Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

This Privacy Policy explains how the Asia Internship Program ("AIP", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, discloses and protects personal data. AIP is operated by AIP SG PTE. LTD., a company incorporated in Singapore (UEN 201810409G) with its registered address at 11 Keng Cheow Street, #04-09 Riverside Piazza, Singapore 059608. AIP SG PTE. LTD. operates the website www.internsinasia.com and the AIP Companion mobile app, contracts with applicants and partners, and is the organisation responsible for your personal data. References to "AIP" in this policy mean AIP SG PTE. LTD.

This policy applies to visitors to our website, people who submit an application or enquiry, interns and students we place, and our contacts at Referred Organizations and host companies. We welcome applicants from anywhere in the world, including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area, Canada and across Asia, and this policy explains the rights available to you wherever you are (see Section 8).

Referred Organizations. As defined in our Terms & Conditions, a "Referred Organization" means AIP's partners or affiliates, which include but are not limited to university and college partners and other agencies. In this policy, "your Referred Organization" means the university, college, agency or other partner through which you applied or were referred to us.

AIP Companion app. Placed students and AIP staff can use AIP Companion, our invite-only mobile app for iOS and Android. The app has its own privacy policy, the AIP Companion Privacy Policy, available at www.internsinasia.com/companion-privacy-policy, which describes the additional data the app processes: community posts, the AI assistant, push notifications and on-device location. That policy supplements this one. Where it is silent, this policy applies.

2. Personal data we collect

Depending on your relationship with us, we collect the following categories of personal data:

• Identity and contact data: name, email address, phone number, postal address, date of birth, nationality, gender, photograph.
• Application and education data: CV/résumé, cover letter, academic transcripts, university and degree program, expected graduation date, language skills, portfolio or work samples, references, interview notes (and the recording, if an interview is recorded), internship preferences (destination, field, dates, budget).
• Passport and immigration data: passport copy and number, visa applications and supporting documents, entry/exit dates, insurance details, where needed to arrange your internship and support your visa process.
• Placement and program data: the host companies you are matched with, interview outcomes, internship agreements, start and end dates, supervisor feedback, check-in and support notes, incident reports.
• Payment and billing data: invoices, amounts paid and outstanding, payment dates and method. We do not store full payment card numbers; payments are handled by our payment processors, PayPal and Wise (see Section 4).
• Health, dietary and emergency data: allergies, dietary requirements, relevant medical conditions and insurance information you choose to share so we can arrange suitable accommodation and respond to emergencies, plus the name and contact details of your emergency contact. We process health information only with your explicit consent, or where needed to protect your vital interests in an emergency, and you can withdraw your consent at any time. Where you give us someone else's details (e.g. your emergency contact or a referee), you confirm you have their permission.
• Communications: emails, messages, website live chat conversations, call notes and support requests exchanged with our team.
• Technical and usage data: IP address, browser and device information, pages visited, and cookie data when you use our website (see Section 9).
• App data: if you use AIP Companion, your display name and interests, content you post (photos, comments, marketplace listings, suggestions, votes, RSVPs), messages to the AI assistant or your Community Manager, and a push notification token. Location used for the "Near me" feature is processed on your device only. Full details are in the AIP Companion Privacy Policy.

Sources. We collect most of this data directly from you (website forms, application forms, the AIP Companion app, email, calls and interviews). We may also receive data about you from your Referred Organization, such as your university (where you apply through a university partnership or seek academic credit) or an agency that referred you to us; from host companies (e.g. interview feedback and performance feedback); and from publicly available professional profiles such as LinkedIn where relevant to your placement.

3. How and why we use your data

We use personal data for the following purposes. For applicants in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, the corresponding GDPR legal basis is shown in italics at the end of each item; equivalent bases apply under the Singapore PDPA and other applicable laws (see Section 8).

