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English teacher visa rejected

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  1. #31

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    Jul 2021
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    Quote Originally Posted by JAherbert:
    not really. if you add some overwhelming evidence it could be reviewed.
    The school is going to discuss and see what are the options, hope they will find some solid evidences

  2. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nathlal:
    I believe its v difficult to appeal this kind of decision unless you change your case, as others mentioned to teach your native language
    unfortunately Dutch is such an uncommon language in Hk, i didn't see any Dutch teaching jobs available (at least i couldn't find it)

    also, i happened to find this post back in 2014 who was in a similar situation as me, and she was granted approval after reconsideration https://geoexpat.com/forum/54/thread309745-2.html
    hullexile likes this.

  3. #33

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    Quote Originally Posted by drumbrake:
    Agree it will be difficult to get Immigration to change its decision. I wonder what kind of organisation the OP is applying to. Mentioning 'HR' points to a larger organisation - rather than an individual language school or kindergarten, which makes it more surprising that they were rejected as those HRs usually have experience dealing with Immigration and only put forward applicants who are likely to be approved.
    Its not an individual school, its an organisation with a few branches around Hk. I am having exactly the same thought as you.
    shri likes this.

  4. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by amufe:
    Thank you for your suggestion but I don't think i will do the PGCE at this stage since it is time and money consuming, also no guarantee to grant a visa...
    I do agree with time and money, but it is most likely to guarantee you a visa. Like I said, it is a degree from the UK, distance learning and recognised by EDB (HK government).

    With it, you can land many top jobs rather than just a learning centre.

  5. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by amufe:
    unfortunately Dutch is such an uncommon language in Hk, i didn't see any Dutch teaching jobs available (at least i couldn't find it)

    also, i happened to find this post back in 2014 who was in a similar situation as me, and she was granted approval after reconsideration https://geoexpat.com/forum/54/thread309745-2.html
    That was quite a different HK back then I'm afraid to say. Best try your luck in other Asian countries like Korea/Japan etc I would say.
    rs4 and chingleutsch like this.

  6. #36

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    Quote Originally Posted by drumbrake:
    Non-native speakers are often better language teachers than native speakers. They have gone through the process of learning a language fluently.

    Even native English speakers do not get band 9 in IELTS. Band 9 is not just about being a native speaker. I expect many native speakers would do poorly in the reading and writing tasks - especially if they have not been in education for a number of years. Band 8 is a pretty good score, and I expect the OP would be able to communicate with native speakers with little difficulty.
    Fun fact: Germany has higher average IELTS scores than the UK. 7.3 vs 7.1
    drumbrake, Caa and Elegiaque like this.

  7. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrgoodkat:
    Fun fact: Germany has higher average IELTS scores than the UK. 7.3 vs 7.1
    How many Brits take IELTS?
    aw451 likes this.

  8. #38

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    Back to the OP - for a generic kindergarten teaching job, it would be a big ask even for a native English speaker to obtain a visa these days because there are so many people already with the right to work here who could do the job. Your employer would need to jump through many fiery hoops with the Immigration Department to show that they had tried and failed to find a local person to do the job.

    As a Flemish-speaking Belgian (from what you've written above), how is your French? If it's not too strongly accented, you migth do better looking for a job with the French International School or Alliance Francaise.

    hullexile, Mrs. Jones and aw451 like this.

  9. #39
    I have a French passport and can feel that my application is going to be rejected as well…


    I was not hired by the school directly but by an agency handling all the paperwork (and the salary). I have a French passport but left France when I was 6. My dad was in the military so we moved around the globe quite a bit (Caribbeans, Reunion…). When I turned 18 I moved to the US as an Au Pair and then went to College. I spent 8 years in the US. I have a BA in Communication and a TEFL. I also worked as a French teaching assistant in College. I then worked 3 years in Ireland (at Facebook and Google) and moved to Mainland China as an English Teacher for 6 months. The visa process was really difficult and took 4 months btw. I was supposed to go teach in Japan but with Covid my plans changed and I have been working in the UK for the past 2 years. I have spent most of my life in English speaking countries and people usually can’t tell I am French when I speak. I have been told my American accent was really good but I know it’s not perfect that’s why I would only want to teach in a kindergarten (plus I love kids that age, they are so much fun).


    Submission: April 20th
    Acknowledgement letter: April 26th
    Request for additional documents: May 24th
    Submitted requested documents: June 7th (it took a while to gather proof of my English proficiency as I don’t have a recent IELTS score on top of my BA from the US - I ended up submitting reference letters and transcripts - and also proof of ALL my work experience - I have had quite a few jobs)
    Today is July 15th and it’s still in progress…


    I knew my French passport could be an issue but apparently even native speakers are being rejected lately. I just want immigration to make a decision at that point. It’s been almost 3 months. It’s fine if they want to reject my application, I won’t appeal, I don’t have anymore documents to submit, I don’t want to spend anymore money/time and I just want to move on now, can’t put my life on hold forever.


    A lot of countries won’t accept non-natives or will prefer native speakers (even if the non-native has more teaching experience). South Korea requires 12 years of education in English for example. Taiwan won’t accept you (at least not legally). Japan will accept non-natives but schools will often prefer a native speaker. Vietnam should accept non-natives with a good IELTS score (BA and TEFL also need to be legalised which can be expensive). Thailand and Cambodia might accept you but might not pay you as much as natives apparently. China is also making it harder for non-natives nowadays. The easiest would be to teach in Europe but salaries are really low.


    Also it’s difficult to get a French teaching job without a French teaching degree (but not impossible). And it’s not as easy as getting a 120 hours TEFL online. You need a master (MFL) or something like a DAEFLE (takes almost a year to complete).

  10. #40

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    @Mayalabeille - Hong Kong's loss if your application does not succeed. Taiwan supposedly has a demand for TEFL teachers. Salaries are low, but living costs / lifestyle is good.

    Sorry, read your post more carefully. Taiwan's loss as well if they won't accept you.

    hullexile likes this.