News
News Archive - 2012
Dubai private schools to increase fees
News
11-05-2012
The Dubai government has ended a two year freeze on private school fees, by giving permission for an increase of between 3 and 6% in this academic year. For the past two school years, only select ‘Gem’ schools with Ministry of Education approval have been able to raise their fees.
UK students studying for International Baccalaureate expected to achieve higher grades than A Level students
News
11-05-2012
Recent research by the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows that students taking the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) are more likely to go on to achieve a first class honours degree at university than those studying A Levels. This is despite the fact that universities are failing to ‘value or even understand’ the IB, with students being unfairly treated as a result, according to two leading school heads in the UK.
Saudi Arabia votes against taxing expat workers
News
04-05-2012
The Shoura Council of Saudi Arabia has once again voted against taxing the eight million foreign workers who live in the country.
New UKBA guidelines published for visiting during the Olympics
News
04-05-2012
The UKBA have released new guidelines for those wishing to come to the UK this summer. All factors that should be considered prior to any visit to the UK for the event, which takes place between 27 July and 12 August 2012, should be considered.
India and UAE streamline employment of contract workers in the emirate
News
04-05-2012
The UAE Ministry of Labour and India’s Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs have signed a protocol at Abu Dhabi to steam-line the admission of Indian contract workers in the emirate, with the introduction of an electronic contract registration and validation system.
Rental rates rise in German cities
News
23-04-2012
Rental rises in the more economically dynamic areas of Germany continue to outpace the rest of the country. In cities including Munich, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Hamburg, rental prices are at their highest; German prices are worked out in Euros per meter squared and in Munich the average price is 13.68€/m², in Frankfurt it is 11.25€/m², and in Dusseldorf and Hamburg it is 10.25€/m². This is in comparison to the average German rental price of 6.14€/m².
Malaysian property option for Singapore-based expats
News
23-04-2012
As Singapore creeps up the highest cost of living rankings, more and more UK expats are choosing to relocate to Malaysia and commute across the border. Malaysia has much lower property prices and cost of living than Singapore, and has been incredibly expat-friendly.
Improving French Property Market for expats
News
23-04-2012
A new report on the Telegraph's Expat pages tells how relatively easy it has become for expats on longer-term assignments to obtain a mortgage on a French home.
Termination of Information Technology Worker Program and New Simplified LMO Process in Canada
News
13-04-2012
The Information Technology Worker Program for expedited processing of specific IT worker occupations has now been fully terminated in all Canadian provinces. Additional there are new processing rules for workers in Quebec which simplify Labour Market Opinion (LMO) processes.
ID Cards Compulsory for all Dubai Residence Permit Holders by 31 May 2012
News
13-04-2012
From 1 April 2012, the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) has fully integrated ID card applications into the immigration procedure for foreign nationals. Registration for the national ID card is now compulsory and must be carried out as part of the immigration process.
New Tier 1 Plans for UK Visas
News
13-04-2012
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has announced that, as of 6th April 2012, the Tier 1 (Post-study Work) visa route has been abolished, and a new category, Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) has been launched. Although there are some similarities between the requirements needed for both these category, the new scheme is not a simple replacement of the post-study work route.
School places high on agenda for UAE expats
News
05-04-2012
A new study reports that parents relocating to the United Arab Emirates are now more concerned about finding the right school places for their children, than they are about the salaries that they earn.
More than three million children receive education at international schools
News
05-04-2012
Recent figures show that more expat families than ever are looking foreducation at international schools. In the last ten years, the number of international school students has more than tripled from around one million to more than three million.
HomeSale Update – House prices record biggest ‘spring bounce’ in eight years
News
28-03-2012
UK house prices have recorded their largest ‘spring bounce’ in eight years, fuelling hopes that the property market will be more robust in 2012 than in the previous year.
US property values still fall but rental market is flourishing
News
28-03-2012
Residential property prices in the United States continued to fall but average rents are rising, according to the latest figures.
UK Rental Market rising as expected
News
28-03-2012
The UK rental market has risen as expected during the beginning of 2012, and it is thought that this will continue in the coming months.
UK Border Agency outline new Immigration changes
News
16-03-2012
A ministerial statement laid before Parliament yesterday (Thursday 15 March) is expected to have a significant effect on the current Immigration Rules in the UK.
New online bookings for UK Visa Applications
News
13-03-2012
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has launched a new online system for all incoming visa applicants, enabling them to book their biometric information enrolment on their website instead of over the telephone.
Shanghai planning to extend expat visas
News
13-03-2012
Shanghai has announced plans to extend the visas of expats working in regional headquarters of multinational corporations, as part of a set of preferential policies for multinational companies, aimed at encouraging more to set up headquarters in Shanghai.
France Immigration Breakfast
News
13-03-2012
Join Sterling, Itama and HSBC for a Mobility Immigration Breakfast on Thursday 5th April.
Japan announces new residency management system from July 2012
News
13-03-2012
The Japanese Immigration Bureau has announced a new residency management system which will begin on 9 July 2012. A new biometric card has been introduced which extends the maximum period of stay to five years, and replaces the current re-entry permit and alien registration system.