• Handling your enquiry and application: assessing eligibility, scheduling and conducting interviews, communicating about your application. Legal basis: Steps prior to entering a contract; contract performance.
• Matching and placement: identifying suitable host companies and sharing your profile with them (see Section 5), arranging interviews, confirming placements. Legal basis: Contract performance; legitimate interests.
• Referred Organization coordination: liaising with your university, agency or other Referred Organization about your application, approvals, academic credit, learning agreements and progress, where applicable. Legal basis: Contract performance; consent where required.
• Visa and relocation support: guiding your visa process, sharing required documents with immigration authorities, embassies or licensed visa agents, and helping arrange accommodation and arrival logistics. Legal basis: Contract performance; legal obligation.
• Safety and on-ground support: check-ins during your internship, responding to incidents and emergencies. Legal basis: Contract performance; vital interests in emergencies.
• In-app support and community: providing destination guides, events, announcements and the AI assistant in AIP Companion, and community features such as the student directory, Moments and the marketplace. Legal basis: Contract performance; consent for community features.
• Payments and administration: invoicing, collecting fees, processing refunds, accounting and audit. Legal basis: Contract performance; legal obligation.
• Marketing: sending newsletters and information about our programs, and showing testimonials or success stories only with your separate permission. You can opt out of marketing at any time via the unsubscribe link or by contacting us. Legal basis: Consent; legitimate interests for existing customers with opt-out.
• Improving our services: analytics on website and service usage, quality assurance, staff training. Legal basis: Legitimate interests; consent for non-essential cookies.
• Legal compliance and disputes: complying with laws that apply to us, establishing or defending legal claims, enforcing our Terms & Conditions. Legal basis: Legal obligation; legitimate interests.

We do not sell personal data, we do not use it to train AI models, and we do not use personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects without human involvement.

4. Our systems and where your data is kept

• Pipedrive CRM. Applicant, intern, Referred Organization and host company records are managed in Pipedrive, our customer relationship management system. It is also the source of the placement record shown in AIP Companion. Pipedrive stores data on servers located in the European Union or the United States and acts as our processor under a data processing agreement.
• Google Workspace. Email, documents and internal files, hosted by Google.
• Payment processors. PayPal and Wise, which process your payments and handle your card or bank details directly under their own privacy policies and security standards.
• Website, analytics and advertising tools. Our website is hosted on Webflow and uses Google Analytics, Hotjar, Google Ads, the Meta Pixel, the TikTok Pixel, Crisp (live chat) and Google reCAPTCHA (form spam protection). See Section 9.
• AIP Companion app services. Anthropic (AI assistant, United States), Voyage AI (search over AIP guide content, United States), Expo (push notifications and app updates, United States) and Google Maps (maps in the app). The app runs no advertising or analytics SDKs. See the AIP Companion Privacy Policy for details.
• Other operational tools. Providers we use for e-signature, scheduling, video calls and interviews, and email marketing, which process data only on our instructions.

All service providers that process personal data on our behalf are bound by contracts that restrict their use of your data to our instructions and require appropriate security measures.

5. Who we share your data with

• Prospective host companies. To arrange your placement we share your application profile (typically your CV, education details, portfolio, language skills, availability, visa status/nationality as relevant to work authorization, and interview availability) with host companies that match your preferences. We may share your profile with more than one potential host company at the same time. We share what they reasonably need to evaluate and host you; we do not share your passport copy, payment information, or health information at the matching stage.
• Your confirmed host company. Once a placement is confirmed, we share the additional details needed to onboard you (e.g. start date logistics, emergency contact where appropriate, visa documentation they must hold as your host).
• Other students (AIP Companion). If you use the app's community features, other students at your destination can see your name, photo and what you post. Your emergency contact and date of birth are never shown to other students.
• Referred Organizations. Where you applied through or were referred by a Referred Organization (for example your university under a university partnership, or an agency), or where you seek academic credit, we share your application status, placement details and progress/completion information with that Referred Organization or your university.
• Immigration authorities, embassies and visa agents. Where needed for your visa or work-authorization process in the destination country.
• Accommodation and insurance providers. Where we help arrange housing or insurance for your internship.
• Service providers. The systems listed in Section 4, acting on our instructions.
• Professional advisers and authorities. Lawyers, accountants, auditors, and public authorities where the law requires disclosure or where necessary to protect rights, safety or property.
• Business transfers. If AIP is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction; we will notify you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

6. International transfers

AIP serves applicants worldwide and operates across Asia. Wherever you apply from (the United States, Australia, Europe, Asia or elsewhere), your data is stored in our systems in Singapore and in the cloud services listed in Section 4, which may host data in the EU or the United States. It is shared with host companies and authorities in the destination country of your internship, including Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and other destinations we offer, and, where applicable, with your Referred Organization in the country where it is based. Data protection laws in these countries may differ from those of your home country.

Where we transfer personal data across borders we rely on: (a) contracts with recipients requiring a standard of protection comparable to this policy, as required by the transfer limitation obligation under the Singapore PDPA; (b) for EEA/UK-origin data, the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (with the UK Addendum for UK data) included in our service providers' data processing terms, or an adequacy decision where one applies; (c) for Australian-sourced data, the steps required by Australian Privacy Principle 8 before overseas disclosure; and (d) where no other mechanism is available, your explicit consent or the necessity of the transfer to perform our contract with you (e.g. sending your profile to a host company in your chosen destination).

