Job Discussion Forums

[ls650]

I'm working legally at my current school. Getting the work visa was relatively easy and the school handled most of the paperwork. I'm coming near the end of my contract and I'm starting to plan where I'll work next.

It seems from reading the information journals that a lot of countries are very difficult (if not impossible) to get a work visa for TEFL, so many people teach illegally while on tourist visas.

I imagine the penalties vary from country to country, but I'm curious to know what happens if you get busted for working without the proper visa. Does anyone want to share his/her experience?

[Roger]

My first private school boss employed me on a regular work visa, but in the wrong place. He thought he could use me anywhere in the country, but your work visa is valid as such only in the locale where it was issued (in China).
When the police found out, I was out of work immediately. Next, they confined my movements to the premises of a guesthouse. I was virtually under house arrest.
Luckily, they believed my story, and my boss fell into hot water. He had to pay a hefty fine. In revenge, he dismissed me as soon as I was back.
Had he not been made to pay that fine, the police could have fined me. They would also have cancelled my visa and expelled me.
I repeat: I had a legal work visa. Now if you work on a tourist or business visa, you cannot pass the buck by saying "my boss has the obligation to..."

[Marcoregano]

A girl I knew on the NET prog in HK switched schools without telling the authorities. I guess the school was equally culpable. Anyway, she was told to leave HK and return to Canada mid-contract. I don't think she was fined, but she certainly won't get a job with the NET prog again, and probably not in HK either.

[sidjameson]

OP. If you are thinking of doing it in Indonesia I would recommend that you think hard before you do.
My first job was for a school in Medan that promised me that they had a "connection" in immagration. I had no worries. That is until the day I was arrested IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CLASS. School had lied their @ss off. Didn't do me much good to know this though as I was fined( well somebody had to pay for their kids golf lessons) and put on the first flight out of there.
Interestingly I went to the kinda compound, where all the immigration officials lived. They were only earning about $100 a month I seem to recall. I don't know how they did it but they all seemed to have new cars in the driveway. Seems like the auto industry must heavily disount their new cars there. Perhaps it's a test market.