney there is just one German, one French, and one Japanese national school where tuition is both in English and in the national language.

Increasingly the International Baccalaureate (IB) is offered by schools – although mainly in Sydney and Melbourne. In the final year or two of high school some parents opt for the IB to provide an internationally recognized university entry qualification. For more information and a directory of schools that offer the IB visit www.aaibs.org LOCAL SCHOOLS

At junior levels (up to Year 6, or around 12 years of age) many parents in the peer group of international assignees choose to send their children to government schools (co‐education) at least in the early years, as the cost is much lower (although there are fees of approximately US$5,000 per child for temporary residents in New South Wales) yet educational standards are good as there is considerable parental involvement. For the high school years this is less common.

Tuition fees at private schools range from US$10,000 to US$30,000 per annum. Most offer good on site facilities and lower student teacher ratios than the government schools. Boarding facilities are available at selected private schools at an additional fee.

Since 2010, the Australian government has made available online the results of national tests in maths, reading and grammar performed by students in years, 3, 5, 7 and 9 at a wide range of Australian schools. The relevant website allows parents to search the profiles of almost 10,000 Australian schools and encourages comparisons of schools. For further information visit www.myschool.edu.au POSSIBLE ISSUES

For kids that are not fluent in English, private schools do as a rule offer supplementary English tuition. Many private schools are not co‐educational, particularly in Sydney and school uniforms are compulsory at most of them. The school year runs from the end of January to December, so international assignees from the Northern Hemisphere are faced with a dilemma …. Whether to move their child forward by half a year, or back by half a year. It can have implications for the return to the home country. There are waiting lists for many of the best private schools, and it can be very hard for new arrivals to get children into their first choice school.

SCHOOLING

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CHINA BEIJING International School of Beijing www.isb.bj.edu.cn Curriculum: IB Western Academy of Beijing www.wab.edu Curriculum: IB, WAB Dulwich College Beijing www.dulwich‐beijing.cn Curriculum: IB, IGCSE, UK Beijing City International School www.bcis.cn Curriculum: IB Lycee Francais Int’l. De Pekin www.lfip.net.cn Curriculum: French German Embassy School www.dspeking.net.cn Curriculum: German Yew Chung Int’l School of Beijing www.ycis‐bj.com Curriculum: IB, IGCSE, UK, NEC SHANGHAI British Int’l School Shanghai www.bisspuxi.com Curriculum: UK, IGCSE,IB Shanghai American school (SAS) www.saschina.org Curriculum: , IB and American Concordia Int’l School Shanghai www.concordiashanghai.org Curriculum: AP, American Yew Chung international school www.ycis‐sh.com Curriculum: UK, IGCSE,IB Shanghai Singapore Int’l school www.ssis.asia Curriculum: Singapore, ICGSE, IB Shanghai Community Int’l School www.scis‐his.or Curriculum: AP, IB, American

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

Almost all cities in China with a reasonable expatriate population have at least a couple of international schools. The language of instruction in most schools is English, although there are a couple of schools which offer a bilingual English-Chinese education, though the seriousness with which bilingual is addressed does vary. In addition, in Shanghai and in Beijing at least, there are schools which teach in French, German and Japanese. The German Government also funds German schools in some cities where there is a high concentration of German expats. Small International schools can also be found in 3rd Tier cities where there have already been some years of foreign investment. The standard of these schools may, however, not be comparable to that of schools in 1st and 2nd Tier cities.

If there is no international school in a smaller city, expats may choose split assignments: with the family living in a city with an international school and the assignee living near his/her place of work and commuting at the weekends or once or twice a month. Parents should note, however, that this solution may not always work. Certain schools in Shanghai have recently been under pressure from the Shanghai Education authorities to deny admission to children whose working parent has a Work and Resident Permit from a city other than Shanghai.

International schools in China are not open to all. There are restrictions, laid down by the Chinese Government, which prohibit Chinese children from attending most international schools. Not only do students have to be foreign passport holders, but usually the assignee must also hold a foreign passport. Residents of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau (with the appropriate ID) are assessed as being foreign passport holders.

