Job Discussion Forums

Ka

Hi kids,

I'm back to pick your endlessly helpful brains.

I've been offered a position with one university and one business school in Mexico City, to start in August, based on having a Masters degree and teaching experience (hoorah!). The head of the business school, however, is concerned about Immigration not accepting me because my Masters is not in ESL, and has suggested I go for TESL certification just to get the stamp.

So here's my question: I know online courses are not as reputable as their in-class brethren, but they're also 25% of the cost. If I'm going for the certification for visa reasons, is it enough or is it still a waste? I absolutely cannot afford what the Cambridge and other renowned courses are charging, but $500 Canadian is still too much to throw away on something utterly useless.

I'd appreciate your thoughts and experience.

Erika

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

You'll need to get the documents (your degree and your TEFL certificate) apostilled/legalized before you come to Mexico. If you can get that done, I doubt that Immigration will question the apostillization/legalization seal.

Here's a thread that may be helpful... http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=33835

Not St Louis · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 38 Location: Asia

I had a friend who had his high school diploma appostiled and it was accepted by immigration in Mexico City.

I had a copy of my transcripts from college and immigration took it with an official translation and stamp from my college, not appostiled.

I don't think you will have any problems. Of course this was years ago.

Ka · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:01 pm Post subject:

That's so interesting to hear, because everyone I've talked to recently says it is nearly impossible to get the stamp unless your degree is in exactly exactly exactly what you're going to do (ie. don't try to get a phone marketing job without an MBA...).

I still think I should do the TESL program to be on the safeside, but, if the employers are willing to offer me a job without it, then perhaps online is the way to go for now. It's really only online or not at all right now.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Granted, I haven't really kept up with what kind of credentials immigration requires in order to grant work visas to teach EFL. In the past, if a school was willing to sponsor someone's work visa, the type of credentials didn't seem to matter much. I don't know if that has changed.

I know someone here in Merida who recently had his application for an independent work visa denied. He doesn't have credentials specific to teaching EFL. However, he believes the reason was because he included teaching something in addition to English on the application, so he plans to submit the application again with only teaching English for type of approved work.

lmpotter · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 8 Location: Rioverde, SLP

I am working with a teacher right now that has just found out 5 1/2 months later that her working visa is not comming... the heart of the problem, they are saying, is that her degree is in just a b.a. with no indication of what for... since it does not say education or english on it they say she can not recieve the visa to teach english... why this is all coming out after being here for this long is another very very long story... Smile

aisha · Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 6:55 pm Post subject:

lmpotter · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 8 Location: Rioverde, SLP

no... she had planned to do a course online, but when she was offered the job, she needed to get her things together and go... basically it was a result of the recruiter not realizing that SLP is a little more strict and our actual school and employer having no prior experience... I also don�t have a TESOL but had no problem because my degree is Education.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

She could well be in for a fine from INM as a farewell gift, if they are aware that she has been working all this time. What a shame. What is she planning to do now?

MELEE · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:42 pm Post subject:

The Oaxaca INM office just had a change in staff. We sent a new teacher down with just her highest degree as we usually do. It's an MA in Education. It doesn't say anything about TEFL or English on the degree. She also happens to have a CELTA, but we didn't bother getting that apostilled or translated, because in the past INM always just wanted the highest degree. Now they sent her back saying they wanted the CELTA because the MA doesn't have to do with teaching English (It actually does, its just not stated on the degree) They also want her BA. Which I think is just silly, because having the BA was one of the admission requirements to the MA program.

The wording on the degree thing bothers me. These people have only been there since January, so they haven't had time to see a lot of foreign degrees yet. But a lot of degrees coming out of the US and Canada, and maybe other parts of the English speaking world. Don't say what the person's major was. My BA says Bachelor of Arts, from the College of Libral Arts, of the University of Iowa. It never mentions what I studied.

lmpotter · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 8 Location: Rioverde, SLP

She was set to recieve a fine, but as there is really a lot more to this story (lying lawer and one immigration person looking for a bribe) we finally found a person sympathetic to her case and who gave her a paper that will allow her to leave the country... interestingly enough it actually says if she doesn�t leave the country in 15 days she will recieve a fine of 5,000 pesos.... when she gets back, they want to process the work visa as if she is working here as a social worker since that is what her masters is... like above, her bachelors says nothing other than Bachelor�s of Arts... not in what...
My degree says education, but not english, so i am glad i didn�t have that problem... i suggested to my employer next year she make sure the people coming have Celta or Tefol or Education somewhere in thier degrees....

cwc · Joined: 16 Nov 2005 Posts: 372

Leaving the country is not a problem. Getting back in is when the problems SHOULD start. However, being Mexico, I doubt if they would catch you.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Actually what she likely received would be orders equivalent to a deportation from Mexico for not having papers in order. These orders are issued to those found with expired tourist cards as well but sometimes the time frame to exit is not quite as generous as 15 days. She should have no problem returning to Mexico.

lmpotter · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 8 Location: Rioverde, SLP

they told her she would be fine comming back in on a new tourist visa... and then the ball starts rolling again for her working visa... with a whole 3.5 months left of the school year...

aroha · Joined: 08 Oct 2004 Posts: 66 Location: Mexico

In February last year I applied for an FM3 here in Mexico City to teach English in a high school, using my Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce degrees. Although I had just completed a Diploma of Teaching, there wasn't time to get it apostilled in New Zealand, so I didnt even bring it to Mexico. No TESL certificate, and no problems.