How to Get a Work Visa for Teaching English Abroad

Posted by Amos Fred on April 24th, 2018

English is one of the most in-demand languages around the world. Students of all ages clamor to learn this language for both academic and employment purposes. So, if you’re multilingual and fluent in English, choosing to teach English as a second language abroad can be both lucrative and very rewarding.

Getting the chance to do this job means getting a visa that permits you to work abroad. Without a teaching visa, you can’t be employed in most language education locations abroad. So, how do you get a work visa for teaching internationally, and how difficult is it to obtain? Here is all the information you need to get started in your English teaching career abroad:

First Thing’s First: Education

Nearly every nation worldwide that allows immigrants to teach English within their borders have government requirements for who can obtain the visas necessary to do so. For most of these, at least a four-year or bachelor’s degree is required. Before you can move forward with getting your teaching visa, be sure that you are both fluent in both languages – English and the language of the students you will be teaching – and properly educated. Otherwise, you’ll face major setbacks along the way. 

Step Two: Red Tape

One of the most discouraging phases of the process of getting a  teaching visais how much paperwork is involved. Depending on the country you choose for your employment, you will need:

• All completed diplomas or degrees.
• Birth certificate, social security, and other identification paperwork.
• Valid passports with up-to-date photos.
• A background check with clear results.

In addition, most countries require you to visit as a tourist for some time before applying for a work visa. To determine if this is true for your chosen location, contact your desired place of employment or one of the nation’s educational outreaches for more information.

Next: Application

Filing an application to teach abroad is the key step in getting the job you want. There are several ways to go about this, including using programs sponsored by American colleges. Many of these universities have partnerships with international schools and other locations that allow them to reduce the costs and expedite the process of applying for the teaching visa. Some schools even offer full or partial sponsorship to offset the costs of application, travel, and living for teachers working abroad!

Other programs exist for this same purpose if you’re not able to work with a local university. There are numerous foundations for international education that help applicants move through the application process, as well as to gain employment in the countries where they wish to teach. These programs are extremely helpful in getting people employed in areas that need English teachers, as well as getting them the kind of employment they are searching for. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!

So, what are you waiting for? Getting your international English  teaching visais not as difficult, expensive or time-consuming as you may believe – but it’s even more rewarding than you may have thought!