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Archive for the ‘Country Requirements’ Category
Saturday, January 21st, 2012
South Korea has become well known around the world for its cars, consumer electronics and even their pop culture. For this reason it’s not hard to imagine why it is one of the top study abroad destinations in the East Asia region, 3rd after China and Japan. In the year 2009/2010 there was over 2,000 U.S. students studying abroad in Korea according to the most recent Open Doors Report.
In the past few decades the economy of South Korea has grown remarkably and today it is ranked number 13th as the largest in the world based on GDP. Today, Korean is a major world player in the high-tech electronic industry and is famous for its consumer electronic brands such as Samsung and LG which makes products like HDTVs and smart phones. Not only that, Korean popular culture such as music, TV dramas and movies have brought even more interest to the country from across the world.
Just like any study abroad program, there is a chance that you may become sick or injured while overseas. All Koreans have a Korean national health insurance. However, if you are a foreigner you are ineligible unless you will be staying in Korea for more than one year. If you plan on staying less than one year, our insurance for study abroad in Korea would be able to provide you coverage in case you get hurt or injured while you are abroad. The plan covers doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription medication and more. If you plan on taking short trips to visit neighboring countries like China or Japan our insurance for study abroad in Korea plan will also covers you there as well.
So if your school or government is not already providing you with insurance, prepare in advance by purchasing an insurance for study abroad in Korea. If you have any questions about insurance for your upcoming trips feel free to contact us at any time.
Tags: Insurance for korea, Insurance for Study Abroad in Korea, Korea Travel Insurance
Posted in Country Requirements, Health & Safety, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad | No Comments »
Thursday, December 8th, 2011
The US Department of State has lifted the travel warning for Nepal due to the improved conditions in the country. After political parties reached an agreement, the political climate is now stabilizing and the threat to visitors has greatly reduced. Over the last year, the U.S. Department of State has monitored the country’s conditions and has determined that political violence is no longer a threat to travelers. With the Nepal travel warning removed, many visitors and students will yet again continue visiting Nepal.
The US State Department stated, ”The U.S. Embassy is pleased that the overall situation in Nepal has improved to such a degree that this decision could be made.”
This comes as good news to Nepal who relies on tourism as its largest industry in the country. With the Nepal travel warning removed, many more visitors will feel safe and more comfortable with their overseas travel. Now international students and travelers can climb (or, for others, see) 8 of the 10 highest mountains in the world.
Since January 2011, Nepal has seen a 21.5% increase in the number of international tourists over the last year, hosting 512,264 visitors. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, “this is the highest in the history of Nepal.” With the Nepal travel warning removed, it is predicted that this number will continue to increase.
Check out the US State Department for the official statement on the travel warning.
Tags: Nepal travel warning removed
Posted in Country Requirements, Travel Warnings | No Comments »
Monday, November 14th, 2011
Australia has been trying to deal with the latest dip in international student enrollment especially as higher education continues to grow increasingly more competitive worldwide. Australia has seen a 20% reduction in student visas which has primarily affected business programs throughout the country.
Many international students in Australia enroll in business school, either in management or commerce – or in MBA programs. According to the Australian Trade Commission, over 50% of international students were enrolled in management and commerce last year in 2010. Looking at the MBA student population at Melbourne Business School, 70% of full-time students were international students whereas the MBA program at RMIT University of Melbourne’s was approximately 45-50% international students. Australian universities and colleges are no longer sitting on the sidelines watching their enrollment drop. Pressuring the government to change the student visa process, it is hoped that the number of international students in Australia will stabilize and begin to increase.
With the reduction in enrollment, the Australian government announced last month that there would be further changes to the student visa process. This comes after changes back in April eased Australia student visa requirements even further in hopes of changing this data around.
Changes in the visa requirements for international students in Australia will allow those students with a degree from an Australian institution to have an additional two years post-study that will allow students to work overseas. Other changes announced include a quicker and easier visa process along with eased financial requirements. These requirements are anticipated to go into effect the middle of 2012.
