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Archive for the ‘Study Abroad’ Category
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 »
Monday, September 19th, 2011
While Quebec offer its citizens national health care, it is not available to international students studying in Quebec unless there is a bilateral agreement that entitles them to national health care in Canada. While China does not have an agreement, France, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden all allow students to obtain free health care in Quebec.
If you are not from one of these countries, however, you will need to purchase a private health insurance for your studies in Quebec. Most universities, however, have their own mandatory health insurance plan that most Chinese international students must purchase. The two largest mandatory insurance plans required by universities are Blue Cross and Desjardins Securité financière.
You will need to contact your school to see what type of insurance is available and whether it is mandatory. If they use the Blue Cross and Desjardins Securité financière insurance plans, they are modeled after the national health care plan called the Quebec Assurance maladie (RAMQ Medicare). Be sure to find out the benefits of the plan and check coverage to make sure that you will covered if you will be traveling.
Tags: Chinese Student Health Insurance in Quebec, Foreign Student Insurance in Quebec, Student Health Insurance in Quebec
Posted in Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Visa Requirements | 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, September 12th, 2011
Manitoba, a province in Canada, insures its citizens under a nationwide universal health care plan called Manitoba Health. Recently, the province has made some reforms as to the eligibility of their health insurance specifically directed at international students.
As of January 19, 2011, Manitoba Health is no longer available to foreign students who only have a Study Permit. Instead, if you are a Chinese student or other foreign national, you are eligible for Manitoba Health if you have a valid work permit. However, if you do not have a valid work permit and intend on studying only, they will need to purchase a private student health insurance plan either individually or through your school.
International students in Manitoba enrolling in a post-secondary school are typically required to purchase the Manitoba International Student Health Insurance (MISHIP) through their school. This plan is provided by Great West Life and provides coverage only in Manitoba. If you plan on staying in Manitoba, we recommend that you contact your school to confirm your insurance options. Universities that offer the MISHIP generally make enrollment mandatory unless you have a valid work permit and have a Manitoba Health card.
If your school requires this insurance, it is important to contact your international student office to confirm coverage. If you plan to travel to another province or country you may want to consider purchasing a travel insurance since some services may be limited or excluded entirely.
Tags: Chinese Student Insurance in Manitoba, foreign student insurance in manitoba, Student Health Insurance in Manitoba, Student Insurance in Manitoba
Posted in Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Visa Requirements | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
Being an international student is more than just attending school in a foreign country. Part of this experience is traveling within your host country (or even continent!) and experiencing its culture. We understand that as an international student you maybe on a budget and this is no reason why you’d need to miss out on traveling! To help you along, we have put together some basic tips to help you explore the world without spending a fortune!
The first thing is, of course, your transportation cost. Whether you are taking a plane, train or car, it can be one of the largest expenses. If you plan on flying, try comparing your flights on multiple websites to find the lowest price. Some discount airlines serve a specific region so it is important to know your airlines and compare this to aggregate airline searches. Some discount airlines include Ryan Air and Easy Jet in Europe as well as Air Asia and Tiger Airways in Asia. You can also try searching for cheap student airfares on the InternationalStudent.com travel center where there are specific discounts for international students. Also, depending on where you are located, consider taking a train (instead of plane) as they can be much less expensive. Once you are in a city, it may also be cost effective to consider what kind of public transportation is available to you. Taking taxis, for example, can be expensive, but taking the bus or subway can potentially save you money.
The next consideration is where to spend the night! You have many options from hotels, to hostels to couchsurfing, check out our blog about alternative places to stay while traveling for additional helpful hints. What’s more, consider traveling during the off-season since many accommodations have two prices: high season and low season. When there are not as many tourists, you’ll find that many rates are lower. Also, consider staying on the outskirts of your main attraction area, the extra bit of time you need to commute may save you money and even give you the opportunity to stay in nicer accommodations!
Additionally, don’t forget about saving money when withdrawing or exchanging your money! When you’re traveling abroad and need to exchange money, there are exchange booths at the airport where you can get the local currency. Often times you will get one of the worst exchange rates by doing that. Instead, exchange your money before you leave or withdraw directly from an ATM if you are already in your host country (keep in mind that you may incur an additional ATM fee).
Not to be left out, the phrase “pack light and pack right” can also save you money. Know the climate where you are traveling to and pack accordingly. Packing light can save you money on all the luggage fee the airlines may charge you. Packing right also means that you will not need to buy things later on (i.e., rain jackets or sweater)
Lastly, consider getting an international student ID card. You can get discount on many museums and attractions in major tourist cities around the world along with some discounts on the occasional services.
Tags: international student tips, money saving tips, travel tips, traveling while studying abroad
Posted in International Student in the USA, Study Abroad | 1 Comment »
Monday, September 5th, 2011
Like many provinces in Canada, Saskatchewan offers national health care under the Saskatchewan Health program to all residence in the province. International students studying in Saskatchewan for a minimum of one year are eligible for national health benefits if they have full-time attendance at an accredited educational institution, have submitted the Student Certification, and have a valid Study Permit from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Once you have applied with Health Registration, you will receive a Health Services Card that can be renewed on an annual basis. If you will be studying in Saskatchewan for less than one year, you may not get a Study Permit and thus may not be eligible for Saskatchewan Health. Instead you will need to purchase a private student health insurance from either your school or independently.
