Job Discussion Forums

AnneGoess · Joined: 23 Sep 2010 Posts: 2 Location: California, USA

My family (husband, 11-year-old son and I) would like to spend the next academic year in Poland, where I am hoping to find at least part-time work teaching English. The only catch is, of course, I'm American... I have a TESL Certificate from the University of California at Berkeley, two years' teaching experience and ten years' experience producing language-teaching software, plus some more recent forays into private tutoring.

I'd love advice on anything I could do at this point to make myself more employable when we get to Poland. Is a TESL certificate from an American University worth anything there? We're hoping to get a National Long-stay (D) visa; would I still have to get a work permit within 90 days of entering the country? And what are my chances of even getting such a permit?

Any enlightenment much appreciated,
"Definitely not a Surfer" Californian

Janek · Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 79 Location: Krakow, Poland

Master Shake · Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA

I'm from the US and had to get a work permit to teach here.

Unless you teach at a Polish Ministry of Education accredited school, you're required to get a work permit.

A lot of schools are put off by having to get this permit as it's a lengthy process, but some will do it for you. You then use this work permit (and many other documents!) to get a one-year visa.

I think that, with your experience, you could find work related to ESL software development. Perhaps you wouldn't need a work permit for this kind of work. Question

AnneGoess · Joined: 23 Sep 2010 Posts: 2 Location: California, USA

Thank you, Master Shake. But wouldn't we need to get the one-year visa here in the States before we even enter the country? My husband's wondering if he could do contract work while we're there, probably for American companies; would he need a work permit for that, too?
Anne

Master Shake · Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA

I've got no idea about the contract work for Am. companies.

But you can come here without a visa, find a job, and then get a work permit and visa while in Poland (I did it Fall of '09). Doing it this way allows you to see the school, meet your future boss first-hand before you commit yourself and sign a contract.

However, bear in mind that you only have 90 days in Poland sans-visa. So you must find a job quickly once in country. Otherwise you may have to do a 'visa run' (there are lots of threads here on this; relax, it's not that bad and involves no actual running!) in order to buy yourself enough time for your visa/work permit paperwork to go through.