Job Discussion Forums

[yogurtpooh]

So my mickey mouse school wanted to see a work permit from me after four months of teaching there. They want me to do everything myself. Shouldn't they pay for half? How much is a work permit assuming I got all of my degrees authenticated? I have my TESOl and background check authenticated but not my BA, can I still apply for a work permit?

[LettersAthruZ]

[kaurinz]

I'm getting close to the time when I have to leave New Zealand and will have in hand an original BA degree (althought not authenticated) and I believe I can get an FBI CBC (through a channeler) although not in time to get an apostilled one. Are these sufficient? And if they aren't, how much have you heard of those outstretched hands asking for in the past?

[kaurinz]

LettersAthruZ:

I believe I found a range for the amount that might be handed over for a work permit on another post of yours on a different thread. sorry to having had requested the info again. Any additional info would be welcomed though.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=90466&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60

[yogurtpooh]

How I would even get it done? My school is so clueless about it. It's so shocking that they have many foreign teachers and and they've been open for five plus years and they have no idea about the work permit. The principal was clueless and admitted she didn't know. None of the staff knew- they just asked me to ask the other teachers. They told me all their teachers already came in with work permits. At the beginning I even asked them if I needed a work permit and they said no. I've only signed on with them until May.... so likely I'll ditch them and pursue better options, but in the mean time, the pay is pretty decent and the hours are great.

[LettersAthruZ]

[DNK]

My school just sent out a letter to all the teachers saying the government is going to start enforcing this law in the new year, and we all need permits by April or else...

So, it may just be that your "mickey mouse school" never bothered with this before as it wasn't needed before, but now with the government cracking down they have their backs against the wall (heavy fines, temporary closure). Hence, you need one and they're clueless.

This is in the South, btw (and I think every post ought to have the region being referenced somewhere).

[Mattingly]

[Jbhughes]

It may be worth trying to put the onus back on them. Are you yourself able to arrange your own Visa without a work permit? (From your previous posts, I seem to remember you have family here, so I think you should be able to?? Forgive me if I'm wrong.) If so, then in my opinion the work permit would only help the school.

You could tell them that you have little interest in the work permit, and should the school want you to continue working there, then of course you will comply with doing some of the leg work (going to the hospital/going to the embassy), but they are going to have to come with the cash and work out all the ins and outs of getting in done. They may or may not go for it, but take it from someone who did bother shelling out and going around the houses getting the w.p. done, if I could've sorted out the visa another way, then I would've.

It's quite an extreme stance to take, but you don't sound particularly enamoured with the place anyway - why fork out yourself and do all the research when largely it's their problem?

Keep us posted with what happens and good luck either way:

[LettersAthruZ]

[LettersAthruZ]

[inhanoi]

AtoZ: "In terms of the outstretched hand, I was talking for those who have NO certification and/or NO University degree at all..."

Okay, previously you seemed to be saying that this bribery is standard, now you're explaining that it's for those without proper documents. When I stated that there is no standard "bribe," I was referring to legal applications (all documents in order). Of course, if you're asking someone to break the law (ie give you a WP when you are not qualified) then obviously money will have to change hands. Who is in the wrong in a case like that?

I have a close acquaintance in SGN who chose to use a US-based agency to handle his application. It cost him about $1000, for the agency to get all the notarizations, translations, and do all the paperwork. If that agency had had to pay a $700 bribe, they'd make no profit. In my case, my school paid all of the costs for my WP, including reimbursing me for photocopies and embassy notarizations. But my documents were all legitimate and all in order.

[sigmoid]

[inhanoi]

I didn't say I thought it was a good idea, I presented it as an example of situations where bribes aren't paid. He chose to do it this way after he put a $ value on his time and energy in addition to the direct costs; the agency did all the leg-work, Fedex fees, translations in the US back-and-forth between the US State Dept and the VN Embassy, blahblah; in the end it didn't cost much more than if he'd done it all himself (factoring in the value of his time)And it was done efficiently and promptly.

[DNK]

LAZ, no they aren't paying. I am curious about the actual laws on this. Do you have a reference?