Footprints Recruiting

Hi all,

I'm in the midst of researching the various options available to me should I chose to teach English in Asia. With that, I do have some special circumstances that I'm trying to facilitate; specifically I have a degree, my girlfriend does not, and we want to find a way to stay together should I find a teaching opportunity that I want to pursue.

To describe our situation further, I've been to Asia, have a bachelors degree in English, and should be eligible for most of the ESL jobs out there. My girlfriend does not have her degree but is in the last year of an online curriculum. Specifically, she's 37 hours (or roughly one year) away from graduating.

It was our hope to find a situation where I can work Full-Time while she stays home, at whatever housing wherever we wind up in Asia, and studies online to complete her degree.

With that, what are my options for having her come with me?

From what I've heard, she may be able to get a 90 day tourist Visa that we would have to renew via spending 3 days out of the country. With this in mind, could we travel outside of the country 4 times to renew her tourist visa, thus allowing her to stay for a full year and the completion of my contract? Or are there rules against that?

Will schools be willing to work with us to find some type of accommodation that is suitable for 2 people, rather than just 1? A possible solution in this matter might be providing a housing allowance rather than physical housing.

Finally, have any of the schools you've worked with ever provided an extended stay visa to a significant other who was not working, while the other person was?

Again, I'm just trying to get an idea of what we can do to make this happen. If her Visa's will only last 90 days and we need to renew them outside of the country over the course of 3 days, then that's what we'll do. But I want to get some type of feedback on if this is plausible.

Thanks,
John

Hello John,

Thank you for your email. You can be placed in most of the countries we work with, but as your girlfriend has not yet completed her degree, we won't be able to assist her in finding work.

She may be able to enter on a tourist visa, but she won't be able to work, which would violate the terms of the visa. With two of you on a single salary, your funds would be stretched a little thin.

Your girlfriend would have to exit and enter again every three months, but this is a costly process, and you would most likely not be able to accompany her each time. There are no rules against it, but you might not be granted permission for that kind of time off every few months.

Generally, housing is either shared with another teacher from your school, or a bachelor style apartment, which might be snug for the two of you. You may try for a housing allowance option, but to find suitable housing for two will likely cost more, and that will stretch the single income further.

The school sponsors your work visa, but not the tourist visa. Your girlfriend can apply for that on her own.

It isn't impossible, but it would be difficult.

-Footprints