I joined hoping that someone would have expatriate experiences to relate. My mid-20’s adult son has been offered a job in Singapore. The start date is sooner than he’d anticipated and his decision window is brief. There are valid reasons for the start date. Can anyone help advise? Work permit should be handled by company, health insurance - some reimbursement, agent to help with apartment finding, anything we are forgetting?
How long is the assignment?
Is his housing in Singapore going to be a furnished apt, or is he planning to ship a container of household goods? Is he storing items in the US?
Is the company offering tax equalization for US income taxes? What about tax preparation assistance?
Is he getting medical insurance? Home leave flights?
My brother was based in Singapore for many years, my niece and nephew went to high school there. They loved it - clean, safe, modern. Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Apartments are VERY expensive and it is prohibitively expensive to lease a car. My advice would be for your son to negotiate hard for a high amount of support on his living expenses.
Is this his first job out of college?
Seems unlikely that someone in mid-20s will have much negotiating clout. But, we have no details about the job.
What are the terms of the expatriate pkg he is being offered? Is he getting housing expenses & living expenses paid? Is he being paid on a local pay scale or an American pay scale?
Thank you all for replies. I am purposely being sketchy on details - not good for those who want to help, but good for his privacy and the employment negotiations. Not first job out of college - Masters plus, but field is not a lucrative one. He has been living with Mom and Dad and working several part time positions in the field - not currently earning enough to support himself. Future prospects here are for a very slow building process - several more years? - to reach the equivalent of full time compensation.
Tax concerns are good. I’ll have him ask about assistance. I know a bit about the situation with Singapore and US taxes.
Company is small and not multi-national, work permit has already been “looked into” and shouldn’t be a problem. Obvious non-starter if no work permit granted. No assignment with home leave option. He would be moving to Singapore. They hope he will stay minimum two years.
I guess it’s OK to accept the offer in his situation.
He can spend some years in Singapore and come back to the US with a better resume.
How long has he been out of school?
Thanks, coolweather. That’s kind of what Mom and Dad are thinking - better resume, chance to work in the field, even if the bank of Mom and Dad is still open a bit to help, he will be in a better financial situation - and more appropriate to his age and abilities.
Out of school completely for a year. Worked in the field for 4 years as he earned Masters and “plus”, but in his college city (where he didn’t want to stay full time), so he started over in effect when returning to our location.
And agree with the not much negotiating clout! We are just trying to determine basic feasibility. There is adventure, but then, there’s studpidity also!
YOLO
FYI, some info on the IRS foreign earned income exclusion, to help him make an informed choice about compensation. The first $99,200 earned overseas is excluded from US income tax, but there is a bona fide foreign residence test, where he must be outside the US for 330 days in a year. He must keep records and keep count of how many days spent in the US & Singapore, for income tax purposes in each country.
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Figuring-the-Foreign-Earned-Income-Exclusion
He will likely need to open a local bank acct in Singapore to deposit his salary. Having an int’l acct w int’l banking privileges is VERY expensive, so I don’t recommend it.
He must also annually report to the IRS his balances in the foreign bank acct.
Is he aware of the harsh laws in Singapore? I’m not suggesting that he would break any laws but it’s good to be aware of them. http://www.expatsingapore.com/content/view/1376
The tax info is very helpful. Thank you.
You have all been so wonderful - you must be mind readers. I’ve supplied next to no information (purposely for which I apologize again), but yet you are picking up on my subconscious concerns, but also hopes for him. I would hate to be the one to kill the enthusiasm just because it’s easier to stay at home. On the other hand, if we are missing some obvious problem, I wouldn’t want him to burn his bridges on opportunities here that won’t be available if he has to return because the situation was a bust. .
I know what I would have done at his age and want to support that adventure, but it is hard to now be the conservative adult looking at the picture!
Good grief. I’m in Singapore plenty of time. Unless the OP’s son intends to be a drug trafficker, he has little to worry about.
I wouldn’t mind caning as a penalty for graffiti offenses in the US…
Yikes - no chewing gum! I’m not a chewer, but do carry some for my ears on the plane, as he does! Guess we will leave the contraband at home. Thanks, Milkweed. This is one kid I have no concerns with as far as illegal substances. Doesn’t even partake of alcohol (unlike his mom). Don’t think he’s a litterer, certainly not intentionally, but I’ll mention the different “rules and norms”. He has traveled internationally, although not to Asia, but he is aware that different countries sometimes see things differently.
Thinking more about tbe adventure side of this opportunity: does son have a significant other now? If not, another plus about Singapore is that it’s full of attractive, well educated women.
Be excited for him. Singapore is very expensive but close to many fascinating and INexpensive places he can explore. Asia is magnificent; he’ll remember this opportunity for the rest of his life.
We have closed friends who have lived in Singapore for about six years. They said that one hard thing is that there are no parks. It’s always hot and humid, too. Their first apartment had no hot water!!! But they said the people are very friendly. They were supposed to be there only five years, but they signed on for a couple more.
I feel so much better! I’ve read this board for years, but this is the first time I’ve posted - and what support! You are all great! GMT, no significant other at the moment, but he does have an acquaintance of the female variety from college who is a Singapore resident - born and raised and returned after US college. He has been in email contact with her and she’s offered assistance.
The recently departed Lee Kwan Yew singled out air conditioning as the greatest invention of the century.
Single expat friends have described how difficult it can be to make friends w/o having children, bcs the int’l school becomes a social hub. But it seems like your son already has the skids greased for a ready social network.
Alcohol is VERY expensive in Singapore. Even if he doesn’t drink, he should make use of his duty free allowance to pick up a bottle in SIN Airport, to give as a gift. Maybe he can ask his contact there if he can pick up something for her in duty free when he arrives.
He can always come back if it doesn’t work out. He is young. It is a good time to have some adventure. I would just check out his salary and make sure it is at least enough to pay for his living expenses. I don’t see any reason to subsidize a company unless my kid has some equity in it.