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Guest

Hello everyone

I am currently living and teaching English in China. I have been at the same School for almost two years now. I found the first Winter here not particularly wonderful as I am from a warm part of Australia, but last winter was very bad for me.

I have told my School that I wish to disappear for 6 - 7 months and return here to the School around Jan/Feb 2006. The School would like me to stay on for a third year, but they have agreed to my request that I teach here every year from Jan - June only.

I was in H.C.M.C. for two months in 2003 and while I was there (volunteering in an Orphanage) I was offered several teaching positions, all of which I declined, due to lack of nerve.

I now feel more confident and I loved the people while I was in Vietnam, did not mind the food and liked the climate.

So, do you think I will be able to find work if I arrive there in early July? I would wish to stay for 6 months.

Please bear in mind that I have no Degrees, no Teaching Certificates, but I do have two years experience now (whatever that is worth) as opposed to last time when I had nothing.

countdown · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 70

Hi - there have been a number of threads re: work permits in HCMC and this week we (my husband and I ) received a memo from our school saying that the Dep't of Education and Training require all foreign teachers to have a work permit from this year on and that in order to get a work permit you must have a TESOL or TEFL qualification...... I have seen others saying that a police report is also required but we haven't heard anything about that requirement.

Mr Wind-up Bird · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 196

How are the police going to enforce this? Lightning raids on language schools? Sounds unlikely - they're generally warned off doing anything to inconvenience the expat community for fear of deterring foreign investment. Though you might get hassle if you work at a Vietnamese school I suppose.

mr.pete · Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 26

I know of a few schools (foreign and local) being informed about this - this does not affect the expat community directly, as the authorities deal with the school. Proposed penalty is 5million dong fine (for the school) per staffer without the work permit. I imagine it also means some measure taken against said teacher, but who knows until it's seen to be happening.

slada · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 9

You can apply directly to the government for your work permit. They require your passport with your business visa, as well as a copy of your police background check. I have a friend here who is a lawyer and specializes in such things. She set the whole thing up for me and the cost was minimal.

She explained that most language schools will not get a work permit for you becuase of the cost to them (I think they have to pay a fee for every foreign employee that they have as well as the cost of the permit). She advised me to get the permit with or without the knowledge of my company. She also mentioned that if you have a dispute with your employer, the government will step in if you have a work permit and. It is in a language institutes best interest to settle any dispute with their employees before this happens, as the government is starting to sit up and take notice of some of the more shady business practices being followed by some of these organizations.

Blade · Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 44

Mr Wind-up Bird · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 196

countdown · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 70

Our school is now in the process fo getting work permits for foreign teachers and there is a deadline of July 1st. After which time, should the authorities do a random check of the school and find foreign teachers without a work permit, the school will be fined and the teacher deported.

For the work permit you need CELTA or TESOL, medical check, police check from your own country and if you've been in VN for more than ^ months, you need a police check form VN. Our school is looking after the medical checks and local police checks and is offering TESOL classes to those who don't have it (for a hefty fee I might add). The only thing the foreign teacher has to do is get a police check form their own country.

On that note - any ideas about getting one from Canada?????? Apparently you can access CCAP if you're American and get it done online but I can't find a comparable site for Canucks - can anyone help?????? The alternative is to go thru the embassy and it requires fingerprints and a minimum of 150 days.....................