Job Discussion Forums

Sophia Muller · Joined: 20 Oct 2004 Posts: 5

I have signed a contract to teach in Asia. I won't say where because it might bias this post. Whenever I say where, I get an instant answer without much thought. Immigration will not give me a visa because they say that my diploma is insufficient. Here's the thing - I have a four year associate diploma that is not a BA. Shouldn't this be enough for any country, or is a BA really required? In that case, what do people do who come from countries that don't offer BAs, such as France, if they want to be foreign language teachers? Is it a question of university vs. college? If someone in the know could give me a rundown of what *exactly* is required in each of the main ESL countries, without just saying "a BA", it would be so helpful. So far, the employer is about to hire someone else because of this confusion.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Sorry, Sophia, you are going to HAVE to state the country where you intend to work. Too many differences abound. Do you really want people from each and every Asian country to give you that rundown and hope that one of them is in the one you plan to work in?

Besides, there are always loopholes.

One more thing... I've never heard of an associate diploma. In the USA, an associate's degree is a 2-year thing. A diploma is from high school. I know Canadian diplomas are not the same. If immigration wants a full-blown 4-year bachelor's degree, you will likely need it, and nothing less. But, I don't know the requirements in any other Asian country than Japan.

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

Your question is very difficult to answer. For example, take Japan. An undergraduate degree is a requirement for any application for a work visa. However, I myself managed to get two people work visas without BA degrees. How? One had an MA (which I verified from her college) but couldn't find her cert Rolling Eyes

neither could she find her BA cert as she was older and had graduated in eons ago Rolling Eyes

so we just went with her high school diploma which her mother had a copy of. Immigration bought it. The other had a HND (a simple college undergrad qualification) in photography but a lot of life experience. He had a TESOL cert as well. We took the HND cert and applied with it. They bought it.

In each of these cases, immigration did not ask if the doc was a BA and we did not say. We managed to get work visas for both.

I say this to illustrate that it very much depends on who employs you. who actually files your application and which immigration office they file it at. This is all before considering the country you wish to remain unknown.

So, there are ways to do it but you need to work down at grass roots level, not by calling your local immigration helpline Wink

and expecting them to give an answer which bends the general rule.

Sophia Muller · Joined: 20 Oct 2004 Posts: 5

You are, of course, quite right. It is too broad a question. The country I had in mind was Korea (can't post on that list for some reason). However, it seems that there is a kind of general ambiquity surrounding visa requirements. I can't seem to find a single site that gives me the straight truth. For instance, you say that a degree is required in Japan? There are several jobs offered on Dave's that suggest either no degree is necessary, or a 2yr diploma will do, or that a BA "or equivalent" is required. All of these appear to be full teaching jobs in Japan. What does "or equivalent" mean? Is there no official source for this information? Obviously any school can say what they want, but what are the rules? When they say "four year diploma" this can mean a university degree in the US, but can't it also mean college diploma? In Canada, there is either a diploma or a degree. The same in England. In France a BA equivalent is a "license". But is immigration in any country (Korea especially) aware of these distinctions?

All I want is some clarity about the rules that are preventing me from getting a job. Too often a school says four year diploma when they mean degree. After all, we are not describing the piece of paper, but the credential...

Ajarn Miguk · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 227 Location: TDY As Assigned

A very good source of visa and other legal information is:

http://www.efl-law.com/

I believe you will find it highly unlikely to be able to obtain a teaching visa in Korea with less than a Bachelor's degree.

Good luck.

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

Sophia Muller · Joined: 20 Oct 2004 Posts: 5

Thanks for all your various suggestions/ideas. What really frustrates me is that my 4 year Canadian associates diploma is exactly like a degree in terms of the program. The problem is that the school is private and they can't call it a degree. Maybe there's an immigration office I can convince...

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Sophia,
Can't really respond well to the ads you have seen unless I see them, too, but here goes.

For a work visa, you need a bachelor's degree, or at least three years of work experience. The degree can be in anything. Yes, they recognize three year degrees (from Australia, anyway), so give it a try and don't call it a diploma. Say it is a degree.

Places that accept people without degrees are either interested in folks who have spouse visas, dependent visas, student visas, or working holiday visas. The first and last of those types can work FT, while the second and third can only work PT. None of them requires a degree. If an employer is willing to accept a teacher on a tourist status with no degree, beware! That it totally illegal.

BA equivalent? Hard to describe. You would have to get that clarification from the employer. A BS is an equivalent in my book, but what else, I don't know. Know this, however... many employers don't know the immigration regulations very well, so what they accept and what immigration needs for the visa could be two different things.