LOCAL SCHOOLS

Local Chinese schools with an international division can also enrol foreign students provided there is a vacancy and the students can speak, read and write enough Chinese to cope with the classes. In Shanghai, Non‐Chinese students can only go to local private schools, not to public schools as they are not licensed to accept foreign students. Children of Chinese Nationals returning from overseas are eligible to attend Chinese public schools, but admission is very competitive and requires at a minimum residence in the neighborhood of the school.

POSSIBLE ISSUES

Requirements at international schools for English proficiency vary between schools. Some schools are very strict on levels of English proficiency and others take a more flexible approach and provide supplemental English classes for non‐native English speakers. While primary schools tend to be less strict on English proficiency, high schools tend to be stricter and may test for maths ability as well as language. Some schools will also use an entrance examination to enable them to place pupils in the appropriate stream. Some schools, such as the Shanghai American School and Concordia and the International School of Beijing, require that the SSAT test must have been completed within the last year or IOWA, Stanford, CTP4, NWEA/MAP within six months for applicants to grade 5 to 10. For entering 11th or 12th Grade any one of SSAT PSAT, SAT or ACT test is required.

Waiting lists in certain grades at international schools are not as intimidating as they were several years back. While it is recommended that you visit the schools and apply as early as possible, it is usually feasible for a child to get into the second if not the first choice school.

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INDIA

DELHI & GURGAON

American Embassy School www.aes.ac.in Curriculum: IB

The British School

www.british‐school.org Curriculum: IB

Ecole Francais ‐ The French School

www.lfdelhi.org/en Curriculum: French

The Lancer International School

www.lis.ac.in Curriculum: IB

Pathways World School

www.pathways.in Curriculum: IB, British

BANGALORE

The International School Bangalore

www.tisb.org Curriculum: IB

Stone Hill International School

http://stonehill.in Curriculum: IB

Indus International School

www.indusschool.com Curriculum: IB

Mallya Adit

www.aditi.edu.in Curriculum: ICGSE, British

MUMBAI

American School of Bombay

www.asbindia.org Curriculum: IB

Ecole Mondiale

www.ecolemondiale.org Curriculum: ICGSE, IB

Shanghai Singapore International

School www.sisindia.net Curriculum: Singapore ,ICGSE, IB

Oberoi International School

www.oberoi‐is.org Curriculum: ICGSE, IB

Dhirubhai Ambani Int’l School Www.da-is.org

Curriculum: ICGSE, IB

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

There is a wide range of choice of international schools in most of the larger Indian cities. The American School in Delhi and Mumbai and the British School in Delhi are considered excellent and are preferred options. The language of instruction is generally English but there are also some French, German and Japanese schools in Delhi and Mumbai as well as in a few other Indian cities like Chennai and Pune. Most major international schools offer the IB. There are other Indian Schools which follow the International standards, but not the IB Curriculum, so one must be careful in doing the review before making a selection.

Cities like Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad have a fair share of foreign investment and also have schools that cater to expatriate requirements. In several remote locations, where international school options are not available, assignees often use a split family relocation program, wherein the children attend the schools in the Tier I city and the assignee travels back from the remote location during weekends. Quite often in these situations, the assignee also chooses to relocate alone and not to bring the family on assignment to India.

Most major International schools have English Language supplementary classes for non‐native speaker students. If not, there are options available outside the school, where parents can enrol their children for additional English Language support.

LOCAL SCHOOLS

It is extremely difficult (although not impossible) for an expat child to go to a local school. One must note the following:

The child would have to learn the local language. Depending on the curriculum selected, some schools might request you to learn up to two local languages.

Most local schools are not open for admission all year round and one must follow the schedule of the local school, whose school calendar is usually different from the school year of International schools. As demand is greater than supply, midyear admissions for middle and high school are very difficult, even for local chil-dren.

POSSIBLE ISSUES

Most International schools have waiting lists for most grades and one must enrol as far in advance as possible to secure a seat. Furthermore, there is no debenture system in India, so if classes are full, the student must either wait for a place to open up or apply for another school. International schools in India are open for admission all year round, subject to the availability of seats and other admission criteria as set by each school.

