Singapore, Next Best Place For Expat Kids

Maybe it’s thanks to the society, Singapore is no doubt one of the best integrated multicultural locations on the planet.  Perhaps it’s because of the hospitality Singaporeans show to expats.  Regardless of why, Singapore has found itself ranked as 2nd place destination in the world for expat children.

“Nine in 10 expat parents living in Singapore felt they had moved to a safer, more childcare-friendly place for their youngsters. Three in four said education standards were better than in their home country (global average 56 percent), while 70 percent felt childcare had improved since moving here (global average 50 percent).”

Moving to another country is already stressful enough, and expats know to take help where they can get it.  And with such high rankings of happy expatriate children living in Singapore, it may become a new kind of hub for families.

The American Job Hunt Overseas

The job hunt moves overseas for many American workers. With unemployment high in USA some Americans are considering often for the first time to become an expat overseas. The question then becomes where and how to the job search. “A recent survey by Manpower Inc. found that employment prospects are most favorable in India, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, China, Australia, Singapore, Costa Rica, Canada, Taiwan, and Poland. Jeff Joerres, Manpower Inc.’s chairman and CEO says a reason for this is because the populations of developing countries are increasing nearly six times as fast as those of developed countries. “This essentially creates a magnet pulling American workers to developing nations, and moving them along as each destination stabilizes. So you can see how Prague was hot for a while for American workers, then Vietnam and Dubai.” Read more from Fast Company

An Expat look at German Health Care

You might be surprised to learn the German health care system differs from that France and the UK. As an expat living and working in Germany you automatically fall under the German health care system which you pay for through deductions from your pay check. “This is how it works: Just about every full-time employed person in Germany has about 10 percent of his wages deducted from his paycheck, which is paid into a government-supervised central fund. The individual’s premium is then matched by his employer. This central fund distributes these revenues to over 200 non-profit health insurance companies. As I said, these companies aren’t state-run, but they’re tightly regulated and monitored by government agencies. The percentage of payroll tax that (just about) every breadwinner pays, however, is determined by the state. Here’s where the rationale of Germany’s social welfare state kicks in: If every earner forks over 10 percent of his paycheck, those who earn less, pay less, and those who earn more, pay more — for the same health care. A young, healthy man pays the same as someone 60 years old and chronically ill. This is the social solidarity principle, which was introduced under Kaiser Wilhelm I and his chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, in 1883, although it has come a long way and changed dramatically since then.”

ExpatFinder.com is here for you during your relocation or while staying overseas:

• Compare Expatriate Health Insurance providers and get free quotes online.
• Browse Thousands of Serviced Apartments for rent.
• Get the best rates when moving money to another country with a large choice of Expatriate Foreign Exchange Brokers
• Find answers to all your moving requirements.
• Search the largest selection of International Schools.

Read more tips and advice for a safe and cost effective relocation and life abroad. Join the Expat Communities!

• Join the Expat Network on Linkedin.com 16,000 expatriate managers & recruiters
• Expats On Twitter List - Follow, Get followers

Ask us questions, Contact us today!
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Expats Learn and Celebrate Diwali

Indian men and women expat are celebrating Deepavali or Diwali away from home this year. The New Straits Times takes a look at one personal story of young Indian expats celebrating this year in Malaysia. Even though these children may not get to celebrate Deepavali in their new international schools they are able to carry it within the hearts and celebrate at home with their family. “Nishitha explained how, whether celebrating in India or Malaysia, the main priority is always “… doing our prayers, and always being connected to God. Overall, Diwali has a very special meaning in every Indian’s heart, although we celebrate it in many different ways and have different reasons to be fond of it, there is one thing in common for all those who celebrate Diwali. It is the memories of it that we will always cherish in our hearts. Even if we leave our country and settle in far off lands, we always make sure we light a ceremonial lamp in our house to participate in this wonderful event,” she said.” Read more from New Straits Times

Job seeker hit hard by con’s curveball

Toronto man seeking tutoring job abroad conned by man who used pitcher’s photo to get cash, ID

“Talk about a fastball to the head.

With the economy in the dumpster and his freelance writing business in free fall, Tony Curcio went looking for a new challenge and change of pace.

What he found was a bogus job offer from a scam artist who looked a lot like a famous baseball player and went by the name of a man who’s been dead since 1881. Eventually it cost him nearly $4,000 and perfect copies of his passport and birth certificate.

It began when Curcio posted his resume in April on a website that recruits English-as-second language teachers. He got more than 200 responses, mostly from China and other Asian countries.”

Read more from The Star

ExpatFinder.com is here for you during your relocation or while staying overseas:

• Compare Expat Medical Insurance providers and get free quotes online.
• Browse Thousands of Furnished Apartments for rent.
• Get the best rates when moving money to another country with a large choice of Expat Foreign Exchange Brokers
• Find answers to all your moving requirements.
• Search the largest selection of International Schools.

