Job Discussion Forums

[afarr]

Has anybody been offered any jobs from secondary schools yet?
I was interviewed in the UK March 25th, then EBD let me know that I had passed the interview and test April 18th.
Now it's a month later and I haven't heard anything from them. I don't know if they let us know if our qualifications/references are acceptable or if the first we hear about it is when a school contacts us. Does anybody knows what happens at this stage?
Also if a school does offer you a job, do they apply for the employment visa? Do I have to do anything from my end?
Many thanks for any replies!

[BCinHK]

The deadline for schools to tell the EDB that they want a new NET was just on May 2. The Letter of Appointment (contract) for 2008-2010 has not yet been released by the EDB - last year it was available on May 23. So you may have quite a long wait... (check www.edb.gov.hk then circulars, search for native OR http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=262&langno=1 )

While you are waiting, you can prepare for the employment visa:
You and the school have to fill out separate applications and provide document copies. A copy of the signed contract must also be provided. It usually takes at least 4 weeks and as much as 8 weeks for the visa to be processed once all the documents are received by the Immigration Department.

There seems to be a new application form which can be downloaded at:
http://www.immd.gov.hk/pdforms/ID990A.pdf
There is also a guidebook at:
http://www.immd.gov.hk/pdforms/ID(E)991.pdf

[afarr]

Thank you so much for all your advice... Can you explain a few more things?

If the school recruits you directly ie not from the EDB list does that mean you will not necessarily be on the same salary scale (once assessed), allowances etc that the EDB NET recruits will receive? I heard of someone not getting the back pay that EDB NETs received once when a pay rise was backdated. Does this mean they can also recruit you at a different salary?

If the school is your employer (but recruited through the EDB NET scheme) then you are entitled to their salary scale and allowances, even though the contract is through the school? Is that right?

I also heard that new EDB NETs fly out mid-August but if my employment visa hasn't been sorted out by then, then technically I wouldn't be receiving any pay from that date (if that is the traditional date for the commencement of employment). So would it be better to stay at home until the visa came through?

Many thanks again for your help!

[BCinHK]

Schools can hire NETs directly; they do not have to use the EDB list of available NETs. However, if a teacher is being hired under the EDB NET Scheme, credentials must be assessed and a pay point on the Master Pay Scale (MPS: http://www.csb.gov.hk/english/admin/pay/42.html points 17-33?) determined by the EDB. I know of one case where a school set a NET's salary at point xx without consulting the EDB and several months later, after the EDB assessment, the NET was told that he had been overpaid and had to refund money as he should have been at point xx-2.

All NETs hired under the NET Scheme are paid according to the MPS. The point at which you start is assessed by the EDB.

The employment visa is through the school, not the EDB and it will be for one year to start with even though your contract is for two years.

Some bigger schools employ "NETs"who are not under by the EDB NET Scheme and are paid whatever they negotiated with that school. So a big school may have 1 or 2 EDB NETs with all their benefits and 3 or 4 locally-hired NETs who only receive a monthly salary.

The best advice I can give you is to be patient and wait until you have your visa before you leave home. Yes, the EDB says that contracts start on August 16, but the reality is that many NETs don't even have contracts by that date, let alone an employment visa. In HK, even for voluntary work you need a visa! Some NETs have come without an employment visa and been put to work at their schools, only to find that they were working illegally and would not be paid even though the principal/panel chair had promised. HK is an expensive place to live without a salary.

Tha back pay issue had something to do with date of employment - but I'm not sure exactly what it was.

You'll find lots of info on this forum if you do a search.

[afarr]

Once again a big thank you for such clear and helpful advice. I am trying not to worry about the whole process.... I think your advice on staying put until I get my employment visa is very wise, although it's hard to book flights etc and get my belongings sent over to HK when you have no date to work to.

Also thanks for the links - they're really excellent!