Tags: International students in australia, visa changes in Australia
Posted in Country Requirements, Visa Requirements | No Comments »
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
According to the CIA World Fact Book, Taiwan has an estimated GDP real growth rate of 10.8% placing it at number 4 compared to the rest of the world (2010). Taiwan has one of the most dynamic economies in the world but is often an overlooked destination for student studying abroad. However, this country is a great destination for students who want to study abroad and learn Mandarin Chinese at the same time!
If you will be an international student in Taiwan for over four months you will receive an Alien Resident Certificate which will allow you to enroll in the government’s National Health Insurance (NHI). If you are studying in Taiwan for just a semester, you would not be eligible for the National Health Insurance program and would need to have your own private international student health insurance in Taiwan.
For students ineligible for the Taiwan National Health Insurance (or for those wanting private insurance), our private international student health insurance in Taiwan would be able to provide a great protection against any unforeseen sicknesses or injuries that might happen while you are there.
Tags: health insurance for taiwan, international student health insurance in taiwan, international student in taiwan, study abroad in taiwan, taiwan health insurance, taiwan study abroad insurance
Posted in Country Requirements, Health & Safety, Insurance Explained, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011
International Student Insurance brings you interesting, useful and relevant information with our blog, Facebook and Twitter pages. We are always looking for new ways to provide more useful information to our community – and we’ve just done it again!
The number of international students studying abroad has been increasing year after year. A large number of these international students are from China. In the most recent Open Doors Report 2010, statistics show that the total number of international students increased by 3%. Of this total number, the report found that “this year’s growth was primarily driven by a 30% increase in Chinese student enrollment in the United States to a total of nearly 128,000 students.”
Because of this explosive growth, we have been targeting information relevant to international students from China. We are excited to announce that our International Student Insurance plan information, for example, is now available in Mandarin Chinese! You can now read more about both of our Student Health and Travel Medical Insurance plans in your native tongue.
That’s not all! We’ve just launched our International Student Insurance Chinese blog where international students can comment and read about the latest changes affecting Chinese students studying overseas. We’ve even translated our relevant blog posts to help students in their native language understand pertinent information!
Tags: Chinese Blog, Chinese Student, Chinese Student Insurance, International insurance for Chinese Students, Student from China
Posted in Country Requirements, Insurance Explained, International Student in the USA, Product Information, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad | No Comments »
Monday, August 1st, 2011
Students planning to study in Estonia should be aware that there is no student visa required. Instead, non-European Union residents will need to apply for a visa depending on the length of their stay. Because Estonia is part of the Schengen area, this country has similar rules to other nations within the Schengen region in Europe as we will explain in further detail.
Estonia primarily offers two visa categories: short-term visa and longer-stay visa. The difference between the two is explained by the duration of your time in Estonia:
If you plan to travel to Estonia for three months or less within a six month timeframe, you may not be required to apply for a visa depending on your passport. Ultimately, this decision is going to depend on your citizenship as determined by the passport you are traveling under. The following nations do not require a visa if you will be traveling to Estonia for shorter than 3 months (you will want to check with the Embassy however as some restrictions do apply):
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador. Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Israel, Japan, Macao Special Administrative Region, Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, St Kitts-Nevis, Taiwan, United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela
If you will be traveling under a passport not listed above, then you may need to apply for the Short-term visa (type C). These visas are intended for stays less than 3 months beginning when you first enter the Schengen area. If this is the case, you will need to purchase an Estonia travel insurance. According to the Short term visa requirements, you will need to show proof of coverage that your Estonia student insurance is valid the entire length of your stay and covers at least 30,000 euros.
If you will be traveling for more than 3 months, you will instead need to apply for the Long-stay visa (type D). With a Long-stay visa you can get authorization to enter the country once or multiple times depending on your reason for travel. Additionally, you will be able to stay up to one year. To apply, however, you will need to have your international student insurance for Estonia in effect throughout the length of your visit in the Schengen area. Be sure to have a minimum of 30,000 euros in coverage as this is a minimum requirement for your visa.
