The International Schools Review Forum

@ Kuwaitikid,

Sorry for being the pedant but currently 30yrs is full pension entitlement.
The 35yrs you refer to is still subject to Parliamentary approval and not yet govt. policy - though it most likely will be.

I don't know if this is a Canadian-specific question, but I was wondering if people are contributing to their teacher's pension set up in their province/state/country while working overseas (the pension top-up). I've been contributing to mine for 13 years now, and as I understand it can contribute to it for an additional 3 years if I remain overseas.

thanks!!

jbiersteker,

if you go to a country which has a tax treaty with Canada, I am sure you can do this. However, if you go to a country with no tax treaty, it is very different. In the ME, where there is no income tax, for instance, you must be a deemed non-resident of Canada. This means minimal ties, and certainly no topping up of Canadian pension funds as this would be quite a significant tie. It also means things like renting out your house at arms' length using a rental agent and charging fair market value for the rental, having no furniture in Canada, no car registered, etc etc.

So no topping up for many Canadian teachers in the Middle East.

I was 26. I'm in my early 30s now. I should have entered the field in my early 20s but got Master's instead. Best decision of my life to teach internationally...all the money and adventures.

edited.

Hi Shadowjack!!

Thanks for your answers. Do you know if Korea has the said tax treaty with Canada?

Thanks!!

You'll find a list of countries that Canada has treaties with here, there are lots of treaties, even in the ME. Korea is on there:
http://www.fin.gc.ca/treaties-conventio ... e--eng.asp

We bought back three years for when we lived in the Middle East. We waited until we returned and paid the interest, but in hindsight it wasn't necessary to wait until we reestablished residency. We were over-concerned about keeping things at arms-length.

Hi Gipper,

I'm going to assume you're Canadian. Would you mind telling me what province you were from? Did you have any difficulties getting your non-residency?

Thanks!!

JB, yes, I am from Ontario. I was advised by a friend not to complete a determination of Residency Status, so I didn't. We did achieve non resident status and this designation was communicated to us by mail after we filed our taxes the first year away. I should say that we did not own a home at the time, but we did keep bank accounts and credit cards and we were working in a country that has a tax treaty with Canada.

Thanks Gipper!!

We still have to determine what we will be doing with our house (either sell or rent at market value).

We will keep our Bank Accounts, will reduce/cancel our C.C.s down to 1-2 and keep our investments.

We will stop OHIP and probably keep our driver's licenses (we'll get a Korean one).

The big question for us will be contribuing to our Teacher's pension for three years, but with the tax treaty I hope this will be ok.

Thanks!!

Hi all,

Rob would like to know about how to get something in Singapore?

Forensic science degree, taught chem labs at unis and substitute taught few years. Also taught few years in S. Korea and a semester in Russia.

Looking for something ASAP

Unsure if this can be posted since I am looking but would be appreciative to get back overseas to teach ASAP as this is the time to do it..I am on the west coast and would need the airfare from the school.

Lost the family I had recently and need to get another start overseas right away.

So cool to read people that have started their IS career in their 50s! Right on! I started 10 years ago, can't believe I'm 34 now.

Singapore "dimnds" is like other countries the more last minute you are the less the chance of getting a job! It's July already! You're gonna have to look for next school year, activate your account on Search and get looking.

Dimnds,

Overseas Family School has a few science teachers leaving, and I know they were looking for 3 new science teachers. I would check that out. the school has its faults, but colleagues are great. They never go to any of the recruitment fairs but somehow get excellent teachers. It may have something to do with their excellent salary scales.

The other schools (SAIS, SAS, UWC, Tanglin, and Chatsworth) have no openings at the moment.

You might also consider Raffles American School in Johor, just across the border. It's a very new school, growing rapidly from the initial 20 students, and you might like the environment.

I hope this helps.

Rob

Thanks, Rob.

I am going to see what the two schools and I determine in my Skype interviews today and Saturday. One is for Taiwan and the other is for China. Both are high schools and the China director just wrote asking for the interview on Sat.

I didn t think July was too late! My bad on that one. Korea called and wants me to go there in Oct. but am looking to go now. for August.

Peg

I started at 26 teaching ESL in the JET program in Japan. I did 2 years teaching in the USA before going abroad, and even though it was good I am glad I left when I did. I have taught in Japan, Philippines, Thailand, and Kazakhstan, and it has been a wild ride with some great adventures along the way and I wouldn't have traded any of it for anything. This next year will be my 10th year teaching internationally all in Asia.