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nhowitt
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 8:57 am Post subject: Working illegally in Indonesia |
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My girlfriend and I are currently teaching in China but our contract is about to expire and after a bit of travelling we're looking to stop for a while in Inonesia in an attempt to save some money to continue on to India. Is this a good place to stop? We don't want to sign a year long contract and have heard/read from some other posts here that leaving halfway through a year long contract is not a good idea for a few reasons. So far the only jobs we've been able to find are through EF and they all want year long contracts.
My question:
If we enter Indonesia initially on a tourist visa is it likely we will find people willing to pay a half decent amount (eg. a few thousand dollars saved over 6 months) for our services as native English speakers. We both hold university degrees, TESOL certificates and have some experience. If we don't want to spend a whole year in the country is it worth the hassle of finding illegal work and coming anyway (assuming the only "contracts" available for 6 months are in fact illegal)? |
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Vertumnus
Joined: 03 May 2006
Posts: 142
Location: Indonesia
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 7:34 am Post subject: Re: Working illegally in Indonesia |
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| nhowitt wrote: |
| My girlfriend and I are currently teaching in China but our contract is about to expire and after a bit of travelling we're looking to stop for a while in Inonesia in an attempt to save some money to continue on to India. Is this a good place to stop? We don't want to sign a year long contract and have heard/read from some other posts here that leaving halfway through a year long contract is not a good idea for a few reasons. So far the only jobs we've been able to find are through EF and they all want year long contracts. |
It's true - getting a contract that's less than a year is difficult. However, some companies are rich enough and need short-term help enough that they'll do it. I can't say that it's necessarily easy to find them, so you're best off putting up your cover letters and resumes here and on other job websites. It's further complicated by the fact that there are two of you...
It is possible to find somewhat temporary work. I had a friend from Oz who did about 3 months at a uni in Yogya, but I think he was in on a business visa.
Your best bet for short-term work is getting a business visa as a consultant. Technically speaking, you cannot be paid for your work, but what's usually done in the case of "consultants" on such a visa (which can last up to 6 months) is that the person receives a sum of money before/after they do the work, or something like that, and it's sent directly to their overseas bank account. I knew a Yank who was invited by the government to come here on a business visa to do lectures on culture around the country. His expenses were all paid for him, and the government arranged everything while he was in the country. He was ferried about the country and did his seminars at numerous unis. It was tiring work, he said, but he and his wife (I'm not sure who paid for her but I think he did) really enjoyed the whirlwind tour.
| Quote: |
My question:
If we enter Indonesia initially on a tourist visa is it likely we will find people willing to pay a half decent amount (eg. a few thousand dollars saved over 6 months) for our services as native English speakers. We both hold university degrees, TESOL certificates and have some experience. If we don't want to spend a whole year in the country is it worth the hassle of finding illegal work and coming anyway (assuming the only "contracts" available for 6 months are in fact illegal)? |
You may have an easier time, you may not, it really depends a lot on luck, timing, location and who you know. I'd say better to search from the outside, but either way CAN work. Is it worth it to work illegally? Well, legally, I can't answer that question because I'm sure that the profiling programs over in the USA are churning through what we say, but...financially, yes.
Good luck!
-D
Last edited by Vertumnus on Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:30 am; edited 1 time in total |
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malu
Joined: 22 Apr 2007
Posts: 1344
Location: Sunny Java
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 8:45 am Post subject: |
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If you choose to work here illegally you'd have absolutely no recourse against any employer who simply decided not to pay you. A tourist visa on arrival is for a maximum of 30 days (in practice this amounts to 28 days) so you'd also have to factor in the cost of travel out of the country and back in again every month.
The dodgier EF schools might agree to a bit of 'freelance' work for a month or two, even if they are only advertising 1 year contracts. Some are so desperate for staff they'd consider anything to keep students' bums on seats. |
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nhowitt
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 8:50 am Post subject: |
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| Hey Glen, thanks for the prompt reply, it's nice to know people out there take the time to answer your questions. I hope to do the same once I've got a bit of experience under my belt. Like you said, best to search from outside for a job but the more I think about it, the more it seems worth the risk to just show up and ask around. People are a lot more receptive in person. |
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nhowitt
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 8:55 am Post subject: |
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| Malu, good point. I am used to dealing with sketchy bosses. I worked in Winnipeg and am currently in China where even a contract provides virtually no recourse if they decide not to pay me. (They've already violated the contract several times and there's nothing I can really do about it) Personally the thought of NOT having something the school can hold over me but I can't hold over them sounds refreshing. |
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