Viewing topic: taking the next step...

I had been thinking about teaching English abroad for a few years and in November I got a TEFL certification (which it seems may or may not be to my advantage) and got busy looking for jobs right away. Also, I met some nice Russians this past summer from St. Petersburg while hanging around Yosemite, CA and they got it into my head that I should go to SPB. The first sites I found on teaching jobs in Russia were those of English First and Language Link. Thank god I found visarus to set me straight! I have to admit all the promises about paid airfare and visa support had me just about convinced that I should work for them.
Even though I now know better than that I am still far knowing what the next step should be. It seems from what I've read that, for one, calling the schools is a better approach than sending out lots of e-mails; secondly, that I should be cautious about signing any contracts; and that being a good negotiator is as important as having good credentials. I'm sure I'll get to be a good negotiator as I go. As far as credentials go, I did take a position as a volunteer English teacher and also as a one-on-one tutor with the local YMCA. I figure this will add a little more to my resume than the TEFL certification.
This site has been a great help so far and I'm sure it'll continue to be a guide as I make important decisions. Some questions I still have are, how important is it to have a work visa? I've read a few threads on this topic but it really seems that it changes from person to person. Also, how bad is it to sign a contract with a company like BKC? They get good reviews on this site and still have all the nice benefits. If I decide to go with another company would it be wise to have them sponsor a work visa for me? And how early should I start applying for jobs? I want to spend a whole year teaching starting in September '08. In an ideal world I would like to find a good school to work for and not have to shift around at all. Not that I'm bothered by uncertainty, but I like to see things through to the end. I also like to develop good relationships for future references. Thanks in advance for any advice, this site has already been a great help!
Taylor

Hi Taylor,

You've got a good grasp of the situation. There's not much to add except that the visa situation is still up in the air - teachers that are already here are starting to leave. Schools, their directors and managers are also having fits about the whole thing.

As far as I know, there are only two feasible visa options:

1) Student visa

2) Work visa

The student visa has its own complications, but can be done. Look for Russian language courses.

There are agencies doing work visas, but the cost is from 1500 to 3000 euros or more.

However, at the moment I'd recommend to anyone planning to come and teach for the first time that they try to do everything above board.

It's worth calling the schools and directly asking what their work visa situation is, i.e. whether they will be able to issue you with an invitation.

I haven't been doing any research into that as I'm having enough trouble sorting out my own visa, but my guess is that the bigger schools will be the ones that will offer work visas.

I am told that the dreaded BS is offering work visas in return for 8 hours of teaching a week. Yuk.

Best of luck!

Yep, Bobs - As you know, I'm just in the process of paying 1100 euros plus other expenses to an agency, whom I trust and believe won't disappear in a puff of smoke before the inviatation processing is finished.

Working for a school to get a visa?.... Seems like a possible option for some - buuuut.... A few schools appear to have been a bit slow 'out of the trap', it seems to me, and so aren't getting newly-registered for invitation purposes as soon as they (and their teachers) would like. Therefore a few people have already/will soon have to bail out...

What a terrible situation!.... All those lovely, eager Russian students so keen to learn English and not enough teachers around to teach 'em...

Just what can we do...?

taylorlam wrote:

Thank god I found visarus to set me straight!

I hope that quote does you some good. Seriously though, I could've gotten myself into a bad situation.

What about getting a multi-entry tourist visa? I guess I should coordinate with the schools before taking any steps. I definitely don't have a thousand dollars lying around to throw down. I'm planning to get a job, not have a vacation. And the VR Recruitment you do, its pretty much a staffing agency right? If I give you a resume will schools contact me?

thanks

There is no multi-entry tourist visa I'm afraid.

The only year-long multi-entry visas are:

Business (now limited to 180 days per year)
Student
Work

There are a few obscure others that I believe are variations on the work/buisness visa (humanitarian, I think, is one of them).

VR Recruitment does things the other way round - it's there for member schools looking for teachers. You can send me your CV and I can pass it on when people are looking for teachers, but there's no guarantee that everything will be in the right place at the right time.

I can only do this with schools that pay for the privilege or otherwise support the site. Unless teachers want to pay me lots of cash, I'm afraid I otherwise get nothing out of the time taken to go finding them jobs when I should be getting on with my own VisaRus doesn't make money, but I also have to make sure it isn't a loss-making exercise which it basically is now, anyway.

Best thing is to get on the phone and start calling There's v. v. good advice in my book (gaudy green link near the top of the page) about how to deal with that stage of things (plug, plug)

BKC is listed as having a school in St. Petersburg but I can't find any information about it on their site. As far as I can tell they only have schools in Moscow and a few outlying cities.

Uh, yep... er.... that's a bit out of date I think it was bought out a while ago... I keep meaning to update that