It is important to note, however, that if you have traveled to another province longer than 90 days before you arrive in Saskatchewan, you will have a 3 month waiting period applied to your Saskatchewan Health plan. If this is the case, you will want to purchase a private health insurance plan to cover you for this waiting period. Some foreign students from China even purchase a supplementary insurance plan to provide additional coverage to the free benefits provided under the Saskatchewan Health.
Tags: Chinese Student Health Insurance for Saskatchewan, Foreign student insurance in Saskatchewan, Student Health Insurance for Saskatchewan
Posted in Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Visa Requirements | No Comments »
Monday, August 29th, 2011
Like many provinces in Canada, British Columbia offers its citizens national health care. Known as the Medical Service Plan (MSP) in British Columbia, the national health care lawfully requires residence of British Columbia to enroll in this health care system. You may wonder, does the MSP also apply to international students, including those from China?
For foreign students in British Columbia who plan to stay in Canada for 6 months or longer, study permits are issued under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Under this status, British Columbia recognizes international students as residents and thus are eligible and required to enroll in the Medical Service Plan.
To apply for this coverage, international students must apply with a passport and Study Permit upon arrival in British Columbia. Once students have submitted their application, there is a 3 month waiting period before any benefits are paid. Because of this, many Chinese students purchase a private health insurance plan so that the plan will cover your medical expenses instead of having to pay out of pocket for this period.
Once the 3 month waiting period is over, you will receive your Care Card in the mail which will typically have the same expiration date as your Study Permit. If you will be studying in British Columbia for less than 6 months, you will need to secure your own private insurance plan for Canada to cover you in case of illness or injury.
Tags: Chinese Student Health Insurance in British Columbia, Foreign student insurance in British Columbia, Student Health Insurance in British Columbia
Posted in Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Visa Requirements | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
When most people hear about studying abroad or international students they think of students in their 20s studying in college or university. But there are many international students that are still in high school. Many insurance policies for international students are designed for college students, and high school students may have some trouble finding an insurance policy that will work for them.
If you or your child plan to study in a US high school, there are several options available for international students.
- If you will be coming to the US as a high school student on a F-1 student visa, you are eligible to apply for our Student Secure, international high school student health insurance. The plan comes in three different levels: Smart, Budget and Select. If you will be playing in an interscholastic sports team, the Budget and the Select level will provide coverage for most sport-related injuries as well.
- If you are coming to study in the US on a high school exchange program which would last no more than one year, you are eligible for our Atlas Travel Plan. The Atlas Travel Plan gives you the flexibility to choose the exact number of days you need coverage for your stay in the US.
Both plans offer a wide range of benefits for emergency and non-emergency services including doctor visits, prescription medication, etc. If you need help deciding which international student insurance plan will work for high school, please feel free to contact our qualified agents who will be happy to help you.
Tags: High School students in the US, international high school student, international high school student insurance, international insurance for foreign students, international student insurance, non-college international student insurance
Posted in Health & Safety, International Student in the USA, Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad | No Comments »
Monday, August 15th, 2011
Ontario offers its citizens and permanent resident’s health care under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). If you will be a full-time student in Ontario you are ineligible for this plan unless you are independently employed. If you cannot enroll in the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, you may be required to enroll in the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) instead.
Eligibility for the UHIP is determined based on whether you are a full time student with a valid study permit or temporary resident visa issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. As a foreign student, you must also be registered in a degree program at an accredited and participating Ontario university or affiliated college and pursuing an undergraduate, graduate or post graduate degree. The UHIP begins when you first arrive in Ontario and covers hospital and medical services of non-resident students at Ontario Universities and affiliated colleges and their families.
If you are a Chinese student studying in Ontario, however, you will need to be familiar with what is and what is not covered under the UHIP plan. Benefits like vision, dental, prescription medication are specifically excluded from the plan so if you’d like additional coverage you would need to purchase a private student health insurance plan to cover additional services. The UHIP plan will cover you in other provinces, but will only cover medically necessary emergency services if you travel to another country. If that is the case you may want to consider purchasing a student travel insurance plan for any out-of-country traveling you intend to do.
Tags: Chinese Student Health Insurance in Ontario, foreign student Insurance in Ontario, medical coverage for students in ontario, Student Health Insurance in Ontario
Posted in Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Visa Requirements | 3 Comments »
Monday, August 8th, 2011
If you are planning to study in Canada, you may wonder what type of health care you are eligible for. As you may know, Canada has a nationalized health care system that is universal to both citizens and permanent residence. Whether you are eligible as a Chinese international student will depend on the province you are located in while studying in Canada.
Geographically, Canada is divided into 9 provinces, all of which have their own national health care, and along with that, their own eligibility rules. To help you determine whether you are eligible as a Chinese international student, we have put together a summary of the various provinces and the health care eligibility specific to foreign students. Over the next few months, we will examine the eligibility of each health care system and how it relates to international students.
Even if you are eligible, it is also important to confirm what facilities you have access to. You may find that having national health care gives you access to public facilities, however having a private student health insurance will in many cases allow you to choose private doctors and hospitals.
It is important that before studying in Canada, you ask questions to your university, student health insurance, and embassy to get a clear understanding of what access, coverage, and area your plan will work in. We know that studying overseas can be difficult, especially if English is not your first language! Ask us questions as we discuss health insurance options in each province as it relates to you.
Tags: Chinese Student Health Insurance in Canada, Foreign Student Insurance in Canada, Student Health Insurance in Canada
Posted in Student Health Insurance, Student Insurance, Study Abroad, Visa Requirements | No Comments »
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