Earthquake and Tsunami Help in Japan
March 14th, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelInternational students traveling overseas typically are concerned about their new school, learning a new language, culture shock perhaps, but what about the rare occurrence like a natural disaster? On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced the largest earthquake in recorded history at an 8.9 magnitude earthquake. The Department of State issued a Travel Alert to inform individuals still in Japan of power outages, evacuated areas, and the possibility of aftershock and tsunamis until April 1, 2011. Starting on Monday, March 14, scheduled 3-hour power outages are scheduled for the Tokto Metroplitan area which can be viewed at the Tokyo Electric Power Company.
Radio stations are also reporting this emergency information in the Tokyo area in English including on the U.S. Armed Forces station at 810AM and InterFM at 76.1FM. According to the Department of State, aftershocks are likely in the coming weeks. The Red Cross recommends moving into open spaces and away from walls, windows, buildings and other structures that may collapse. If you are inside, seek cover under a sturdy desk or table and press your face into your arms. If internet and telephone services are down, you may be able to contact people using text message/SMS or other forms of social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
Those members trying to get in contact with loved ones should be aware of the following:
- AT&T and Verizon are offering free calls and texts to Japan
- NTT Docomo Safety Reponse and KDDI Disaster Message Board offers a disaster message board where you can enter a mobile number/email address to confirm safety
- Japan Shelter Map by Google
- Red Cross Tsunami Checklist
- Red Cross Twitter Page
If you have an insurance plan, you will want to contact your insurance company to see if your plan includes coverage for natural disaster. Contact information should be listed on the back of your ID card.
Atlas Travel Extra Assistance Services
March 11th, 2011 by ahoontrakulWhether you’re just vacationing or studying abroad, having a good medical insurance is important. The Atlas Travel Medical plan provides comprehensive coverage in case you become sick or injured due to an accident while you are abroad. Many people know that the plan would cover your doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription medications, and evacuation, but most may not realized that the plan comes with additional travel assistance services as well!
When you get the Atlas plan you will have access to a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week worldwide travel and medical assistance. These services include:
- Pre-trip destination information – For information regarding any health risks, travel restrictions, any vaccinations required for your country of destination
- Medical Monitoring – Emergency message rely will relay message to your family, friends and co-workers during your hospitalization and establish a single point-of-contact for updates regarding your medical status
- Doctor referral – Contact information for western-style medical facilities in your destination country where English is spoken
- Travel document replacement – Assistance with obtaining replacement passports, birth certificates, visas, airline documents, and other travel – related documents
- Lost luggage assistance – tracking service to assist in locating luggage or other items lost in transit
Other assistance services include:
- Prescription drug replacement
- Emergency travel arrangements
- Dispatch of physician
- Translation assistance
- Credit card/ Traveler check replacement
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Student Health Insurance
March 7th, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelCurricular Practical Training, also referred to as CPT, is popular for international students on a F-1 visa. CPT status allows international students to gain temporary employment as long as the position is related to their academic studies and that students can earn credit at their college or university.
In order to do CPT as an international student, students would need to do a work, practicum, or internship program in their field of study. Many international students look for companies or organizations willing to sponsor students – which many people view as a win-win for both parties. Having a student with an international background globalizes the prospective of the company, and at the same time, students gain “real world” experience utilizing the skills they learned in the classroom.
If you decide to do CPT you will not only have a more broadly based experience in the US, but you will also be able to see what it is like in the workforce as an employee. In some cases, you may even get the opportunity to get paid to help cover some of your school expenses. As an international student interested in Curricular Practical Training, there are a few important considerations that you’ll need to look into. First, you will need to find a sponsoring employer that will provide you with a position in your field of study. Next, you will have to work with your school – typically the International Center – to have them approve your internship as Curricular Practical Training.
