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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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 Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 3:13 am Post subject: Bringing wife? Need some answers |
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OK, I call her 'the wife' but legally we're only recognised as common law. I'm finishing up a 120 hour Tesl certificate plus practicum and will be looking for jobs once I'm done. Here are my questions:
Will being legally married make things easier for her in China, Korea or Taiwan?
She will not be teaching but doesn't want to just sit around and so she'll be looking for some kind of work. What is available for non teaching foreigners? voiceovers? stunt work? cleaning out the elephant cage at the zoo?
Any info greatly appreciated. |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 8:24 am Post subject: Re: Bringing wife? Need some answers |
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| yamahuh wrote: |
OK, I call her 'the wife' but legally we're only recognised as common law. I'm finishing up a 120 hour Tesl certificate plus practicum and will be looking for jobs once I'm done. Here are my questions:
Will being legally married make things easier for her in China, Korea or Taiwan?
She will not be teaching but doesn't want to just sit around and so she'll be looking for some kind of work. What is available for non teaching foreigners? voiceovers? stunt work? cleaning out the elephant cage at the zoo?
Any info greatly appreciated. |
I can only comment on Korea, and then not in a great deal of depth.
One initial hurdle might be that the job you find might offer you accommodation. However, your employer may not allow you to live with anyone except a wife. By that I mean real wives. Common law is not as common as you might think  You should check this carefully when you apply and make sure you are applying to a reputable employer who doesn't renege on this when you finally get here. You might also find that your employer provides accommodation but that this is a room in a shared apartment with other teachers. Again, your partner will not be welcome in that scenario.
Another issue you might want to consider is that your partner in Korea will be on a tourist visa unless she herself arranges work with an employer before coming here or shortly after she does. This has implications for you because if she does not find work she will not be able to work legally on her tourist visa and, as she will be ineligible for a dependent's visa, she will have to leave the country every 90 days to renew her tourist visa. This is a major drain on finances if there is only one of you working.
To be honest, if she is not interested in teaching English, she will find it nigh impossible to find any other work. I'm not saying it is impossible but it would involve a lot of looking and a bit of luck on her part if she has no Korean language.
I think, from what I've heard, that China may be more up your street. Can anyone confirm this? |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 8:33 am Post subject: |
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| In Japan, they don't recognize common law any more than someone you just met. A colleague of mine just arrived in Japan with her boyfriend (common law). He can only get a tourist visa and must leave Japan after 3 months. He didn't receive a plane ticket that both my wife and daughter received nor any family supplements. Frankly I have no idea what he will do nor how long he will stay. He can't work here legally unless he gets a work visa. |
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Clancy
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 162
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| Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 9:48 am Post subject: |
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In China better stick to Shanghai or Beijing.
In the hinterland you can get arrested and deported for less. |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info guys, any other perspectives or experiences out there?
As far as the acccomodation goes, I would be unwilling (obviously) to share accomodations with others. I'm not being anti social, I'm just at a point in my life where a modicum of privacy and space are high on my list of must have's.
From what I've read, if I've interpreted correctly, a dependant visa would allow her to work? The alternative being that she find employment before we arrive which would provide her with all the necessary legal visas? |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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| yamahuh wrote: |
From what I've read, if I've interpreted correctly, a dependant visa would allow her to work? The alternative being that she find employment before we arrive which would provide her with all the necessary legal visas? |
Sure, a dependent's visa would allow her to work (provided you stay within the legal limits of that e.g. in Japan earn no more than 1.1 million yen a year), but you are not going to get one of those without producing a marriage certificate.
Again, if she is not into teaching, finding a job on the ground is hard enough. Finding a job before she arrives... well, I wish you all the best...  |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| a dependant visa would allow her to work? |
Technically, no. She would also need to file paperwork to request permission to work. It will be PT only. |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 1:41 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
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| a dependant visa would allow her to work? |
Technically, no. She would also need to file paperwork to request permission to work. It will be PT only. |
Well my wife didn't in 6 years of part time work on a dependent's visa in japan. Guess we were just lucky then  |
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skindleshanks
Joined: 09 May 2004
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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I think you need to have an MA if your wife won't be working in China.
And a wife has to have a marriage certificate in China or Korea, or else she's on her own just like you.
I know those who shacked up together in Guangzhou no problem. They did get separate apartments, but their relationship was well known. |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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Well you guys have definitely given me some good info.
Unfortunately I was hoping for someone to say ' no problems, bring her along put her to work, relax and live the good life...'
Looks like I'm gonna have to get married 
Dammit |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 12:03 am Post subject: |
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| yamahuh wrote: |
Looks like I'm gonna have to get married
Dammit |
That's a good attitude, maybe you can include that when you propose to her.  |
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rj
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Posts: 159
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| Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 12:45 am Post subject: |
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| yamahuh wrote: |
Well you guys have definitely given me some good info.
Unfortunately I was hoping for someone to say ' no problems, bring her along put her to work, relax and live the good life...'
Looks like I'm gonna have to get married
Dammit |
Hahaha! I feared the same thing but lucked out with China. I told my boyfriend that since he doesn't have to have a degree, he was going to have to teach or stay home |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 2:20 am Post subject: |
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I've tried to convince her to give some form of teaching a shot, but she's mildly dyslexic and she feels that she cannot work around it.
How are you liking China and whereabouts are you?
I'm still trying to arrange my practicum, but once that is done I can start looking for jobs. I've heard good things about China and the institute where I took my Tesol says that they can place me there very quickly if I want. Korea is also appealing, better money for sure from the sound of things, but as long as we can make ends meet and experience something different I think we'll be OK. Coming home with cash in hand would definitely be a bonus, but isn't my primary concern.
I guess the other option would be for her to find a job overseas and for me to pick up teaching positions wherever her position lands us.
I guess we'd still best be married though. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 7:44 am Post subject: |
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I think you will find that once she gets here, she will find teaching work.
Lets face it - if I can do it - anyone can! I am coming back to this School for the second year and they seem happy with my work.
I do try hard and spend a lot of time preparing for each lesson - but obviously I am nowhere near as effective as a long term teacher would be and I am paid accordingly.
However, if she is prepared to accept around 3,500 like I am receiving, she should have no problems finding work. Please ask her to P.M. me if she would like some more information or some advice. |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 9:43 am Post subject: |
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| Rhonda Place wrote: |
I think you will find that once she gets here, she will find teaching work.
However, if she is prepared to accept around 3,500 like I am receiving, she should have no problems finding work. Please ask her to P.M. me if she would like some more information or some advice. |
I apreciate the offer, I'll mention it to her, but I'm pretty sure that she's not interested in even attempting teaching. She's convinced herself that she won't be able to do it.
I'm quite concerned that she won't be able to find anything else though, it worries me that if she's not working we won't be able to afford to visit places and really experience the culture and all that our host country has to offer. Also I think she would get bored and homesick very quickly and that would be no fun for anyone. |
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