Some International Schools do not allow third party vendors to contact or coordinate with them. They also will not meet any prospective parents without a prior appointment. In such cases, we inform the parents and share all the information beforehand so that they are able to contact the school of their choice and secure the appointment.

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JAPAN TOKYO International School of the Sacred Heart www.issh.ac.jp Curriculum: American

Nishimachi International School www.nishimachi.ac.jp Curriculum: American

St. Mary's International School www.smis.ac.jp Curriculum: American, IB

The American School in Japan www.asij.ac.jp Curriculum: American

The British School in Tokyo www.bst.ac.jp Curriculum: British

Tokyo International School www.tokyois.com Curriculum: American, IB KYOTO KIU Academy www.kiua.kyotoiu.ac.jp Curriculum: American

Kyoto International School

www.kyotointernationalschool.org Curriculum: IB

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

Japan has a large selection of International Schools, not only in the large cities like Tokyo, Osaka or Nagoya, but also in smaller centers like Yokohama, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Sapporo. Most of these schools provide a high caliber educational experience from kindergarten through high school.

Tokyo, in particular has a wide selection of schools for the international student. There are large and small international schools, old established schools and young upstarts, centrally located or suburban, expensive ones and those less so. Schools with IB programs, and schools with supplementary ESL programs for Non-English speaking international students, and schools with instruction in other languages for example French and German schools are also available.

Some of the better known schools can be full in certain grade levels so it is always wise to plan ahead, and also to be flexible. Also some schools have high standards in both academic and linguistic skills (and do not offer ESL programs) and may not accept all applicants.

LOCAL SCHOOLS

Public schools can also be an option in Tokyo, not only for the expatriate parent who doesn’t mind having their child in an all-Japanese environment, but some wards in Tokyo also have special programs in certain schools in English for the international student. While public schools are available to anyone there are certain residence requirements that may have to be met.

POSSIBLE ISSUES

Many international schools have their own buses to pick up their students, particularly from the central areas of the city where many expatriates tend to live. For others it will be necessary to plan in advance where to live so that the children can access public transportation more easily for them to get to school, or to be within walking or bicycling distance.

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KOREA SEOUL

Seoul Foreign School www.seoulforeign.org Curriculum: American, British, IB

Yongsan International School www.yisseoul.org Curriculum: American Dwight School www.dwight.edu Curriculum: British, IB Dulwich College Seoul www.dulwich‐seoul.kr Curriculum: British BUSAN

Busan International Foreign School www.bifskorea.org Curriculum: American, IB

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

There are many international schools with good reputations operating in Seoul, Korea’s capital. The Seoul Foreign School is the most popular and most expatriate families tend to apply first to this school.

Yongsan International School is another popular option, because it is close to the main community of expatriates living in the Itaewon & Hannam area. Two other international schools have opened recently in Seoul. They are the Dwight School in the Sangam area and Dulwich College Seoul in Gangnam.

The Busan International Foreign School, which offers classes from kindergarten up to high school, is located in Busan, the 2nd largest city in Korea and in the far south of the country.

In other cities such as Goeje, Sachon, Ulsan, Daejeon, Suwon, Gwangju, Jeonju there are small international schools, some of which only offer classes up to, but not including high school. People working in these cities may send their children to these schools but at least half of these expatriates prefer to send their children to schools in the bigger cities and the working parent commutes from his work city to the city where the family lives, close to the school.

LOCAL SCHOOLS

Local schools are not an option due to the pre‐requisite that children speak Korean.

POSSIBLE ISSUES

There are long waiting lists for most international schools. It is important, therefore, to submit applications as early as possible.