7. How long we keep your data

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes above, then delete or anonymize it. Our standard retention periods are:

8. Your rights

You have rights over your personal data. The exact rights depend on the law that applies to you, but in all cases you can contact us (Section 12) to:

• access a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent (this does not affect processing before withdrawal, and may mean we cannot continue providing some services);
• object to or ask us to restrict certain processing, including direct marketing at any time;
• ask us to delete data we no longer need; and
• receive data you provided to us in a portable, machine-readable format, where the law provides this right.

If you are in Singapore (PDPA)

You have rights of access and correction, the right to withdraw consent, and (once in force for our sector) data portability under the Personal Data Protection Act 2012. Our Data Protection Officer's contact details are in Section 12. You may complain to the Personal Data Protection Commission Singapore (www.pdpc.gov.sg).

If you are in the EEA or UK (GDPR)

You have the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability and objection, and the right to withdraw consent, under the General Data Protection Regulation (and UK GDPR). Our legal bases for each purpose are set out in Section 3. You may lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

If you are in the United States

Depending on your state of residence you may have rights under state privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA, as amended by the CPRA), including the rights to know and access the personal information we hold about you, correct it, delete it, opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information, and limit the use of sensitive personal information. We extend these rights to all US residents regardless of state.

We do not sell your personal information for money. Our website uses advertising cookies and pixels from Google, Meta and TikTok (see Section 9), which some US state laws treat as "sharing" personal information for targeted advertising. These stay switched off unless you opt in through our cookie banner, and you can opt out of this sharing at any time through the "Your Privacy Choices" link in our website footer. We will never discriminate against you (in pricing, placement or service) for exercising any privacy right. You may use an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf; we will verify your identity and the agent's authority.

If you are in Australia

We handle personal information of Australian applicants in line with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). You may request access to and correction of your personal information. Because internships necessarily involve disclosing your information to host organisations and authorities overseas (see Section 6), we take reasonable steps to ensure overseas recipients handle it consistently with this policy before disclosure. If you have a complaint, contact us first (Section 12); if you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (www.oaic.gov.au).

Wherever else you are

If you apply from a country not listed above (for example Canada under PIPEDA, or any other jurisdiction), we extend the core rights at the top of this Section (access, correction, deletion, withdrawal of consent and marketing opt-out) to you as a matter of policy, and we honour any additional rights your local law provides.

To exercise any right, contact us using the details in Section 12. We may ask you to verify your identity, and we respond within the timeframe required by the applicable law (generally 30 days, or 45 days for US state-law requests). You can also delete your AIP Companion account from within the app, as described in the AIP Companion Privacy Policy.

9. Cookies and website analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Essential cookies are needed for the site to work, to protect our forms from spam (Google reCAPTCHA) and to run our live chat (Crisp); these are always on. Analytics cookies (Google Analytics and Hotjar) help us understand how the site is used, and advertising cookies and pixels (Google Ads, the Meta Pixel and the TikTok Pixel) measure our advertising and help show you relevant ads on other sites. We set analytics and advertising cookies only after you opt in through the cookie banner shown on your first visit, and you can change or withdraw your choice at any time through the "Your Privacy Choices" link in our website footer. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and opt out of personalized advertising via the tools offered by Google (adssettings.google.com), Meta and TikTok, or industry opt-outs such as www.youronlinechoices.eu (EU) and www.aboutads.info/choices (US). The AIP Companion app uses no cookies, advertising identifiers or cross-app tracking.

We do not respond to legacy "Do Not Track" browser signals, for which no industry standard was ever adopted.

10. Security

We protect personal data using measures appropriate to the risk, including encryption in transit, access controls and role-based access to our CRM, staff confidentiality obligations, and vendor due diligence. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure; if a data breach occurs that is likely to result in significant harm or risk to you, we will notify you and the relevant authority as required by the Singapore PDPA, the GDPR and other applicable laws.

11. Children

Our services, including the AIP Companion app, are intended for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe a person under 18 has provided us personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

12. Contact us

For any question about this policy or the AIP Companion Privacy Policy, or to exercise your rights:

• Data Protection Officer: Daniele Cosentino, daniele@internsinasia.com
• General contact: info@internsinasia.com
• AIP SG PTE. LTD.: 11 Keng Cheow Street, #04-09 Riverside Piazza, Singapore 059608

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page with a new effective date and, for material changes, notify you by email or a prominent notice on our website (and, for changes affecting the app, in AIP Companion) before the change takes effect.

Effective date: 1 October 2026. This version replaces the Privacy Policy dated 7 December 2018.