Job Discussion Forums

[SF21]

Not sure if this has been posted. Please delete if it has.

"Americans living in the Czech Republic have until now required no more than a tourist visa which had to be renewed every 90 days with short trip to neighbouring Germany or Austria.

Now they will have to apply for the new visa at an embassy outside the Schengen zone, and the closest are in Switzerland, Ukraine and Romania."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4738063.stm

[ITTP]

Hi wayman32!

Yes, the subject of the Schengen zone enlargement to include Czech Republic has been discussed before.

In the past North Americans could cross the border after 90 days and cross back again and automatically receive an additional 90 day tourist visa. This is now no longer possible and the visa fare applies.
However, our source here tells us that the application for the work visa won't change at all from what it is currently and this means still being able to arrive in Czech Republic on a free 90 day tourist visa and then applying in person either in Germany/Slovakia/Poland/Austria for the work visa.
What it does mean though is that it (probably) won't be possible to work illegally here anymore for longer than a 3 month period and that everyone will be 'forced' to get the work permit (which I personally see as a positive given the extra revenue which will flow into the health and education system from additional taxes being paid).
Still though, there was a lot of talk when Czech Republic joined the EU and nothing really changed at all so I am a little skeptical whether this new law will in fact be implemented effectively.
We shall see
Pekny vikend!/Beautiful weekend!

[johnnyappleseed]

Americans can still work, but it is a bit more difficult: namely the length of the visa process makes it so. Under Schengen law, non-EU'ers from teh USA(and some other countries, like Canada, Australia, etc) are allowed to say as a "tourist" for three months out of every six: so simply driving to, say, Ukraine or Croatia is not enough. After three months, the foreign tourist must leave for three months.

What this means is that teachers applying for visa's after arriving in the country are going to have to get not only long-term visas but short term visa's too, that allow them to "extend" their stay. THis is because if you arrive in the Czech Republic looking for a job, even if you find a job and a flat very quickly, you are still going to have to gather a lot of documents and so on to apply for the visa. You could theoretically do ALL this in a week, but I usually tell new people to count on a month, especially if they've already started working.

Now, the visa takes up to 120 days to process...This means that it is highly likely that if a teacher applies for a visa after, say, 21 days in the Schengen zone, it's possible that he would not be granted a visa until AFTER he had overstayed his "tourist visa."

I am not sure how they are planning on handling this--but until it's known for sure, I think it's safe to say that newbies are going to have to plan a little more methodically for their stay in the Czech Republic, if they are planning on staying for a month. You will be applying not only for a long-term visa, but possibly a short-term one as well. It is quite true that others can still be hired--my school just hired an American due to start next September--but the process is undoubtedly going to be a little more stressful, complex and a bit more expensive as well. Good luck!

[ITTP]

Good advice johnnyappleseed.
According to our source it will be possible to extend the tourist visa to allow for the additional time which it can take for the longer term visa to come through.
The natural route will be for TEFL schools and language schools to provide greater support to newbies when taking their courses and then when entering their teaching position(s).
Still, Czech Republic does remain a flexible teaching option.
As an example of the flexibility, North Americans (until recently) must have technically left the country after 90 days and then returned again to renew their tourist visa but we have heard numerous reports of North Americans overstaying the 90 days (in some cases by a couple of months+) and having absolutely no issues at the border upon leaving or coming back into the country again.
Czech Republic simply needs its N.American teachers.

[johnnyappleseed]

duplicate post

[johnnyappleseed]

I agree with you, Czech still needs ENglish teachers. I just think it's important that people be aware that it probably is going to be a bit more difficult, though by no means impossible.
The Czech Republic, as far as I can see, still remains a great place for North Americans to work in Europe.

I'm curious: what is your source regarding the extension? And do you know what the process of extending the tourist visa is/will be? I ask because there are two people at the place I work at who are struggling through the visa process right now and I'm a bit worried about them. My girlfriend is the head teacher and we're trying to get them squared away.

[ITTP]

Hi Johnnyappleseed.

Sorry it took so long to get back to you but I haven't been on Daves Cafe recently as have been directly involved with our moving to larger offices in an even more central part of Prague.

I found out that it won't be possible to extend the tourist visa but that when you apply for the longer term visa (with work visa) that you can also apply for a shorter term visa.
I think this is a very well thought out system and means that TEFL students can arrive and take their course and then have a bit of time (if they wish) to relax and look for work and then apply for the visa once they are sure they want to stay in Prague.
For teachers who want to just stay for the 3 months then they will need to begin teaching right after their course (which is what the majority of our grads do), and then have 2 months to hook up their next teaching destination. If they then decide to stay on in Prague then they can apply for the longer and shorter term visa.

Once again, I really feel this is a positive move in terms of improved quality of teaching here in CZ and also the necessity for teachers and schools to pay taxes - something up until now which has been very relaxed.

All the best!

[SF21]

addendum: bad news for Americans without a work permit making visa runs

[spiral78]

If you've got a work permit, you aren't making visa runs.

[HLJ]

If an American has already overstayed (more than 90 days) in the Schengen area, is it still possible to get a proper work and residency visa?

Will this person be denied a work and residency visa because he/she has overstayed?

Will a school/academy still be willing to assist this person in getting a proper work visa even though he/she has overstayed?

If this person who has overstayed applies for a work/residency, is it possible that he/she will be denied the visa and then deported because he/she has brought the fact that they have overstayed to the attention of the authorities?

Thanks.

[spiral78]

Of course, all of the above are possible outcomes.
I think if it were me, I'd try to throw myself on the mercy of the authorities at the earliest possible moment. The law's new enough for one to convincingly plead ignorance. I think most officials would be prone to lenience, but of course, you could get a tough guy.

Worst case? You have to leave....
Best? A school will agree to help you and you've got a few tedious and possibly humiliating official encounters ahead.

I wouldn't delay longer...

[Fledermaus]

I second that last post of Spiral78's.

The Czech embassies and consulates in Germany, Austria and Slovakia are still accepting applications for visas, so you should get an appointment at one of them ASAP. No telling for sure how long this door is going to be open, but it seems the Czech authorities are trying to get as many Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, etc. legal as they can.