Evaluating a TEFL Course: Part 4

Visa Issues when taking a TEFL Certification Course

Before you head overseas, you need to find out what type of visa you will need to enter the country you are going to and how to obtain it.

Sometimes you don’t need to do anything in advance, a “visa-on–arrival” is issued and you are on your way.

Ask these questions about your visa while you are in training – KNOW before you go:

Most of these questions are relatively self-explanatory

1. Do I need to obtain a visa prior to arriving in country?

2. If I do not obtain a visa prior to entry, how long can I legally stay in the country?

3. If I must obtain a visa, how much does it cost?

4. Is the visa difficult or expensive to obtain, or take a long time to get?

5. Can I extend the visa to stay in the country for a longer period of time?

6. Does the school help me obtain a visa? Or is it just simple and easy?

7. Will the initial visa cover me for the duration of the training course?

8. If I seek work in the country will this visa be convertible to an employment-type visa?

9. If I can not convert the visa, what do I need to do when I find employment to be sure I am working legally?

10. If I need to do a “visa run” to obtain a working visa, what are the typical costs involved? Do employers usually pay for or reimburse those costs?

11. How long does the typical process take to convert to legal working
papers and what is required?

TED’s Tips™ #1: Know the visa process and issues before you go to any country. Get, stay and keep yourself legal at all times. Your visa status and your legal presence in a country is your personal responsibility. Not that of the school, your employer or anyone else.

TED’s Tips™ #2: Be sure you understand the costs in time and money of getting a proper employment visa once you finish training and start working. In some countries it can be time consuming and costly. In others, simply the stamp of a clerk sorts it all out. Know for sure before you go.

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