Many international students interested in CPT may purchase student health insurance for either themselves or for their family. Because individuals must be a full-time student in order to be eligible for Curriculum Practical Training, many students purchase an international student insurance plan that will cover them for this duration. Student health insurance for Curricular Practical Training is typically required by many universities if it is not already supplied by your school. Many organizations and companies may even ask whether you have insurance before you begin working. In fact, Curricular Practical Training student health insurance can be quite important for individuals as it can be purchased for the length of your program and is designed to cover you for doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription medication, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, etc. For more information about CPT insurance, contact one of our licensed agents for more information.
Alternative Spring Break: International Volunteer Travel Programs
February 28th, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelIt’s that time of year again – Spring Break! Finally, a reprieve from school and a time to do something exciting right before school starts back up in a week or two. While some people decide to relax by the pool, others prefer to do an Alternative Spring Break volunteer travel program that will give them the opportunity to travel internationally and help a community.
For those of you planning to do an Alternative Spring Break international volunteer program, there are many options that will give you an adventure where you can travel to another country, help improve a community, live with a host family, and sneak in some sightseeing! Some people travel to Europe, others to Latin America – it just depends on how you want to spend your vacation!
We interviewed Jenny, a student who decided to do an alternative spring break program for 10 days in San Vito, Costa Rica. Her Alternative Spring Break volunteer trip was a school-led international program that brought a small group of students to work on coffee and fair trade issues in a small town named San Vito located in Costa Rica. It was the first time that she had traveled internationally – especially important as fair trade was an issue she felt strongly about. When she arrived in Costa Rica, she met with local farmers to discuss the issue of their co-op coffee farm. Jenny met with various community members to see how coffee prices had affected the local community. She visited the community coffee roaster that had been shut down due to inadequate funding forcing the farmers to pay shipping to another town’s coffee roaster. She even worked with a machete to clear weeds, dug a trough to prevent soil corrosion, and learned about crop diversification. When she returned back to the United States better informed, Jenny felt empowered alongside her group members. With her new friends, they worked together with her school to help the farmers of San Vito by establishing a distribution channel for the fair trade coffee.
As evidence by Jenny’s trip, your alternative spring break can be just as exciting! There are many opportunities where you can volunteer internationally with your school or an independent program. Check out your school’s activity center to see what programs are available to you, or search opportunities on Idealist.org.
Once you have decided to go on your Alternative Spring Break where you will volunteer internationally, make sure to contact your current insurance company to see if your plan will cover you overseas. Some programs supply international travel insurance for their Alternative Spring Break international volunteer programs. If this is not the case you can purchase affordable insurance that is easy to use and can be purchased a few days at a time!
Creating a packing list for studying abroad
February 25th, 2011 by ahoontrakulEven the most experienced traveler can sometimes forget and leave something behind; it’s important to create a packing list for each trip you are going on. While your packing list will be different for every trip, there are some important things to consider no matter where you go:
The Essentials
Before you step out of your house, make sure you have your passport and any tickets that you will need, this should be the on the top of your list. It’s never fun having to drive home from the airport to get your passport with the risk of missing your flight.
Make sure you have some cash in the local currency with you before leave; you don’t want to be stuck in a pinch somewhere that doesn’t take a credit card. Call your credit card and ATM card provider to let them know that you will be using your card in another country and check if there are any fees for using them abroad. An ATM card may be a good way to take out cash while abroad since they often give you better exchange rate than a currency exchange kiosk found at the airport or other tourist spot.
Bring your study abroad insurance documents with you, including your ID card. You should also make copies of your important documents like your passport, and keep the copy separate from you original just in case they get lost or stolen.
Clothing
Know the climate of the country you are going to. It make sense that if you are traveling from a warm tropical location to a cold climate that you would need to pack something warm; but don’t just pack it all in your suitcase, put it in your carry on as well! If your suitcase is delayed or lost, you will be stepping off the plane with just a t-shirt at the airport while it’s freezing outside.
