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Working in NYC as a ESL teacher.
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rossco32



Joined: 09 Feb 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:58 am    Post subject: Working in NYC as a ESL teacher. Reply with quote

Hi,

I'm currently looking for jobs in the united states teaching esl. I'm a British citizen with a BA and a 120hour tefl course. Furthermore I also have a years experience working in Korea teaching various ages.

My question is "what are the requirements for working in a place like NYC"

Can I do this?

Will a company sponsor my visa or am I dreaming?

Ross.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very sorry, but you are dreaming an impossible dream.

It would be impossible to find an employer to sponsor a visa for a UK citizen, when there are literally thousands of qualified US citizens available to do the job.

It's exactly the same in reverse - lots of Americans would like to teach English in the UK, but no-one will sponsor a visa for them, because there are so many qualified English language teachers already there!
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rossco32



Joined: 09 Feb 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the quick reply.

What about Canada?

Ross.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ditto (I'm from the US and have lived and worked in Canada, so am familiar with both job markets).

Many highly qualified native speakers around; it's difficult enough for a Canadian with qualifications similar to yours to find any job to make ends meet. No school will sponsor a visa - there are simply a lot of teachers around already.

I have MA TESL/TEFL, CELTA equivalent, and nearly 15 years of experience, and no Canadian school would sponsor a visa for me. I got in on a spousal visa - my spouse is in a high-demand field.
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corniche



Joined: 04 Jun 2012
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can apply to Canada as a skilled professional:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/index.asp

Find a profession you qualify for on the listd, document it and pay the fees. Teaching isn't usually one of the professions in demand, but after you receive the visa, you are not limited to that type of work. Once you have a resident's visa, you can do a job search in any field.
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Eagle Eyes



Joined: 26 Apr 2012
Posts: 121
Location: Istanbul

PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 7:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My advice is don't come to NYC looking for a job as an EFL Teacher. If you do come you may not make enough money to survive....and may end up on the streets homeless. This is no joke....and NYC is NOT a place you want to be homeless in!!!!!!!!! Shocked
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timothypfox



Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 492

PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ESL in NYC public schools is a bit of a war zone. The union and administration have a tolerant marriage at best, and in some schools tensions mount and so does backstabbing. ESL teachers are given a lot of paperwork responsibilities here and waste a lot of time with "compliance" paperwork. Most entry level jobs are in high needs school - so you may very well start in a low income school with the majority of students special needs ELLs. Tenure is very hard and stressful to get, and I found after I got it I got burnt out from 2 school administrators who were literally on a witch-hunt to get rid of teachers they deemed deficient. After I won the battle with union intervention, I was burnt out after 4.5 years and quit and moved to Japan. The average teacher stays in NYC public schools no more than 5 years. But, if you have a thick skin and you're the kind of person that doesn't let things get to you - you may survive... but...
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Eagle Eyes



Joined: 26 Apr 2012
Posts: 121
Location: Istanbul

PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My advice is don't teach EFL in NYC schools...the students and administration will make your life miserable....and forget the pay....there is no money here for EFL teachers. Again many EFL teachers end up homeless here as they can't afford their rent. Only come here if you have enough savings to live on. Good luck! Shocked
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kona



Joined: 17 Sep 2011
Posts: 188
Location: USA

PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eagle Eyes wrote:
My advice is don't teach EFL in NYC schools...the students and administration will make your life miserable....and forget the pay....there is no money here for EFL teachers. Again many EFL teachers end up homeless here as they can't afford their rent. Only come here if you have enough savings to live on. Good luck! Shocked


The chances of you finding a job as an EFL teacher are really zero, because English, in the United States anyways, is generally not taught as a foreign language. Laughing
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rtm



Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US

PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kona wrote:
The chances of you finding a job as an EFL teacher are really zero, because English, in the United States anyways, is generally not taught as a foreign language. Laughing


Though, there are some places in the US where English is becoming more and more like a foreign language Wink
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Solar Strength



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

corniche wrote:
You can apply to Canada as a skilled professional:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/index.asp


NAFTA Skilled Worker visas might be possible, also.

Here's the list: http://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/en/view.aspx?x=343&mtpiID=147#Ap1603.D.1

Quote:
Teacher

College - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Seminary - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

University - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The OP in this case is a UK citizen, therefore not eligible for NAFTA status (not that it applies to teachers; mostly it doesn't).
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santi84



Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: under da sea

PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Canada isn't going to be interested in hiring ESL teachers from the UK. Citizen MA TESOL graduates are running to Korea because they can't get a job here.

If the OP can speak fluent French then perhaps applying directly to Quebec immigration will offer an opportunity but don't get your hopes up on Canada. Unless you are young and qualify for an exchange?
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Solar Strength



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 6:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

spiral78 wrote:
...therefore not eligible for NAFTA status (not that it applies to teachers; mostly it doesn't).


Right. TN NAFTA visa status applies to a wide range of business, legal, medical and education specialists.

College and seminary instructors are eligible for TN visas, however. It's a matter of whether a school wants to offer you a job and the necessary letter to obtain the TN status.

With your qualifications, it is possible.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 7:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
With your qualifications, it is possible


With whose qualifications? Mine? (related MA + 14 years experience)
I wouldn't get into Canada with this; as santi says the country is overrun with Canadians who have equivalent quals to mine.
Theoretically you claim a school could hire me; I've never looked into it because I know that in practice no school would ever bother, unless maybe it was one in some tremendously undesirable location.

Anyway, I have a green card for Canada thanks to my spouse's job, so I can work/live there if/when I want. I am elsewhere this year.

The OP is from the UK, not the NAFTA region, has only a BA and a 120 hour certificate.
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