Job Discussion Forums

[emmanuelle]

Dear all,

I am a qualified EFL teacher and I would like to apply for jobs in South America and Asia, and would be travelling there with my non-married partner.
Has anyone got experience of doing the same, and if so how did you inform your future employer of your personal circumstances? and how did you solve the issue of the visa?

Thank you in anticipation.

[eslstudies]

In China your employer can apply for a dependent visa for your partner, which will be granted, after normal checks, when your work visa is approved.
The assumption will be that you are married, as strictly speaking PRC law frowns on cohabitation [its very common in the cities though]. The chances of getting asked for a marriage certificate are negligible [maybe scan a false one, just in case].
Chinese women don't take their husbands names, so no one will question you on that matter.

ps I wrote the above on the assumption you are a hetero couple. I'm not sure how the Chinese would react otherwise.

[glasshouses]

Some people play semantics games with "We are common law in my country," and all that, but the answer really depends on a lot of factors.

If you are both youngish, you can go to Japan perhaps on the "working holiday visa" and you both work. In South America, I called myself common law and we didn't have any problems, but I worked under the table.

Listen mate, if one of you is not working, that can be very problematic... The other person, while you are at work 40-50 hours per week, what is he/she doing? Abroad, you have no safety nets and comforts from home--it can be risky.

[Justin Trullinger]

Currently working in South America, where I live with my unmarried partner.

The visa situation could be complex- but as we both have good jobs, and independent visas through our respective employers, it hasn't come up for us.

Some schools are willing to offer visa assistance for spouses- though they don't say this in advertisements, most aren't really picky about legal marriage. You'd want to talk with prospective employers openly about this, and see what they say.

Honestly, though- it would be hard to live on a single income. (for most, impossible.) If you're considering most anywhere in Latin America, unless you are VERY highly qualified, you'd be best off if both of you work- and therefore both get visas through your employers.

If you aren't a hetero couple, by the way, I would probably be discreet about it- prejudices run strong here, and this would be a deal breaker for a lot of employers. (I'm not recommending that you move into any spaces designed for hanging clothes. Just that you keep your private life relatively separate from your work.) THis isn't too hard to do, as the whole subject is off limits enough that no one would ever assume...

Best,
Justin

[Henry_Cowell]

[naturegirl321]

HOnestly, I think that my husband and I could live off one income. As it is now, we save my income and live off his. AS a foreigner, I make more than he does, but we also don't live extravagantly and have a strict budget.

It also depends on if teaching will be your only income or if you have an income from home, like property.

[Justin Trullinger]

[tedkarma]

I moved to S Korea in 1992 with my girlfriend - who later became my wife. We solved the problem by just taking two jobs - and lived where the best housing was provided.

We were, in those days, told not to say that we were married, or going to get married - as the belief at the time was that your female spouse should be at home - and not working!

Same sex relationships - generally aren't well accepted in most of East Asia - but SE Asia is more accepting.

[emmanuelle]

Dear all,

Thank you for your advice.

I am indeed in an hetero relationship and living out of one salary would not be a problem for a couple of months. However, due to the language barrier, I presume that Latin America would be an easier place for my partner to find a job than Asia as he is Spanish.