Job Discussion Forums

krkelly · Joined: 18 Jul 2009 Posts: 9

Hello, all.

I want to plan my retirement overseas and would like to be able to teach some English while I see a bit more of the world. I thought I'd have more options than I apparently do, since I assumed that retirees were desirable for TEFL. I guess this is not the case in Asia, where I had hoped to spend at least a year or two. If I can't get a visa because of my age in Japan or Thailand, that pretty well blows that idea. Maybe Vietnam?

I'm almost 55, Canadian, male, single, some university but no degree, willing to pick up CELTA, and looking at retiring maybe at 60, though certainly at 65. I'd have money (RRSPs and other investments) and a pension of around 2K CAD/month.

The larger framework of my plan seems quite workable, though: I intend to settle finally in Latin America, and there are attractive places like Panama and Uruguay to aim for. I'd be able to buy property and gain resident status pretty easily. I think that I could teach private lessons as a resident, and in the case of Uruguay, since it's a Mercosur country, with citizenship I should be able to roam Brazil and Argentina and legally teach there as well. Is that true?

It's the option for some adventure in Asia first that seems a problem. Or is it? Could I spend a couple years in Japan as an old man?

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

Without a degree I don't think you can get a visa for Japan.

You could actually retire IN Thailand. That would enable you to go there. I'm pretty sure (you should check of course- I'm not even in Thailand!) that you could go there on a retirement visa and after a few years say 'Well, changed my mind! I'm not going to retire here after all!' You would have to check out what laws are on working in Thailand under a retirement visa (may be part time only allowed) but with $2000 a month coming in you probably wouldn't HAVE to work at all, and so you could teach some private lessons on the side for fun and bypass having to work for a company with very strict rules).

ntropy · Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 671 Location: ghurba

go to china

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

with your pension you cuold live like a king in China, well almost, not have a driver like proper expats, but most Chinese TEFL jobs pay about 500 usd a month. I'd say go to China.

Wherever you go, get in now and stay, because some places have cut off age limits, though tend to be more flexible if you enter before the limit and stay for years with them.

Latin America, I can tell you ANYTHING you want about Peru, including retirement visas. HOWEVEr, although you may get a retirement visa easily in Latin America, along with that comes the condition that you don't work. Legally, that's what's supposed to happen, so if you did, it'd be under the table. About Mercosur, they tend to have agreements. Like for example, I'm Peruvian by marriage, so I can go to argentina to work for UP to 2 years on a special visa, but there are strict reqs, like you have to register within 30 days of arriving, police records, etc.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

SandyG20 · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 208

Rather than spending money on a celta - and since you still have several years to plan - finish up a bachelor degree instead IMO.

krkelly · Joined: 18 Jul 2009 Posts: 9

Lots of interesting answers!

Thailand I've been to Thailand, and though I could easily spend a year or so in, say, Chiang Mai, I wouldn't want to actually retire there. True, I could maybe leave after a while. But could I teach private lessons there? I get the impression there's enough expats there to saturate that market. It's not out of the question depending on the limitations of a retirement visa.

China Yes, there's that. I have a friend who went to teach English in China in the 70's ... and he's still there. He drops back every few years and has a coffee with me. I might prefer Vietnam (less weird and rigid, perhaps more forward-thinking?), but China is certainly possible.

Japan

Sadebugo · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 524

I enjoyed reading this post because this is my plan as well. I have been teaching ESL/EFL since '95 and am actually doing this for the US government as we speak. My plan is to retire at 60 with a pension/savings and spend the next several years teaching in Latin America. With an MA in the field, I should be able to find something decent in that part of the world. It will be so nice to accept a job not based on salary, but on positive teaching circumstances. I can't wait!

Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/

krkelly · Joined: 18 Jul 2009 Posts: 9

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

I am not sure about the cultural activities visa in one respect. Some posters have said that you can't get it to start studying some cultural thing; rather, you must already have some experience with it and want the visa to further pursue it. Let us know what immigration says.

krkelly · Joined: 18 Jul 2009 Posts: 9

From what I've read, I'd need to start some classes first and then be taken seriously enough for the school to sponsor my cultural activities visa. I'd think that if I were serious (which I am), this wouldn't be hard to do.

I'm just in the planning stage now, so I'll have to see how things are when I'm closer to taking action.