Mid-year postings: entry windows and waitlists, what HR should check first

This article is for HR and mobility-support staff who help families when an employee is posted in the middle of a school year. After reading, you will be able to separate what official guidance confirms from what you must ask each school directly.

Start by matching the child's grade

The first question in a mid-year posting is usually "which grade?" Korea groups children born January to December into one grade and starts the year in March. Under Article 13 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (National Law Information Center, as of 29 October 2026), a child starts primary school in March of the year after turning 6.

The UK and US count differently. Staffordshire's age guide (as of 29 October 2026) says the UK Year number is one higher than the US Grade number. For example, a child born January-August 2019 is in UK Year 2 from September 2025 and in Grade 1 in a US district with a 1 September cut-off. In Korea the same child starts primary year 1 in March 2026. A child born October 2019 would be in kindergarten in that US district. Children born September-December often sit one grade apart. The school decides final placement from birth date and prior schooling, so it is safer not to state a grade to families as settled.

English state schools: you can apply any time, but procedures differ by area

Hampshire County Council's 2025/26 in-year scheme (as of 1 September 2025) cites the School Admissions Code: any parent can apply for any school at any time. Children usually join their age group, and parents may request another year group. For a move, parents need proof of the new address, such as a signed tenancy agreement. So a late housing contract can mean a late school application.

The timings are worth knowing. Schools aim to reply within 10 school days and must respond in writing within 15. Offers must be accepted within 10 school days, and the child must start within four school weeks. This document has no separate rule for families arriving from overseas. The Department for Education's School Admissions Code (as of 4 November 2026) says local authorities co-ordinate in-year applications, and procedures differ by area, as Leeds shows. Check with the council and school in the destination area first.

A US example: paperwork takes time

The California Department of Education page (checked 31 October 2026; page last reviewed 20 June 2019) lists proof of DTaP x5, polio x4, MMR x2, hepatitis B x3 and varicella x1 for kindergarten. For grade 7 it lists Tdap x1 and MMR x2, and records must show the month and year of each dose. First-graders have 90 days after entry to provide a health check-up certificate from the previous 18 months or a parent waiver. For example, if a Korean vaccination record lacks months and years, it is calmer to fix that before departure. The page is dated, so confirm schedules with the California Department of Public Health 'Shots for School' and the district.

Postings to Korea: foreign schools and transfer

According to the Ministry of Education's guide (as of 29 October 2026), foreign schools in Korea are 'miscellaneous schools'. Korean nationals who have lived abroad for three years or more in total may enrol, up to 30% of places (50% if the superintendent allows). Whether study is recognised in Korea differs by school, so check.

For a Korean school transfer, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's 2026 guidance (as of 4 November 2026) is a useful reference. Transfers are accepted year-round, but there are temporary pauses for middle-school grade 3 (late October to early December) and general high schools (late February). A student returning mid-semester is told to apply within one month of the last day at the foreign school. Transfers are either special or general, and which applies depends on the documents. Study at a regular school abroad must be at least six months, and foreign schools located in Korea are excluded from recognised schools. The Gyeongsangnam-do Multicultural Education Center page (as of 30 October 2026) advises phoning first to book a consultation. It has no publication date, so confirm current requirements with the department.

What happens to the Korean school record when leaving

Seoul's guidance (as of 1 March 2026) says that when the whole family leaves, the duty to attend compulsory schooling may be exempted, and when only one parent goes, strict conditions apply. High-school students withdraw. Details can differ by region, so confirm with the local education office before departure.

Waitlist reality: ask the school directly

The official notes I have do not cover waitlist lengths or capacity at international schools, so I cannot say how many months it takes. What is confirmed are time units: 10 school days, 15 school days and four weeks for English state schools, and one month from the last school day for Korean returnee transfer. Working backward from those deadlines, using the posting date, the address confirmation date and the document-ready date, reduces the risk of a long wait.

Sam's one-line tip

Before applying, count back from the posting date and set preparation deadlines for three items: address proof, vaccination records and school transcripts.

Checklist

• Have you listed the child's birth date and current grade side by side in Korean, UK and US terms?
• Do you know when the new address proof (such as a tenancy agreement) will be available?
• Have you found the in-year admission guidance of the local council or school district?
• Do the vaccination records show the month and year of each dose?
• Are transcripts and enrolment certificates ready, showing grades and dates?
• For a move to Korea, have you marked the one-month deadline from the last school day on the calendar?
• Have you asked the local education office how the Korean school record is handled?

Confirm with the owner

• When mid-year entry is possible, whether there is a waitlist now, and how places on it are decided
• Which documents (birth date, prior transcripts) the school uses to decide the grade
• How long families have between an offer and acceptance, and between acceptance and the first day
• The required document list, and any translation or notarisation rules
• How your company handles school support for families (ask the internal owner)

Your next step

This week, take the birth date of one family about to be posted and email the destination council or school to ask when mid-year entry is possible and whether there is a waitlist.

Always confirm your own situation with the official authority or an immigration professional.