One popular option that will meet both the Short-term and Long-stay visa is our Estonia student insurance. This plan provides comprehensive coverage meeting and exceeding the 30,000 euro requirement. This Estonia travel insurance is designed to cover you outside your home country, and will cover you internationally, including in Europe. Once you have purchased the international student insurance for Estonia, you will receive a confirmation email along with access to your visa letter. This letter has been specifically customized to meet the needs while you study in Estonia. If you have any specific questions on your Estonia student insurance, please feel free to contact one of our insurance specialist today!
Tags: Estonia student insurance, estonia travel insurance, International Student Insurance for Estonia
Posted in Country Requirements, Insurance Explained | No Comments »
Friday, April 29th, 2011
When you are planning your study abroad, you would no doubt have to make a decision on where you want to go and which college or university to attend. Many of the factors that would help you determine which college is right for you is similar to that of choosing your college at home.
The first step is to get to know yourself. You need to ask yourself, “why am I going to study abroad?” You will need to think about what you expect to get from your experiences.
Are you looking to just have a lot of fun on your trip and use the opportunity to travel to other countries around the region? Are you looking to learn a new language?
For example, if you are looking to have a lot of community support while you are abroad, you might want to consider joining an exchange program that your University has already set up. This gives you the advantage of knowing that many students have already been there – or perhaps there is a sizable community of people from your own country that would be able to help you adjust to the new environment. But if you are confident with your ability to do things by yourself without much hand-holding, you are freer to choose to go to school where there is relatively few people from your country so you can focus more on your other goals like learning a new language.
Choosing a location
This step is obvious if one of your goals is to learn a new language. If you want to learn Chinese don’t study abroad in Spain and if you want to learn Spanish don’t study abroad in China! Additionally, there are also other considerations when choosing a location. Do you enjoy a big city with a lot of people even if that means your living space may be small? How about the traffic or commute? What is your budget keeping in mind that the cost of living is higher in big cities?
How long is your study abroad trip? Will you be abroad for over a year or just one semester? If you are planning to study abroad just for one semester in the middle of the winter, you might want to reconsider going to study in places like Finland (unless you really enjoys the cold).
Consider your financial need
Many colleges and universities offer scholarships and grants for international students, you would just have to look and apply for it. Not only do you have to consider the tuition costs, you will also have to think about your cost of living; living in London is going to be more expensive than living in rural China.
Many countries especially in Europe like Finland, Spain, etc. also require international students to buy health insurance to get a visa. Most universities in the USA also have school’s specific insurance requirements for their student. So it is important to choose an insurance plan that would provide you with good coverage in addition to an affordable price.
What do you want to do afterward?
Lastly, if you are going to be studying abroad as a full-time degree seeking student, you might want to consider where you want to work after your graduation. Most universities usually have connections to companies or specific areas in which they are located in, therefore if you want to work in the USA or Europe after graduation it may help if you graduate from college in your area of interest.
Tags: finland student insurance, international student health insurance, international student insurance requirements, schengen visa insurance, Study Abroad, study abroad health insurance, study abroad insurance
Posted in Country Requirements, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Travel Insurance | No Comments »
Monday, April 18th, 2011
As part of the United States’ mission to build foreign exchanges with countries around the world, Indonesia has been the next focus for bilateral trade and cultural exchanges. Last year, US President Obama announced that the US will spend $165 million over 5 years on this issue alone – and they meant it.
The United States has worked together with Indonesia for over 50 years on the Fulbright Program that works with Indonesians to promote English proficiency, university development, advance technology, improve civil society, draw religious influence into the mainstream, promote scholarships, and reach younger and broader audience as explained on the US government’s Fulbright site.
Now, the United States is expanding its educational exchanges in order to further promote this partnership. As described by President Obama, the current target is to double the number of Indonesian students studying in the United States. Most of this is done through educational fairs where students are welcome to attend. With more than 50 US universities at these fairs, potential Indonesian international students bound to study in the United States speak with recruiters, gather information, and discuss the how-to’s.