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MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR

British International School www.britishschool.edu.my

Curriculum: British, IGCSE

Australian International School Malaysia www.aism.edu.my

Curriculum: Australian

Nexus International School www.nexus.edu.my

Curriculum: IB, IPC, IGCSE, British

International School of Kuala Lumpur www.iskl.edu.my

Curriculum: IB, American

Fairview International School www.fairview.edu.my Curriculum: IB, British

PENANG

Dalat International School

www.dalat.org Curriculum: American

Fairview International

Schoolwww.fairview.edu.my Curriculum: IB, British

International School of Penang

www.uplands.org Curriculum: IB, British

Tenby International School

www.tenby.edu.my Curriculum: ICSG, British

Pelita International School www.pelitaschool.edu.my

Curriculum: British

St. Christopher Int’l Primary School www.pelitaschool.edu.my

Curriculum: British

Prince of Wales Island Int’l School www.powiis.edu.my

Curriculum: IGCSE, British, A Level

Straits International School www.straitsschool.edu.my

Curriculum: British

Straits International School www.straitsschool.edu.my

Curriculum: IB

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

Malaysia comprises 13 states and 3 Federal Territories, with all but Perlis having one or more international schools. Most international schools are located in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur and in Penang.

British, Australian and American curricula are all available and in Kuala

Lumpur there is a French, a German and a Japanese school. IB is offered at

many of the international schools. The majority of the schools don’t provide

supplementary English classes although the Garden International School in

Kuala Lumpur is popular with non‐native English speaking parents as they have

a special Supplementary English program. The majority of the top International

schools have a waiting list for all grades. Early applications are recommended

to avoid disappointment. LOCAL SCHOOLS

Expat children may attend local schools, the main challenge, however, is

the majority of classes are conducted in Bahasa Malay (Malaysia’s official language)

so the children are expected to learn and be proficient in Bahasa Malay.

POSSIBLE ISSUES

Any international student who wishes to study in Malaysia is required to

obtain a Student Pass. The application has to be made through the relevant educational institution prior to entry.

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INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

International schools are very uncommon in New Zealand. LOCAL SCHOOLS

Expat children can and do go to local schools. The key criteria being that they live in the zone in which the school is located. They do need to have a reasonable level of English, but most schools have English language supplementary classes for non‐native speaking students to ensure they understand what they are learning.

Parents can choose between public (government), private and integrated schools.

All schools must follow the New Zealand Education curriculum as their base of education and most government and private schools take international students under the national curriculum. Some schools do offer an additional exam system (Cambridge) which meets British standards. IB programs are available in a number of private schools.

POSSIBLE ISSUES

There are waiting lists for certain grades to get into the main schools. If one grade is full, the child has to wait to get into the school when there is a space available or find another school.

NEW ZEALAND

WELLINGTON Chilton Saint James School www.chilton.school.nz Curriculum: New Zealand, IB Queens Margaret College www.qmc.school.nz Curriculum: New Zealand, IB St. Mark’s Church School www.st‐marks.school.nz Curriculum: New Zealand, IB Scots College www.scotscollege.school.nz Curriculum: New Zealand, IB AUCKLAND

Epsom Girls Grammar School (Senior) www.eggs.school.nz/home/home.aspx Curriculum: New Zealand, IB Auckland Grammar School (Senior) www.ags.school.nz Curriculum: New Zealand, IB St Kentigern Indept. Presbyterian Education www.saintkentigern.com Curriculum: New Zealand, IB Diocesan School for Girls www.diocesan.school.nz Curriculum: New Zealand, IB Kristin Future Ready www.kristin.school.nz Curriculum: New Zealand, IB

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PHILIPPINES

MANILA The International School of Manila www.ismanila.org Curriculum: American, IB

The British School of Manila www.britishschoolmanila.org Curriculum: British

Brent International School

www.brent.edu.ph Curriculum: IB Demuschola International School www.domuschola.dis.edu.ph Curriculum: Singapore, K‐12 CEBU

Cebu International School www.cis.edu.ph/about/welcome/ Curriculum: K-12, IB

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

For expatriates living in Manila, the international schools listed are the best options. For those living in Cebu, the Cebu International School (CIS) is the only internationally accredited school in the Visayas and Mindanao regions offering K‐ 12 curriculum. It is also the only international school in the region to offer the International Baccalaureate program.

LOCAL SCHOOLS

International schools are the best option for expatriate families. If families have an interest in Filipino schools we can recommend private schools, as their instruction is mostly in the English language with the exception of mandated courses in Tagalog (the national language of the Philippines) and social sciences for high school level education. The necessary requirements for enrolment are transcripts from previous education and a basic level of Tagalog.

