Job Discussion Forums

[escala99]

I've been looking at different Latin American countries for teaching opportunities. I've taught in Korea for several years and have a master's degree and would love to do some private tutoring, either short-term or long-term.

Obviously, to be employed in any country, you require a work visa. However, what about private tutoring? Which Latin American countries forbid any work outside of what is specified in the Visa (ie. a fixed address school)?

I know in Korea any private tutoring that wasn't sponsored by your school was illegal and the government would often crack down on foreigners who tried. Many teachers still taught outside their visa but it was someone you didn't advertise.

Does anyone have a sense on the attitudes among LA countries? Is tutoring acceptable? Could you advertise it in some countries or are you playing with fire?

Thanks!

[Guy Courchesne]

I haven't heard of it being a problem anywhere in Latin America to offer tutoring as long as you have a work visa for that country. Someone else might be able to provide a specific example.

In Mexico for example, you would probably start with an employer sponsored visa. No one would bat an eye if you did tutoring on the side, though you could very easily add that activity to your work visa status.

[HLJHLJ]

For Ecuador, the government don't care, as long as you are declaring it and paying your taxes.

If you have a visa that is sponsored by an employer (e.g. a work visa or a cultural exchange visa) then it's something you would have to negotiate with your employer. Some would object, some wouldn't.

If you had your own visa (e.g. a professional, investment or retirement visa), then you can do any work you like. Again, as long as you declare it for tax, it's a non-issue.

[escala99]

Thanks for the replies. Is getting a professional visa difficult? I don't think doing it through a school would be possible - in my experience in Asia, schools that put in the effort to sponsor a teacher don't want the individual to be teaching elsewhere.

I would love to run my own business (ie. run my own tutoring schedule). I am fluent in Spanish and have some contacts in Colombia and elsewhere to start getting some students. Any other thoughts on how one might make this happen? Are there other options for getting a visa sponsored?

Thanks! Much appreciated

[HLJHLJ]

Like any visa application process, there is paper work involved, and you have to pay attention to the details. Also, being Ecuador, things sometimes change while you are mid process, which can be frustrating. I did my own and I found it relatively straight forward. Some people pay a facilitator to do the paperwork for them (the going rate is approximately $500).

The basis for a professional visa is a BA (or a post graduate qualification) from a bricks and mortar university. They won't accept online or distance qualifications.

The usual route is to come, take the best job you can find and work hard at it for a year or so. Then, once you've got a bit of a reputation and have made some connections, you just go free-lance and set up on your own. The vast majority of your students will come through word of mouth.

Realistically, you would have to base yourself in Quito or Guayaquil to make a decent living.

[Guy Courchesne]

Pretty much the same for Mexico...you have a few options for starting out, such as coming in as a lot of retired folks do in getting a non-work visa while showing income from outside Mexico, or getting sponsored by an employer. In both case, you can then switch over to independent status while opening a business or even simply working in your own and handling your own taxes.

[escala99]

Thanks to you both, very helpful.

In either country, if I wanted to skip getting a job with a school and just start up my own free-lance tutoring business, how would I go about doing so? Do you know of any guide or link to this process?

I am happy to come in on a tourist visa for a few months but am worried about the legal aspect of teaching as a tourist.

[Guy Courchesne]

[HLJHLJ]

In terms of visas and tax, it's not a problem. You could get a 12-IX 180 day tourist visa. (You are not allowed to work on the free 90 day T3, and anyway, 90 days wouldn't be long enough to get set up.) However, as the 12-IX costs $400+$50 and the 9-V professional visa costs $500+$50, it would be an expensive way to do it. (You used to have to come on the 12-IX to change to the 9-V in country, but that's no longer the case).

In terms of actually finding students, it will be a slow and difficult process if you have no reputation or professional contacts here. People will always choose a personal connection over an advert. No matter how good you look on paper, they will choose their cousin's girlfriend's hairdresser's English teacher over you.

[wanderingxelmundo]

[wanderingxelmundo]

It looks like they now accept online degrees, at least for the schools already on the list (my BA is brick and mortar so no problem anyway for visa, but in case I ever want to register my online MA, this would be useful):

"El título otorgado por una institución de educación superior extranjera que conste en el listado publicado por la SENESCYT será registrado en el SNIESE si los estudios en los niveles técnico, tercero y cuarto nivel fueron presenciales, semipresencial, a distancia u online. Los títulos de PhD se registran únicamente en la modalidad presencial."

http://www.educacionsuperior.gob.ec/listado/

But with the changes to the gov't websites, I can't find the info of how to get a degree registered if my school isn't on the list. I'm going to go through previous posts, but if you have a current link, could you pass it along?
Thanks again.

(It does say this on same page I linked to, but doesn't say how:
"Cuando el título obtenido en el extranjero no corresponda a una institución integrada en el Listado referido, la Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, podrá reconocerlo e inscribirlo a través de Convenio Internacional o Comité, según corresponda.")

[HLJHLJ]

The regulations have always said that it only applies to universities not on the list, but that's not how it's applied. They almost always ask for the letter now, and if they ask, you have to have it, and if it says more than 20% was distance they won't register it.

If your university isn't on the list, it has to go to the committee. The process is pretty much the same except that you also need apostilled transcripts, and there is a different form to fill in.

http://www.educacionsuperior.gob.ec/titulos-obtenidos-en-el-extranjero-reconocidos-a-traves-de-un-comite/

If you want to register it before you come you will have to pay a facilitator, and you will probably have to do it through Guayaquil. Quito won't usually let 3rd parties register it for you.

How long the process will take is an unknown quantity. Officially, it's 41 working days, but it can be considerably longer than that, it's not really predictable. It does generally take a little longer if it goes to committee.

[Kim Macintosh]

Afraid I need clarification:

I'm now in the US, and the professional 9V visa seems best for me in long run, even though I qualify for the Pensioner 9I, since I intend to teach.

My options are:

1- Use a lawyer/facilitator before I depart for the 9V, costing $550 plus facilitation fees, and this can only be handled by a third party from Guayaquil.

2- Come on a 180-day 12-IX visa, which is $450, and do the 9V in Ecuador, combining for $1000.

I assume I cannot initiate the 9V on a 90 day, returning when the visa is approved. This'd rely on the thing being delivered to an address out of Ecuador or whatever. It'd be prone to problems.

Direct question: What's the shortest/cheapest path between the US and 9V visa???