Read more tips and advice for a safe and cost effective relocation and life abroad.

Join the Expat Communities!

• Join the Expat Network on Linkedin.com 16,000 expatriate managers & recruiters
• Expats On Twitter List - Follow, Get followers

Ask us questions, Contact us today!

picture by Amma Maw

Vietnam six-month business visa

The editor of Viet Nam News is trying to help the Asia expat living in Vietnam to understand the recently approved six-month visa procedures. There is a concern among the foreign community that this will disrupt expat living on a month basis in the country. Viet Nam News seeks out the Deputy Director of the Immigration Management Department, Le Thanh Dung, for answers.
“Dear Viet Nam News,
The main topic of conversation amongst the expatriate community at the moment concerns the sudden withdrawal by the immigration department of the six- month business visa. This visa is what 90 per cent of the expats living here use and now only being able to get a one month visa extension will make life here quite difficult. Apart from the cost, there is the difficulty in being unable to travel, go to the bank, etc., because we won’t have our passports for one week for every month. Also we will have to register every month with the local People’s Committee. Why has it been withdrawn? Why is the expat community being treated like this? Does the Government no longer appreciate the wealth of experience, and to not mention money, that this group of people bring to Viet Nam? Are there any plans for the State to return to the six-month visa policy?
David Wood Nha Trang.”

Read more from Vietnam News

Teaching opportunities might come up as France is looking to improve foreign language instruction

“In a speech outlining education reforms, Sarkozy underscored that “a foreign language is meant to be spoken,” and suggested language instruction should be shifted away from written grammar and memorization to emphasize oral skills.

Students in French public schools begin a second language in middle school and often receive up to six years of foreign language instruction. Still, many high school graduates struggle to express even the simplest thought in English, Spanish, German or other foreign languages.

Sarkozy noted with disapproval that French students rank 69th out of 109 countries on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL “

Read more from Associated Press

ExpatFinder.com is here for you during your relocation or while staying overseas:

• Compare Expat Medical Insurance providers and get free quotes online.
• Browse Thousands of Furnished Apartments for rent.
• Get the best rates when moving money to another country with a large choice of Expat Foreign Exchange Brokers
• Find answers to all your moving requirements.
• Search the largest selection of International Schools.

Read more tips and advice for a safe and cost effective relocation and life abroad.

Join the Expat Communities!

• Join the Expat Network on Linkedin.com 16,000 expatriate managers & recruiters
• Expats On Twitter List - Follow, Get followers

Ask us questions, Contact us today!

picture by Alex-s

We take a look at Expat News of the day:

Finding Balance: Work and Motherhood

The choice women are making between motherhood and career in Hong Kong, may surprise you. Some don’t have to choose at all. Hong Kong is currently seeing a trend in executive job sharing. This new trend is allowing women to get a more equal foothold in the workplace.
“Women’s Commission chief Sophia Kao Ching-chi, pictured, said it is a myth that women enjoy equal status with men despite the success of former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang and lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee.
“Job sharing is a full-time job that is shared by two workers. They can be professional and management posts compared to casual or part-time jobs, which are usually piece-meal and involve less skill,” she said” Read more from The Standard

Q4 Recruiting in Taiwan is Hot

According to a recent survey that has just come out of Taiwan 67% of all Taiwanese enterprises are looking to recruit in the fourth quarter. Salespeople and healthcare workers seem to be in the hottest demand.
“Sales representatives accounted for 37.3 percent of all the talent to be hunted, followed by marketing personnel which made up 15.6 percent of sought-after talent, and engineering R&D personnel at 12.2 percent, the survey showed.
Employees in the health care and environmental protection sectors get the highest pay, with average annual salaries reaching NT$758,000 (US$22,830), followed by those in the IT sector with NT$650,000 in salary, the mass communications sector with NT$634,000, and the transportation and manufacturing sectors, both at NT$600,000.” Read more from Taiwan News

ExpatFinder.com is here for you during your relocation or while staying overseas:

• Compare Expat Health Insurance providers and get free quotes online.
• Browse Thousands of Serviced Apartments for rent.
• Get the best rates when moving money to another country with a large choice of Foreign Exchange Brokers
• Find answers to all your moving requirements.
• Search the largest selection of International Schools.

Read more tips and advice for a safe and cost effective relocation and life abroad.

Join the Expat Communities!