Since you will be studying abroad, consider how much shopping you will be doing during the months you are living in your host country. It’s almost inevitable that you would be picking out souvenirs and new shirts or shoes in the months that you are there. You don’t want to pack too much that you don’t have room for your new purchases, unless you’re willing to throw them away or pay to have them shipped separately. However, there may be certain things you don’t want to buy while abroad. For example, if you know you will be attending events where you would have to dress up, you may want to bring your expensive 3-piece suit and leather shoes with you.
Miscellaneous
You will need to also bring your electronics including your camera, laptop, iPod/MP3 player, cell phone etc. Don’t forget the charger for each of them and the electrical plug adapter. Check if you will need a converter as well, an electric toothbrush for a 110v will break if you plug it into a 220v socket.
If you will be using a cell phone abroad you may want to buy a prepaid phone or a sim card so you don’t have to pay for the expensive roaming charge.
There are many picking list available online, it is meant only to be a guide. When you have a packing list it will help protect you from leaving anything behind and at the very least give you a peace of mind that you really didn’t forget anything.
Health Insurance for OPT
February 22nd, 2011 by Jennifer FrankelAre you an international student planning to continue on Optional Practical Training (OPT) once you graduate? As we approach the end of the semester, many international students will turn their experience of studying in the United States into an opportunity of meaningful and practical work experience.
As you approach the end of your studies, you are going to consider many factors as you make this transition. One of the most important decisions is health insurance for OPT. Many international students who are studying at a university or college have insurance through their school. When you switch status and are no longer enrolled in classes, you may find that you are no longer eligible for your school’s insurance plan. Instead, you will need to purchase a private health insurance for OPT that will cover you for doctor visits, hospitalization, prescription medication, surgery, labs, x-rays, etc.
Before discontinuing your school’s plan, you will want to purchase an insurance plan that will start immediately when your previous policy terminates. By doing this, you will avoid any gaps in coverage so that you can rest assured that you are covered in case the unexpected happens. As you may know, health care costs in the United States can easily add up if you are not properly covered. A visit to the emergency room can easily add up to thousands of dollars without insurance.
To avoid this situation, you can purchase an affordable health insurance that will cover you as you continue your education in the United States. Some health insurance options for OPT can be purchased on a monthly basis, like with the Student Secure, to give you the flexibility you need. If you would like to speak to one of our licensed insurance agents, contact us to speak to one of our representatives who works with international students on a daily basis.
Preparing for your study abroad trip
February 18th, 2011 by ahoontrakul
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.
China Study Abroad Insurance
February 11th, 2011 by ahoontrakul
China has become one of the most popular countries for study abroad students from all over the world. From the U.S.A. alone, over 13,000 students went to study abroad in China during the 2008/2009 academic year. China is currently ranked number 5 on the top destination countries visited by U.S. students, right after the UK, Italy, Spain and France.
Even though it has become such a popular destination, it is still important to consider a comprehensive medical insurance when traveling to China. While high quality western style medical facilities are available in some places, primarily in major cities, many locations especially in the rural area lack adequate facility and doctors and would not be able to provide more than the most basic treatments. If you have serious sicknesses or injuries it may be necessary for you to be transported long distances to another facility where you can be treated.
Hospitals and clinics in major tourist locations may be accustomed to providing services to non-Mandarin Chinese speakers and may also have English speaking staff on location. Many hospitals and clinics also have what is called “VIP wards” or “Gaogan bingfang “(高干病房) for foreigners. However, even in these VIP wards, there may still be some difficulty not only because of language differences but also cultural and regulatory procedures.
In case of a medical emergency, you may dial 120 (toll free) for an ambulance. However, Chinese ambulances have been known to be slow to arrive. Ambulance personnel may also have little or no medical training and can be ill-equipped. Many people end up taking a taxis or other form of available transportation to the nearest hospital instead.
A great choice for China study abroad insurance is called the Atlas Travel Medical Plan. The plan would provide medical coverage in case you get sick or injured while abroad. It would also cover medical evacuation if you need to be transported to a place where they are able to provide you with necessary treatment and also a 24/7 translation service over the phone in case you need help communicating with the doctor.
