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expatella_girl

Post your caveats herein.

(I wish this post could be stickyed)

I have no idea what's going on in Russia at the moment, but the internet is currently awash with unqualified, untrained, uncertified, inexperienced, job offers for EFL teachers in Russia. No visa support offered. Ever.

Is this some kind of second wave of the Russian bride thing?

Sadly, these offers are in English, look legit, get the hopes up for young, inexperienced, indebted western college graduates looking for a way out of the mire. On the internet lately these offers of teaching in Russia are turning up everywhere and so many inexperienced young people fail to see the swindle being perpetrated.

I answer at least one or two of these questions a week on Reddit, Russian expat forums, other places, and always refer them to this forum for good information.

Whenever I gently try to tell them they are being suckered by a people who will chew them up and spit them out and the applicant is a tool being used by untruthful people with an agenda to fill--some other fkucwit comes along to tell them how great Russian teaching is and what a great experience it's been for them, and how much they'll love it--the jobseeker needs only to lose inhibitions and make the move. Visa or no visa. Contract or no contract. Just go and everything will work itself out and be fine.

Of course the poor jobseeker would prefer to listen to the fkucwit who is lying to them and telling half-truths, eschewing my more cautious advice.

How can I/we better refer the jobseeker to information which will make clear[er] the hazards of these spurious unsupported job offers? Most of the people being sucked in are young and inexperienced, and have no idea what a snakepit Russian contract law and visas really are. They're westerners who have no experience with the kind of corruption under which many Russian business operate (not like that's a bad thing.....).

Thoughts?

expatella_girl · Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:45 pm Post subject:

To illustrate:

http://www.expat.ru/forum/showthread.php?t=555128

http://www.reddit.com/r/russia/comments/1pstej/i_have_agreed_to_teach_english_in_russia_but_the/

http://www.reddit.com/r/russia/comments/1ptgtk/any_english_teachers_who_teach_in_russia_want_to/

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:12 pm Post subject:

Excellent post, Expatella_girl. I didn't know that things were quite as bad as that, but agree that the whole thing smacks of SCAM. The exact nature of the scam is unclear to me - is it just saving costs; can schools not get quotas; is there some sort of 'fee' that job seekers need to pay upfront?

In any case, coming here illegally is a massive mistake, and refusing to accept that will turn one's Russian dream into a veritable nightmare.

Foma87 · Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 116 Location: Moscow

While I agree coming over to teach for a school w/out a proper visa is risky, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's perilous. It really depends on the person.
There are after all many who teach for some of these schools on a freelance basis, some undoubtably w/out too much trouble and under better conditions than the the macs offer.
What would be more useful for somebody thinking about taking such a route is either to refer them to stories of ppl who have had serious problems recently while working without a proper visa (I haven't heard of any) or how to go about doing it to avoid such problems if they decide to (ditto). Stating the obvious, either positive (that Russia's a great experience) or negative (that working without a proper visa is illegal, that some of the schools are shady, etc) is of little import.
What are you so alarmed about? The sheer number of small schools offering work off the books? Acquaintances who've had problems w/ such schools? Or your own personal sense of how somebody should go about teaching in Russia and the feeling that many are doing otherwise?

teacher X · Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 6:11 pm Post subject:

Jebus! The levels of 'derp' on display in those links made my head hurt.

Jazziz23 · Joined: 08 Apr 2011 Posts: 61

Some people may just need to learn the hard way. anytime you go to a foreign country you always need to know the laws, but then again common sense doesn't seem to be too "common".

jpvanderwerf2001 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 1117 Location: New York

It is a very bad idea to work in Russia without a work permit. Anyone who says otherwise is blowing smoke. If stuff goes "down", it will not be pretty or fun.
I thought that the government was getting more intuitive (Russian government = intuitive...I know) about quotas for language teachers? Is that not the case?

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Things are computerised, so vanishing is not all that easy. And that includes when you come to see security on your way out again. They will want to see your migration form, which probably will not be correct if you have not been properly registered, which may be difficult if your school is not getting legitimate accommodation, which again may be difficult if you have not got a proper visa. Find a proper employer!