Teaching English

[Irish]

Hi, i am thinking of completing the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. Is there demand for English teachers in Canada? Which province? Any help or advice is much appreciated!

[Tsveta]

Hi,
There is a demand for teachers but every province has different requirements. What province do you have in mind?
Do you have a work permit?

[Irish]

Hi,
There is a demand for teachers but every province has different requirements. What province do you have in mind?
Do you have a work permit?

I was thinking of Alberta or BC. No permit yet!

[Tsveta]

This is what I found for Alberta:
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/teaching/

And this is a link to BC Teachers' federation:
http://www.bctf.bc.ca/

Go through their web sites and call them. Do you want to immigrate to Canada or just to come to work for a while?

[Irish]

This is what I found for Alberta:
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/k_12/teaching/

And this is a link to BC Teachers' federation:
http://www.bctf.bc.ca/

Go through their web sites and call them. Do you want to immigrate to Canada or just to come to work for a while?

We would like to immigrate but after a visit to see what it is like.

[Tsveta]

If you need more info how to obtain work permit or how to immigrate you can go to Canada Citizenship and immigration web site: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.html

[lana]

To become a teacher in Canada you need a Professional Certificate. Your diploma will be evaluated against the Canadian education standards. You can contact the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC)- www.cicic.ca

[Irish]

Thanks. This is helpful. We have not applied for a visa yet. I have been looking into it but London deals with all the applications from Ireland and loads of other countries. This means there is a processing time of 45+ months. I looked at the PNP option for some of the provinces but for the business visa you have to give the government CAD120,000 - non refundable! Not really sure where to go from here. Ir there a province that is easier to get working permits for?

[lana]

I guess Manitoba, Saskatchewan are probably faster. I really don't know...
Try everywhere.
I thought that the average processing time for immigration is 2 years.

[Irish]

I think (but not sure) you have to apply to your nearest office which in our case is in London and as London is really busy there is a note on their website stating that the processing time is currently between 45 and 60 months. Maybe you can apply to other offices?

Is Manitoba nice?

[Tsveta]

You can apply to other offices but if you still live in Ireland they will forward your application back to London. If you are Irish and live in the States you can apply through Buffalo and that’s fine, as long you still live in US.

I've never been to Manitoba or Saskatchewan; both are known as the “prairies” and are flat for hundreds of miles. Winters are harsh. If you qualify to go there through the provincial nomination program you have to live and work there for certain period of time before you move and go somewhere else in Canada.

[Irish]

thanks for the info. It seems a lot easier to get a Temp workers visa. If we got a temporary workers visa and were in Canada can we apply for permanent visas through a Canadian office as we would be living in Canada? Probably not...

[Tsveta]

thanks for the info. It seems a lot easier to get a Temp workers visa. If we got a temporary workers visa and were in Canada can we apply for permanent visas through a Canadian office as we would be living in Canada? Probably not...


I am not so sure. You can consult an immigration lawyer about that. Once you are in Canada and you are working here you have to live a certain amount of time and then you probably will be able to apply for a PR...
I know that caregivers can apply for PR if they work 2 or 3 years in Canada but I don't know about the other professions. You can call CIC for more info
1 888 242-2100