Job Discussion Forums

[somewah]

yes i have already tried to research this.. i have read through many forum topics and seem to be getting mixed responses on this issue..

I am an Australian citizen, coming over to do my TESL course in May, in Prague. After that i am hoping to find a job placement in Poland as a first preference.. but anywhere in Eastern Europe would be great.

Now - i emailed the Polish Consulate in Sydney regarding the need for a working Visa, and their response was that i would need to apply for a working visa from my country of residence 'before' leaving. But to do this i already need a job offer and acceptance.
This is not feasible, as i won't be applying for jobs until i begin my course in Prague - in May. And i won't even know which country i will find work in.
A few forum topics seem to indicate that i will be able to obtain a Working Visa with help from the school once i am over there and land a job. But i am still concerned at the response i recieved from the Polish Consulate email.

If anyone here has come from Australia to teach in Eastern Europe.. please share with me the appropriate method of obtaining a work visa
my flight is in a month..

Cheers very much,,

[spiral78]

There is some indication that there is a new law - starting March first this year, that you must apply for a visa from your home country. I have researched this just a bit for the Czech Rep, not for Poland. And I know it to be true for Netherlands, as I'm waiting for a visa now...Apparently a new law for Schengen zone countries. For info regarding the Czech Rep, you can google the official website of the CR and read up about employment (use the pink button that offers 'more info' in the employment page).

This is not a certainty yet, and I don't want to imply that I 'know' the laws have changed and that all non-EU citizens will have to apply for visas from their home countries - but the signs are ominous. If this is the case, it's going to be a very big problem for many people...

[somewah]

oh -
that's very reassuring :S
anyone else>>?

or should i bail on my course, and just go travelling...........

[scottie1113]

I'm an American teaching in Poland. You don't need a work visa to teach here but you will need a residency card since as of December Poland is in the Schengen zone. That means you can be here for 90 out of 180 days, or somethig like that. Some schools will help you get yorur residency card-mine did-and some won't. Where in Poland do you want to work, and why Poland?

[spiral78]

Careful- there are NEW LAWS AS OF MARCH 1, 2008.

Somewah, I suggest that you contact your prospective training course provider and explain what you've heard and read. Ask them to tell you exactly what current laws will apply to you.

I think this is a very legitimate question to ask of a training centre. If they are going to market training courses to non-EU member citizens, they need to know exactly what the legal requirements are for them to work - at least in the country where the training centre is located.

And this is a Schengen-wide law, so it's going to apply across the whole zone, I think.

[somewah]

hey spiral, thanks for your advise
i have already emailed my course co-ordinator.. and he is 'in the process of finding out for me' he said 'as far as he is aware, most people sort it out after they get a job..'
it is pretty silly, as i can't really get a straight answer anywhere.. the course will be fun and a great experience either way, but you are right, they shouldn't be marketing it to non EU citizens as though they can get work instantly if that is not the case..

scottie.. thanks for your reply too.
poland - i travelled there in 2006 and loved it. i'm not sure where in poland, wherever i can find a job. but a city with a decent music culture would be great as i am a performing musician too.

[spiral78]

Well, cut your course provider some slack - if I understand the new laws myself, they just took effect three weeks ago.

I didn't mean to imply that the course providers are trying to do anything underhanded - just that they may not be aware yet.

So far as EVERYONE was aware, it WAS the case that you could get a visa from in-country - it's apparently just now changed...

Anyway, many people train in Prague and then go elsewhere. It's a fantastic city to visit, whether you stay or not. And, of course, you'd have up to 90 days to enjoy the region at least.

[ITTP]

Hi somewah!

I'm writing now concerning the situation for N. Americans and I am assuming that the same rules apply for Australian nationals (the majority of our Onsite TEFL clients are from the USA).

I just wanted to begin by clarifying that although we are also Onsite TEFL course provider in Prague that the majority of our clients are Online TEFL trainees and that my reason for posting isn't to try to convince people to come to Prague but instead is to explain the unique country the Czech Republic is in terms of the teaching English scene.