POSSIBLE ISSUES

Amongst the schooling challenges for incoming parents are the waiting lists for grades K – 7 for families arriving mid‐way through the school year. Another challenge is that several schools, including the British School and the Manila International School will not accept children under 3 years of age at the time of admission. For children below 3, we recommend the Canadian American School and Kings International School (British based Curriculum). Alternatively, there are plenty of day care facilities available within the expat communities.

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SINGAPORE

Singapore American School www.sas.edu.sg

Curriculum: American Based

Tanglin Trust School www.tts.edu.sg

Curriculum: IB, GCSE

United World College www.uwcsea.edu.sg

Curriculum: IB

Canadian International School www.cis.edu.sg

Curriculum: IB

Australian International School www.ais.com.sg

Curriculum: Australian IBPYP, IGCSE, IBDP and HSC

Overseas Family School www.ofs.edu.sg

Curriculum: IB

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

The expatriate population in Singapore has been growing rapidly in the last twenty years. The number of International Schools has also grown to keep pace with the demand for places for expatriate children. There are various international schools to serve the needs of different nationalities from America, Europe, Britain, Australia, India, Japan, Korea, China and Indonesia.

For children with little command of English, some schools provide support in English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Some parents also opt for outside tuition to help the child learn the language more quickly in order to catch up with the mainstream.

Many schools have also increased their student capacity by expanding to a

second campus or extending their existing buildings on campus. With the increase

in the number of international schools and the expansion in their size, the

previously long waiting times for certain grades have been reduced.

LOCAL SCHOOLS

Admission of international students into mainstream local schools is subject to availability of school vacancies and the student meeting the school’s admission criteria. The Ministry of Education of Singapore conducts a centralized admissions exercise, the Admissions Exercise for International Students (AEIS), around September or October each year for the school year commencing January of the following year. The AEIS consists of a centralized test on English and Mathematics that will assess the applicants’ English literacy, numeracy and reasoning abilities.

Applicants who pass the test will be offered a place in a suitable school, based on availability of school vacancies, their test performance and declared residential area in Singapore. Vacancies for foreign students in local schools are always very limited as local children will have first priority. POSSIBLE ISSUES

All international students are required to obtain a Dependent Pass or Student Pass to study in Singapore.

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INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS The best and most popular international schools in the first tier cities are listed

in the column on the right. There are a couple of options in smaller cities where there is substantial foreign investment, as in Hsinchu. The major international schools do have English language supplementary classes for non‐native speaker students. Since the main schools do have waiting lists, it is advisable to apply as early as possible.

Admission to most International schools is based on their own set of prerequisites. For the top two international schools in Taipei, the Taipei American School and the Taipei European Schools, their prerequisites are: Taipei European School (TES): 1. English/French/German native speakers and/or European passport holders. 2. Children moving from another school with the same curriculum/language of instruction. 3. Students who cannot be educated in the Taiwanese system. 4. Non-Europeans with at least one parent who can communicate in the language of instruction. * Within any category, siblings of current TES students are prioritized. Taipei American School (TAS):

Students who have siblings currently accepted into TAS, have previously attended TAS, or have a parent or sibling who is an alumni of TAS, will be given priority status.

There are also quite rigid citizenship requirements, which effectively prevent children of Taiwanese parents from attending the school. At least one parent must hold USA or other foreign citizenship and if the other parent was born in Taiwan, they must be able to prove residency criteria for at least five years in the country of their foreign citizenship.

To be eligible for admission, the child must hold a foreign passport and a valid and current visa to reside in Taiwan. Passports obtained simply through business involvement with a foreign country will not be considered adequate to support a student's or parent's expatriate status. LOCAL SCHOOLS

Expat children will be eligible to enrol in local schools if the following criteria are met: A) Adequate Proficiency in written and spoken Chinese to cope with the classes B) Hold a Taiwan visa (ARC) with a duration longer than 1 year C) Hold Residence registration within the district in which the school is located POSSIBLE ISSUES

The Taipei American School accepts applications starting August 1 for the school year beginning the following August. TAS accepts applications throughout the current school year up until mid‐March.