• Join the Expat Network on Linkedin.com 16,000 expatriate managers & recruiters
• Expats On Twitter List -  Follow, Get followers

  Ask us questions, Contact us today!

picture by HansKristian

Seoul’s Medical Referral Service for Foreigners Underutilized

  A visit to the hospital or doctor in a foreign country can cause anxiety for even the most seasoned expat. In Seoul, Korea they have created a free 24-hour English hotline to ease those worries, but many expats living in Seoul seem to be unaware. “The English-language service is a bastion of medical information available to answer general medical queries and offer counseling. The only catch is that the service is difficult to use if you’ve never heard of it before. The expat-run commodity has provided advice and insider information on the ins and outs of medical facilities since 1976, but in a poll of foreigners living in Seoul for nine months to six years, each respondent showed surprise at its mention.”

Read more from Korea Times

picture by MZOON  

Expat numbers rise rapidly as UAE population touches 6m

  It’s looking like UAE is hot and we don’t mean the weather. There is a growing trend of expats moving to this desert country. “The population of the UAE currently stands at six million. This comprises both Emiratis and expatriates, senior government officials told Gulf News. “The figure is the result of two major studies carried out on visa registration and the number of people employed in the country. These figures reveal that the expatriate population is rapidly increasing. The largest group of expatriates hails from India, with 1.75 million currently residing in the UAE. The second largest group is from Pakistan, with about 1.25 million. Roughly 500,000 Bangladeshis stay in the UAE. ”

Read more from Gulf News

Part of the ExpatFinder.com team is now back in Singapore ending a month long trip to Europe working on the new features of your search engine. We take a look this week at fresh news of expat entrepreneurs accross the world!

 

Expats not necessarily first to go in recession

When companies in Asia are forced to reduce headcount, whether an affected employee is local or expatriate has little relevance in deciding which one should be retrenched, according to human resource executives.

William L. Ayers Jr., vice president and business unit leader of career management firm The Ayers Group, said it is the nature of their employment that makes many expatriates in Asia at greater risk of losing their jobs.

Read more from ZDNet Asia

The Secrets of an Expatriate Belgian Waffle-Maker

Waffles originate from Western Europe. Belgian waffles in particular have become renowned since they were first showcased in the world food exposition held in New York in 1964. Their soaring popularity in Korea in recent years has seen a Belgian-run place frequented by many waffle lovers. “Didi’s Gaufres” near Hongik University is run by Belgian Didier Balistaire and his Korean wife Park Se-mi.

Photo: Chosun

The name of the shop means Didi’s waffles, as ‘gaufres’ means waffles in French. There are two kinds of Belgian waffle — Liege waffles of sweet taste and chewy texture, and Brussels waffles of a lighter and crisp texture, explained Balistaire.

Read more from Chosun

Dubai’s first ice cream van

A pair of enterprising British brothers believe they have found a niche in Dubai’s burgeoning market – by importing the concept of the ice cream van to the Middle East.
Dan and Nathen Furlong launched their business venture after visiting their expatriate parents in the emirate and wondering why nobody was offering refreshments in the sweltering desert heat.

Read more from Dubai Life

Expats’ excellent Valley ventures

In days gone by, bright-eyed young Aussies would grab their savings and a backpack and take off to London, where they found jobs in pubs and hunkered down in overcrowded and underheated flats.
Today, another kind of migration is occurring. But this time it is bright-eyed Aussie technology entrepreneurs, who are packing their notebook computers and start-up tech companies to take up residence in the San Francisco headquarters of the global advertising agency Euro RSCG. Located there is the Hot House. The idea of expatriate Australian technology and marketing entrepreneur David Cannington, the Hot House provides start-up companies with a desk, broadband access, telephone line and basic office services for $US600 ($628) a month - a bargain in one of the world’s tightest property markets.
“The challenge for early-stage companies that have moved to the US and want to build a business here is to find an environment in which they can grow,” Mr Cannington says.

Read more from Watoday

Expats around the world check out fellow expats on Twitter and remember to join the Expat Twitter list

follow @ExpatFinder!

Retaining talented employees remains a priority

A new research report published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has found that despite the downturn, the war to keep top talent remains a priority for most organisations. The War on Talent? is the first in a two part series looking specifically at talent management in a downturn.

Of the 705 respondents, the majority (74%) have not changed their talent strategy at all. Of the 26% that have revisited and changed their strategy, almost one in five (18%) are actually placing more emphasis on identifying, developing and retaining talent.

The report is available from CIPD

Expatriate Programs Engaging in Savings Initiatives

 
ORC Worldwide’s newest study, “Flash Survey: Cost Savings Initiatives,” asked employers about their plans for reducing costs in the international arena. “There is clearly potential for significant savings by cutting back on nonessential business travel, as 80.6 percent of the respondents are doing,” said Roger Herod, senior vice president of ORC Worldwide.

“Other leading initiatives include localizing long-term expatriates, reducing the number of expatriates and using short-term assignees and commuters, where feasible. However,” Herod warned, “it is important to be selective in implementing any of these ideas to ensure they don’t adversely affect the company’s global strategy and competitive position.”

