On September 18th a large group of 46 newcomers attended the first of the five annual Spouse Orientation Programs (SOP) offered by WBFN.

SOP, a shortened version of the 4-day orientation staff members attend when joining the World Bank, covers the benefits and services offered by the World Bank.

During one long day, the participants heard several speakers from different departments of the Bank on topics such as:
• the G4-Visa status
• how to obtain a Work Permit
• Aetna Medical Insurance Plan and other health related topics
• the importance of building one’s own credit history and other financial matters
• Global Mobility Services
• job search assistance
• housing
• schooling
• domestic abuse prevention

The wide and interesting topics kept the attendants interested and focused.

If you are interested in learning more about a particular topic, we also recommend the WBFN Information Seminars that are given throughout the year, on topics such as estate planning, tax issues and family law in the US.

The next SOP will be held on November 20th, 2008.