TAIWAN

TAIPEI

Taipei American School

www.abcinternationalschool.com Curriculum: IB

Dominican International School

www.dishs.tp.edu.tw Curriculum: American

Taipei European School

www.taipeieuropeanschool.com Curriculum: French, German

Taipei Adventist American School

www.taas‐taiwan.com Curriculum: American

Taipei Japanese School

www.tjs.tp.edu.tw Curriculum: American

TAICHUNG

Morrison Academy

www.mca.org.tw Curriculum: American, IB

American School in Taichung

www.ast.tc.edu.tw Curriculum: American

KAOHSIUNG

Kaohsiung American School

www.kas.tw Curriculum: IB

I‐Shou International School

www.isis.ks.edu.tw Curriculum: American

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THAILAND BANGKOK

International School of Bangkok www.isb.ac.th Curriculum: American, IB Bangkok Patana School www.patana.ac.th Curriculum: British, IB

NIST International School www.nist.ac.th Curriculum: British, IB

St. Andrews International School www.standrews‐schools.com Curriculum: British, IB Shrewsbury School www.shrewsbury.ac.th Curriculum: British

Lycee Francais Int’l de Bangkok www.lfib.ac.th Curriculum: French Harrow International School Bangkok www.harrowschool.ac.th Curriculum: British PATTAYA

International School Eastern Seaboard www.ise.ac.th Curriculum: American, IB

St. Andrews, Rayong Campus www.standrewsrayong.com

Curriculum: British, IB CHIANG MAI

Chiang Mai International School www.cmis.ac.th Curriculum: IB

Grace International School www.gisthailand.org Curriculum: IB

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

With over 100 International Schools to choose from, Bangkok offers a wide range of options for incoming expatriate children. There are schools which offer the American curriculum, and others which offer British, Australian and Canadian curricula. In Bangkok, there are also French, Swiss/German, Indian and Japanese schools. About twenty schools in Bangkok offer the IB.

There are international schools in a number of smaller cities where there is foreign investment. See details for several cities in the left hand column. Generally this covers most expat needs.

Some schools also offer English as a second language (ESL) support for students from non‐English speaking backgrounds.

LOCAL SCHOOLS

Theoretically, expat children can enter Thai schools, but in practice few if any do. The curriculum is all in Thai and the standard of education is generally lower than in the international schools. POSSIBLE ISSUES

There are no waiting lists for any grades in Bangkok international schools, as long as you contact them well ahead of time.

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IMMIGRATION UPDATES

Australia Long term working visas

During 2015 we are expecting to see the announcement of significant changes in the operation of the main visa category used by employers of international assignees: the sub‐class 457 visa. This follows a comprehensive review commissioned by the government in early 2014, and, according to the government, proposed reforms include: A) Simplifying sponsorship requirements for employers to reduce the time and cost involved for business; B) Streamlining the processes of sponsorship, nomination and visa applications to reward low risk applicants and re‐focus compliance and monitoring activities on high risk applicants; and C) Providing greater flexibility in relation to English language testing and skill requirements for 457 applicants.

Short term Business visa

The government has not yet addressed the lack of a comprehensive short‐term business visa. In 2013 they introduced the 400 visa to combine several other classes of short‐term visa. There are, however, fairly rigid restrictions on the type of work that can be performed under this visa, meaning that for all types of assignment that do not meet these criteria employers have to undertake the onerous process of nominating their employee for a sub‐class 457 visa.

China

Work Permits and Age Limits

Whereas in Shanghai, expatriates over the age of 60, for males, and 55 for females, have for some time not been able to obtain Work Permits, this was not the case in Beijing until recently. Today in Beijing a new applicant for an Employment License, irrespective of whether male or female, will be rejected if they are 60 years of age or older. Applicants in‐country who already hold a Work Permit, should however be able to have it extended until they reach the age of 65. While this flexibility currently exists, there is no certainty that it will not be changed later. Length of Work Permits and Resident Permits

