Job Discussion Forums

[JZer]

I am an American with a degree in political science. I want to move from Taiwan to Indonesia. Can anyone please explain the current requirements for getting a working visa in Indonesia?

Is a Bachelor's degree and TESOL enough?

[KopiKopi]

Yes, you can get a job in Indonesia with those credentials, but according to the new 'rules' on oversea employees, it is not legal.

But, NOTHING in Indonesia is a sure-thing. You can be 100% legal and still run into trouble. Immigration recently beat up a guy in the airport for refusing to pay a bribe.

Selamat Datang di Indonesia

[pauleslteacher1]

Hello All....

I found this article very interesting as I'm sure you will too.... from the following link...

http://www.ehow.com/list_6520575_visa-requirements-teach-english-indonesia.html



Visa Requirements to Teach English in Indonesia



English-speaking teachers are in high demand in Indonesia.

According to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Washington D.C., Indonesia boasts more than 700 languages and dialects, spoken among their population of 235 million people. Bilateral trade increased with the United States by 4.5 billion in a single year in 2006. The increase in trade with English-speaking nations has created a demand for English teachers, and English-speaking travelers are flocking to the world's largest archipelago to fill that need. But, as they say, getting there is half the battle. If you want to teach in Indonesia, you must first obtain a work visa.


Employment



The Republic of Indonesia only allows citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada to teach English, and all local schools must abide by these rules. A prospective teacher must have an offer of employment from a school legally recognized in Indonesia and must be certified to teach English as a foreign language. A Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate is acceptable, but a degree is not needed. When submitting a visa application to the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in your home country, you will need to include a letter from the hiring Indonesian school stating that you have been offered a teaching position at their school and the length of your employment.


Passport



Your passport should be good for at least 24 months from the issuing date of the visa, and you will need at least one blank visa page. If your passport does not fit these requirements, it would be advisable to renew your visa or obtain extra visa pages from your government passport service office to avoid any complications in obtaining your visa.


Flight Itinerary



A copy of your flight itinerary is required when submitting your visa application. If you have booked your flight online, a printed receipt with your itinerary is adequate. If you have used a travel agency, please obtain a copy of your flight itinerary from them. A copy of your hard ticket is also acceptable.


Fees



The fee for processing the visa application varies in each country. As of May 2010, the fees for a U.S. citizen include $50 for stays up to six months, $100 for stays up to one year and $175 for stays up to two years. If you are applying in person, you may pay by cash, a United States Postal Service money order or a company check made payable to the Embassy of Indonesia. If you are applying via post, cash is not accepted. Personal checks will not be accepted in either case.


Application



The application for a Limited Stay Visa can be picked up at the Consulate General of The Republic of Indonesia, or it can be found on the consulate website. (Please see Resources for application.) Fill out the application in its entirety and sign it. With the application form, include your passport with one blank visa page, the offer of employment letter, the flight itinerary, two recent passport-sized color photos and the application fee. If there is no consulate in your area, you may send the application via Express Mail to the embassy. Please note that you must also include a self-stamped envelope for the return of your passport and visa, or your application will not be processed. From the date of receipt, the approximate application processing time is three working days for applications made in person and five working days for applications made by post.


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Read more: Visa Requirements to Teach English in Indonesia | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6520575_visa-requirements-teach-english-indonesia.html#ixzz1O07dfCi1

[pauleslteacher1]

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[extradross]

Just to add further information to the requirements to teach-be employed, while it now appears that a teaching certificate is the requirement to 'teach Engish as a foreign language' in the Language course sector-the requirements to teach English within a National+/International school are totally different. In this sector the applicant must have a degree in the subject which they are going to teach. You apply for a job as a science teacher-must have a related degree. English teacher-got to have a degree in English-Language or Literature. I've heard that this is a 'modification' of the actual requirements to work in the International school sector-was supposed to be degree in Education. If this was implemented a lot of the Nat+/Internationals would be struggling to fill vacancies, even with the great increase in expats wanting to work here during the last couple of years.....

[JZer]

[extradross]

A TESOL/ESL cert is the current requirement for issuing work visa for a 'language school' employer-a teacher's license would have you opening doors to the major Internationals....big difference in pay between these! And why not....

[peas4luck]

I've been told by several (except EF) the "new" requirement is a degree in English, English literature, TESOl, linguistics etc.

TBI lists the following as one of their requirements on their website:

Requirements:

- Bachelor degree majoring in English Literature or other English disciplines, Linguistics, TESOL, Writing or Communication

Thought this was interesting too:

Note: Unqualified or inexperienced native speakers holding a Bachelor degree majoring in English Literature or other English disciplines, Linguistics, TESOL, Writing or Communications may be considered for CELTA sponsorship at TBI Indonesia.

As you said, they are hurting for teachers and this "rule" is not helping! One school told me they are talking with the government, trying to get this requirement changed but have not had any luck so far. I guess we shall wait and see.

I'm thinking about checking out Vietnam instead.

[JZer]

If one has a Master's degreee in Professional Writing would that be enough?

[Durian Tango]

In my experience an MA in Professional Writing would be enough, although you might have to produce your university transcripts on this one. The authorities are looking for a significant number of English-related courses which basically substantiate your degree as an 'English' degree.

[Zorobabel]

I stand by my claim several months ago: language schools are hurting for teachers as demonstrated by TBI's lowered standards. Salaries are starting to move up as well (see Wall Street's add on TEFL.com, for instance).

Yes, the new degree requirements apply to ESL teachers as well. But, as a previous thread detailed, EF has found to bypass these rules. Also, I do know one teacher who managed to bribe his way to a KITAS renewal, but I imagine it will only be worse for him next year.

[Durian Tango]

[quote="KopiKopi"]Yes, you can get a job in Indonesia with those credentials, but according to the new 'rules' on oversea employees, it is not legal.

But, NOTHING in Indonesia is a sure-thing. You can be 100% legal and still run into trouble. Immigration recently beat up a guy in the airport for refusing to pay a bribe.

Selamat Datang di Indonesia [/quote]

Why would you post something like this? Somebody wants to know what requirements Indonesia has for ESL teachers and you decide to mention some stupid story in the newspaper which we have very few facts on?

Give everyone a break and don't post scare stories just to look cool. The guy in story you mentioned above has absolutely nothing to do with ESL.

[ancient_dweller]

Would be awesome to be teaching English in Bali! Surf and teach!

[godmachine12]

For what it's worth, TBI is listing only a university degree as a requirement in this ad. Relatively new as well.

http://www.tefl.com/jobs/job.html?jo_id=46832