Increasing globalisation drives increasing cost of Swiss schools
News
07-03-2012
The increasing globalisation of multinational corporations has helped to drive Switzerland’s position as the most expensive place to educate your child.
Disengagement of British expat students at Spanish schools
News
07-03-2012
A recent report has discovered that British students regularly find it difficult to settle into Spanish state schools.
More choice of schools available for expat families in Britain
News
07-03-2012
For families relocating into the UK, there are more education choices available than ever. In addition to the traditional grammar and state-maintained schools, the UK government has recently introduced Academies and Free Schools, giving families that wish to educate their children in state-funded facilities more choice.
San Francisco apartment rent rises as vacancy rate falls
News
24-02-2012
‘Open houses’ are gaining popularity for San Francisco apartment hunters, as the market becomes very competitive. Much of the demand for apartments comes from a new wave of technology workers from the rapidly growing social media and technology companies in the city.
UK January property sales show consistent growth over 4 years
News
24-02-2012
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have released new figures showing a drop in property sales during the opening month of 2012. Property sales picked up at the end of 2011, before a typical new year dip in January.
Increasingly expensive market for apartments in Shanghai
News
24-02-2012
Rent prices for apartments in Shanghai are, in the majority, going up dramatically, particularly in the districts of Xintandi and the French Concession. However, there are some compounds in the district of Jing An where there has been less of an increase in prices, possibly due to construction activity and the attendant noise.
Czech Republic Announce Work Permit Requirement Changes
News
14-02-2012
The Czech Republic has announced new changes to its immigration legislation for 2012. All non-EU foreign workers must submit their education achievements for certification before applying for a work permit, and all companies must now notify a labour office of the start date of a non-EU employee.
Russia’s Federal Labour Service announces work permit changes for 2012
News
14-02-2012
Russia’s Federal Labour Service has announced changes to the current work permit legislation for 2012. The allocation of work permits for the year and the positions exempt from this allocation has been announced, as well as changes to the current system in visa application for the dependents of highly skilled workers.
Kazakhstan announce foreign labour quota for 2012
News
14-02-2012
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in Kazakhstan has announced the foreign labour quota for 2012, which outlines that foreign workers cannot make up more than one percent of the working population. This means that 48,135 work permits are available in 2012.
Expat demand for schools exceeds supply in Brazil
News
09-02-2012
Recent research has shown that there is a current lack of spaces available at International Schools across Brazil. More expats than ever, and their families, are flocking to its biggest cities due to the booming economy; Latin America’s largest country is the eighth biggest world economy, and Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo are becoming more and more sought-after expat relocation destinations, due to the discovery of oil of the coast of Rio de Janeiro in 2005, and the upcoming World Cup and Olympic Games in 2014 and 2016 respectively.
Boarding schools buck the trend with their global outlook
News
09-02-2012
Despite the economic crisis, the number of pupils enrolled in boarding schools in the UK has risen since 2008.
Expats challenged by school shortages in Hong Kong
News
09-02-2012
Hong Kong’s reputation as Asia’s main financial hub is currently being challenged, as expats find a lack of places at international schools in the former British colony. The Daily Telegraph’s Expat pages suggests that many companies are now considering moves to Singapore instead, as international school places are easier to find in Hong Kong’s main rival.
HomeSale Update - Where are house prices in the UK heading in 2012?
News
03-02-2012
Mortgage rates across the UK are expected to be volatile throughout the first half of 2012. This will be affected by a number of factors, including lenders upping the cost of a mortgage for new borrowers, and uncertainty in the eurozone.
Tougher rules for Hong Kong property developers
News
03-02-2012
New property laws are to be introduced in Hong Kong to protect buyers of new homes. Unscrupulous developers in the former British colony are known for misleading overstatement of floor space for new-builds and off-plan projects. The Hong Kong government wants to crack down on this underhand practice, where developers include public spaces, such as lift lobbies, clubhouses and electricity plants in the gross floor area of a flat when they price and promote it.
UK Rental Market Outlook for 2012
News
03-02-2012
The UK rental market looks set to continue growing in 2012, presenting the same challenges as 2011 to potential renters.
Common rights and single work and residence permit for non-EU workers
News
17-01-2012
The European Parliament has passed a new ‘single permit’ law enabling migrants from third-countries who are working legally within the EU to obtain work and residence permits in a single procedure. This will allow them to enjoy rights similar to EU nationals, including working conditions, pensions and access to public services.
Australian Immigration to evaluate Professional Year visa programme
News
17-01-2012
Since its foundation in 2008, the Professional Year programme has been available to Engineers, Accountants and IT Professionals immigrating to Australia, assisting them in finding gainful employment and, after successful completion, providing them with 5 points towards meeting the Points Based Skilled Migration pass mark. However, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) have announced that they will be evaluating this programme in the coming year.
London Most Popular Immigration Destination for Foreign Professionals
News
17-01-2012
New research has suggested that London is the most popular immigration location for foreign professionals. The study, which surveyed 160,000 jobseekers in a range of sectors, found that the banking, legal and creative industries in the city are a major attraction to workers across the globe.