In most cases in Beijing, the Labor Bureau will now be able to issue Work Permits for a maximum period of three years, but the Resident Permit (the long term Working Visa) can only be issued for a maximum period of two years and only for the company's legal responsible person. This two year Resident permit is only available if the company’s registered capital exceeds RMB 1million (US$165,000 approx), but additional documents will need to be presented and approved before the longer Resident Permit will be granted. For applicants in Beijing whose company’s registered capital is less than RMB 1 million, only a one year resident permit will be available. In Shanghai, the situation is different and only a one year Work Permit and Residence Permit will be granted, irrespective of the company’s registered capital. Short Term Business Visas

New regulations were introduced from January 2015 which will affect applicants entering China for short term business visits. On the face of it, these regulations appear to be more restrictive than in the past. If an offshore company is sending employees (eg engineers) not to their own in-China entity but to a client or supplier site, those employees will probably have to apply for short term work permits and Z visas. This will require the provision of a range of documents and a longer processing time. The maximum stay within one year on this short-term Work Permit will be 90 days. In the past such visitors had been able to enter China on M (Business Visitor Visas). The new regulations do not affect employees of the offshore company visiting their in‐China entity. They may continue to apply for M visas. (These new regulations are still in a trial phase and may be changed in the future.)

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IMMIGRATION UPDATES

India The Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Card program, has been withdrawn with effect from February 2015 and all existing

PIO Card holders will be deemed to be Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders. The PIO and OCI card programs will be merged and all Indian diaspora will now be given OCI benefits. Accordingly, an Ordinance was promulgated on January 6, 2015 whereby the eligibility and all existing benefits of the OCI Card have been incorporated into the existing PIO Card. Similarly, other concessions have been given to OCI Card holders by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The benefits and detailed information about the integration of the PIO card and OCI Card unification can be checked in detail on following official web links of Government of India – Ministry of Home Affairs:

http://mha1.nic.in/foreigDiv/OCI.html; http://mha1.nic.in/pdfs/Merge_PIO_OCI.pdf; http://mha1.nic.in/pdfs/GazetteofIndia_0901.pdf

Malaysia From January 2015 the time required to receive approval for Employment Passes (EPs) from the Malaysian Immigration

Department has been shortened. Previously it took approximately three months for an EP to be approved. It now takes approximately two weeks for a review of documents submitted via the online Expatriate Services Department portal plus a further two weeks for EP approval.

New Zealand For those applications requiring medicals, the list of authorized Doctors known as panel doctors, has been reduced globally. The impact of this is that applicants may now need to travel considerable distances to find an approved Doctor.

Singapore The latest regulation introduced by the Ministry of Manpower will require Employment Pass (EP) applicants, from 16

March 2015, to obtain a Notification Letter (NL) before they can commence work from. This means the EP applicant can no longer work on the In-Principle Approval Letter (IPA) upon arrival in Singapore. The IPA is valid for 6 months and the applicant must apply for the issuance of a work pass immediately upon arrival in Singapore. The applicant will be issued with a Notification Letter which is valid for one month. The EP holder should then proceed for work pass card registration as soon as possible after obtaining the NL to complete the process. A One-stop registration for finger-printing and photo-taking means that pass holders no longer need to submit their photographs.

To further streamline the work pass processes, delivery service for work pass cards was extended to Employment Pass holders and their dependents in 28 April 2014. The work pass cards can only be delivered to an authorized recipient and at a specified address.

Taiwan No changes to rules or quotas, but fees have increased. Visitor & resident visa application fees have been raised to US$ 210 / NDT 1620 for American white‐collar employees effective from January 19, 2015.

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THAILAND

Leo E. Alexandersen [email protected]

SOUTH KOREA

Yonjoo Oh [email protected]

PHILIPPINES

Dornet G. Venturanza [email protected]

JAPAN

Kenneth Arbour [email protected]

MALAYSIA

Triona Chelliah [email protected]

AUSTRALIA

Nick Woodhams [email protected]

CHINA

Shelley Warner [email protected]

NEW ZEALAND

June Ranson [email protected]

SINGAPORE

Lee F. Wong [email protected]

TAIWAN

Mich Chu [email protected]

INDIA

Rohit Kumar [email protected]