Read more from talentmgt
For more info ORC Worlwide

Kid’s-Eye View

 
Relocating can mean a better job, better salary and increased responsibility — but for children, it can mean disrupting school, friendships and activities. How can companies help turn those negatives around?
HR should also warn parents that children of different ages will have different issues. Young children may be upset about having their daily routines interrupted. They may also be unsure what exactly will come with them once they move, such as toys and other possessions. Pre-teens and especially teenagers seem to be most worried about leaving behind friends and social networks, or even romantic relationships. And the older they are, the more attached they tend to be to their hometowns.
“Friendships are getting to be especially important and starting to compete with family in terms of importance,” says Copeland, “and you’re pulling kids out of that network, so that can be a real challenge.”

Read more from Jared Shelly HRonline

We take a look at expat related news this week.

Paradise postponed? Don’t give up on retirement in a sunspot

“It’s cold, it’s dark and we’ve got no money. The dream of emigrating at retirement really takes hold during the long winter months. And this time around, with a painful recession under- way and the credit crisis still biting hard, the temptation to leave these shores must be greater than ever.
However, this self-same financial crisis is putting many of us off the idea of spending a happy and hopefully comfortable retirement in foreign climes. In fact, one in 10 Britons who would like to move abroad have now put their plans firmly on hold, according to research by the credit reference agency Experian.
A host of factors could be acting as deterrents. First, the property crash is making it harder for people to sell their home, their biggest asset. Of course, the flipside of this is that the price of property in many premier destinations for emigrating Brits, such as Spain and Italy, is also falling. This, however, is offset by the dramatic fall in the value of the pound against the euro. And anyone looking towards the US as the retirement destination of choice will be aware that last week the pound dropped to the lowest level against the dollar since 1985.” Read more from the Independent

Expat Aussies watch bushfires in horror

“Australians in Britain who have family and friends affected by bushfires back home are monitoring the devastation from afar.
…In Oxford, northwest of London, Australian Karen McKenna spoke of the difficulty of being so far away after her parents escaped their property.
“They’re safe at this point, but it’s just the distance, you don’t know where they are or what they’re doing, it’s very hard to take at times,” she told the BBC.
“I’m sure there’s lots of other Australians feeling the exactly the same way.”
Expat Sarah Aitken agreed.
“It’s hard,” she told the BBC.
“I’m lucky my family’s safe but it’s hard being so far away because you’re constantly relying on people to give you a call or send you an email to let you know.
“But at the same time you don’t want the phone to ring because you don’t want it to be bad news.”
Read more from the Sydney Morning Herald

Expatriated by s.denis

We take a look at expat related new this week:

Expatriates continue to send money

“With the global economic crisis looming large, residents are keeping a tab on their budgets. However, they continue to send money to their relatives back home. Gulf News readers discuss their favourite mode of transferring the cash.

Philip Norman, a Canadian expatriate, remits money to Canada and Turkey every month.

“I have certain relatives and other investments in both countries and send money on the first of every month. I prefer to use the swift service that banks offer, since it can be tracked and is more reliable than other services,” Norman said ” Read more from GulfNews

Homes abroad: Mixing business with pleasure

A home abroad needn’t just be for holidays. Laura Latham meets the buyers who snapped a new career along with a second residence

Second homes offer the chance to escape the daily grind for a few weeks each year. Some people, however, decide to make the move abroad permanent, turning their new homes into businesses such as B&Bs and restaurants in order to fund their lifestyle – though it isn’t a route you should take lightly.

Starting any new venture is risky, especially in the current climate, but it can be done. You just need to be aware that proper preparation and realistic expectations are as important as finding the right property and location. Read more from the Independant

International survey on expatriate spouses and partners employement

This week the Permits Foundation released their annual survey on spousal employment for relocating couples. The organization’s survey examined the views of more than 3,000 expatriate spouses and partners from 122 different nationalities to collect their experience in job search and access to working permits when accompanying international employees working abroad.

Some of the key findings include the fact that almost 90% of spouses and partners were employed before expatriation as compared to 35% during expatriation. The survey also reports that three quarters of those who are not working want to work.

For more information, read the survey summary

Pack patience for world’s most-delayed airports

Unless you’re visiting Japan or Korea, a delay is practically guaranteed
Planning to visit India or Europe? Budget extra travel time. If airport delays in 2008 are any indication, you’ll need it.
India takes the prize as the country with the most frequent late arrivals in our second annual tallying of the world’s most-delayed airports. For departures, European airports — notably those in Italy — make up the bulk of the worst, though Beijing Capital Airport grabs the top spot. Read more from msnbc

In Pictures: The World’s Most-Delayed Airports

Check-In Counter Loses 30 Minutes Prior To Departube              picture:jjosh2004