Since the fall of the iron curtain in 1989 it has been extremely easy for N.Americans to find illegal teaching English positions in the Czech Republic.
Technically everyone should have had a work permit to teach English but this wasn't strictly enforced and teachers would often find themselves teaching English in a large multinational company whilst staying on a tourist visa.

The Czech Republic then successfully became a member of the EU (which in my humble view was a mistake), and it became ever more evident then that N.Americans would need to get their act together concerning becoming legal because the times were changing and it would no longer be possible for non-EU nationals to teach English in the Czech Republic.
Technically everyone should have had a work permit to teach English but this wasn't strictly enforced and teachers would often find themselves teaching English in a large multinational company whilst staying on a tourist visa.

Since December 21st 2007 the Czech Republic has become part of the Schengen state area and the guidelines have changed again.
Technically speaking, if you are from a non-Schengen state wanting to work in a Schengen state then you MUST obtain your work visa and collect your work visa from your home country. This would mean needing for example to apply for a work visa in NY and then collecting your work visa in NY. This would also mean needing to have already had lined up a teaching English position before leaving the States.
This might be the case for countries such as France and the Netherlands but the Czech Republic is a special case.
I also want to add now that my post in no way aims at running down or criticizing the Czech state; I have lived here for over 12 years now and I stay here because I feel alive here and I feel apart of this country.
I am though aware that the Czech Republic is not Germany and its attitudes towards English teachers arriving from the West clearly demonstrate this parallel.

The latest is that everyone needs to apply for the work visa outside of the Czech Republic and to then collect their work visa from the same office where they applied. This CAN currently be another Schengen state or non-Schengen state and doesn't have to be from your home country.
BUT... the visa offices in the Schengen states bordering the Czech Republic are getting busy now and are getting booked up a few months ahead so you might need to wait a bit longer now for your visa to be processed.

We are also receiving reports that if there is a danger you will overstay your legal time in the Czech Republic that as long as your application for visa is being processed that this is sufficient for the immigration police. The immigration police though can issue you an exit rule which means that you then have up to 60 days to get your stuff together or you will then need to leave the country.

N. American passports are not being checked at Czech borders so I think this also raises the question of whether it will still be possible to work illegally here - something which we don't encourage because getting legal provides teachers with far greater legal and working rights.

expats.cz seems to be the forum currently which has the latest info on the Prague visa issue (if you put aside all the unnecessary rantings which make up for a lot of the discussions though).

The important thing to remember is that the Czech Republic is still emerging from its 40 years of communist rule and part of its charm is the fact that so many things here function in a liberal manner.
It MIGHT change and the Czech Republic MIGHT change its position from being the most laid back Schengen state to being as staunch as the Dutch (for example), but knowing the Czech mentality and their disregard for rules and also their need for N. American teachers I do feel that we shall all just have to wait and see how things develop towards the end of the year.

Spiral was right to defend your school btw.
Even the visa offices don't know the official line here and the visa services are trapped in the middle a little.
The schools do try to keep up on the latest word but it is a little like following Tory MP David Cameron's bike ride to work; allegedly not very easy to do so and frightfully alarming

My advice for you is not to worry, to request that your school posts you the latest info as it comes in, to follow davescafe.com for the latest, and also to take a look at local prague forums such as expats.cz and praguetv.cz for the latest local info.

Hezke Velikonoce!/Lovely Easter!

Neville
ITTP Prague
Jungmannova 32
Prague 1

[spiral78]

Good post. Thanks for doing some research and writing in a clear and balanced way. I have long believed that newbs need to have realistic understanding and expectations. At the moment, the realistic info is that we know getting legal papers will be a hassle. We know that it's strongly recommended that they not consider working illegally any more. And we know that the rules aren't entirely clear, nor is it clear how they'll be enforced.

So, I think the basic message for current newbs considering the CR (and other 'new' Schengen member states) is: don't come on a financial shoestring - you may need to leave. The paperwork is likely to be a hassle. You may not be able to gain legal work right after finishing a training course - or you may.

So, come prepared to be flexible...