But this is just the beginning. The popular perception for Indonesians is that obtaining a student visa is near to impossible. The US government along with American universities are working on changing this image. In fact, according to statistics, approximately 90% of Indonesian that applied for a student visa were successfully able to study in the US as an international student. Changing this image and reaching out to these students is crucial. This comes as each year the number of Indonesians studying in the US drops – last year there was an 8% drop in student enrolled compared to the year before which had just under 7,000 international students.
Tags: Indonesia students study in us, indonesian international students in the us, United States reaches out to Exchange Students in Indonesia
Posted in Country Requirements, International Student in the USA | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 11th, 2011
You may remember from our initial report back in September that enrollment of international students in Australia were dropping. The most staggering statistic was that international students from India, making up 20% of the total number of international students, dropped by over half compared to the year before.
As of April 2nd, the Australian government will require less documentation from international students applying for their student visa for 38 countries – including in India. The student visa gives students the opportunity to temporarily study in Australia. The government is now reaching out to students, families, agents and educational providers with the hope that these changes will increase the number of international students in Australia.
With this ease in student visa requirements for Australia, fewer documents are required and visa processing should be both easier and faster. Students will now be able to present less evidence of English proficiency, academic qualifications, and financial capability depending on their country of origin.
While the government is eager to stress that this will not change the permanent resident application process, students should know that studying in Australia should be a much easier process. Currently, the top sending countries of international students in Australia include India (80,450 students between 2009-2010), China (80,010 students between 2009-2010), and South Korea (21,720 students between 2009-2010). Two of the top three countries, both India and China, are included on the list of countries that this new mandate will apply to.
Tags: Australia Student Visa Requirements Eased, International students in australia, Student visa requirements in Australia
Posted in Country Requirements, Insurance Explained, Student Health Insurance, Study Abroad | No Comments »
Friday, February 18th, 2011
So you did your research for your ideal study abroad program and for international scholarship opportunities, and now you’ve picked where you want to go. That’s great! But now what? Study abroad usually involves more than just picking your school, paying the plane ticket and school tuition. Early preparation is essential and will save you from last minute headaches. Below is a list of some important considerations you should prepare in advance of your study abroad trip:
Country visa requirements
If you already have your heart set on a country and school, you should research what the requirements would be in order for you to study there. Most countries will require international students to apply for a student visa. Checking with your school’s study abroad office or embassy’s website would be helpful to gain more information about what requirements you need to meet to obtain a visa.
Insurance requirements
Keep in mind that even if you have health insurance in your home country, it may not provide coverage while you study abroad.
Many of these countries also require that you must have health insurance in order to apply for a visa. Some examples of popular destinations with health insurance requirements include the the J-1 visa requirements in the US, student visas in Finland and insurance requirements if entering one of the Schengen countries.
Many universities also require insurance for international students. If you are an international student studying in the U.S., you should check if your university requires you to purchase the school’s plan or whether you have other insurance options, look up your insurance requirements in our school insurance requirements data-base.
Check for important dates!
You should also check for any application deadlines and be mindful if you have to mail any documents internationally, as it may take longer than you expected for it to be delivered.
If you don’t have a passport already, you should apply for your documents early. You will also want to make sure that your passport is valid for the period of travel, no one wants to find out that their passport expired in the middle of your trip.
Research your country
Unlike taking a trip while vacationing for just a few days in a country, when you study abroad you are most likely going to spend a long period of time in your host country. You should do some research on the language and culture of the place you are going to in order to avoid culture shock or to avoid accidentally offend someone. Learn some key phrases and make some local friends; this is a great way to learn the culture. If you are a non-native English speaker and will be studying in an English speaking country, you will probably have to take either the TOEFL or the IELTS test for English proficiency.
Get proper vaccination for where you are traveling to, and check if you will need any medication while abroad and if they are available in your host country.
Tags: choosing study abroad, student travel insurance, Study Abroad, study abroad health insurance, study abroad insurance, Study Abroad Scholarships
Posted in Country Requirements, Health & Safety, International Student in the USA, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Visa Requirements | No Comments »
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