The best visa resources for TEFL teachers

Teaching English abroad is a super exciting opportunity for anyone. A TEFL certificate can open doors to work worldwide, from ultra-modern cities to rural escapes. You could be teaching eager classes of students or working online from a beachfront villa, a remote fjord or… anywhere. 

That said, people dread the visa process. When people think of applying for a visa, they think it’ll be laborious, with lots of forms to fill in, a lot of personal information to share and plenty of trips to the nearest embassy. 

However, it’s easier once you know how it’s done. Now, more than ever, resources and guides for filling out a visa application are readily available, and you can work on it in bite-sized chunks so it’s not so overwhelming. 

Where can TEFL teachers find the best visa resources? Where can people locate what they need to start their dream of moving abroad and teaching English as a foreign language? It’s time to look at the exotic and exciting world of visas.

Your local embassy

Maybe this one seems obvious, but if you haven’t identified the nearest relevant embassy or consulate as the first port of call, then you ought to have a real think. Here’s a quick definition: an embassy is a nation’s “main office”, usually located in another nation’s capital city. There’s only one embassy per country, and an ambassador leads it. On the other hand, a consulate is a branch of the embassy located primarily in cities across a different nation. For example, the US embassy in the UK is based in London , but there are consulates across the UK. 

Embassies and consulates are extremely useful, and they’ll help you identify which visa you might need, how to fill it out and provide application advice along the way. If you plan to go there in the long term, you’ll need to visit a country’s embassy or a consulate , so use them as information hubs and official government buildings.

Online: knowing which visa you need

There was a time before the internet when people moved from country to country without looking up visa information from home. We know it’s hard to imagine, but it happened.

A valuable first read for visa information comes in the form of the country guides provided by The TEFL Org . Our guides provide some helpful information to give you an overview of what’s required. After reading those, try out some fantastic resources like VisaGuide.World , which goes heavy on the detail. That’s not to be confused with the similarly-titled Visa World , which has a comprehensive list of nations and what’s required.

Sometimes, clearer information comes from an employer guide instead of a guide for working professionals. Globalization-Partners go into good detail, usually from the employer’s perspective, about what’s needed to live and work in a new country.

Another stand-out is Sherpa , which is excellent for finding out the prices of eVisas (where available) and what’s needed in your application. Talking of applications…

Online: knowing how to fill out applications

Though there’s a wealth of information online, we drilled it down to four key resources which can help TEFL teachers fill out their visa applications.

VFS Global is, as the name suggests, a global information resource. If you plan on moving within the EU, the European Union’s guide to applying for a Schengen Visa is an absolute must-read. Then, there’s the Localyze Visa Application Guide and Visa-To-Travel Country Application Guides , which can help you with paperwork for just about everywhere.

Finding a local notary

You will need a notary to verify your documents and ensure your qualifications and relevant information look as they should. A notary, or notary public, is a specific type of lawyer qualified to confirm legal documents' authenticity. 

Where can you find a notary in your area? Here are some of the best resources we found for finding notaries in major English-speaking countries:

• England and Wales: https://www.thenotariessociety.org.uk/
• Scotland https://mynotary.co.uk/find-a-notary/
• Ireland https://www.notarypublic.ie/find-a-notary/
• USA https://www.asnnotary.org/?form=locator
• Canada https://www.notarypro.ca/find-a-notary/
• Australia https://www.notarylocator.com.au/all-notaries-australia
• New Zealand https://notarypublic.org.nz/find-a-notary/

Other sources of information

Where else can you find essential information about visa applications? Here are a few ideas that will help you break down what can be a complicated process into something much more digestible:

Libraries

Depending on where you’re based, libraries can be a fantastic resource. Nowadays, many libraries - especially in the UK - have dedicated sections for visa applications or even specific staff who are excellent at providing information and guidance on the immigration process. 

Library staff can offer access to official government websites, helpful publications, and sometimes even workshops or presentations on visa requirements for different countries. They can also help with research and help you understand the specific documentation you need. 

Other TEFL teachers

Finding and connecting with other TEFL teachers who have already undergone the visa process can be highly beneficial. 

Online platforms like Reddi t (r/TEFL) , Facebook groups about TEFL teaching, and various TEFL forums are available, so we’d advise you to ask some questions and read about other teachers’ experiences. Looking online can lead to first-hand accounts of the visa process for specific countries. That’s valuable because it can provide a roadmap of potential challenges and ways to make the process less labour-intensive. 

Professional networking

Again, we’re emphasising the importance of networking .

LinkedIn is a powerful tool. It can connect you with TEFL teachers working worldwide who have been through the exact visa process that you’re about to start. Search for teachers currently working in your target country. They’ll usually be happy to answer questions about the visa process and will want to help. Solid networking can lead to job opportunities, so the more you reach out, the easier it will be to garner information and make your TEFL life easier in the long run.

Where employers can help

Depending on where you go to teach, employers or, in some cases, recruiters may handle most of your visa admin for you.

You’ll need a job offer to get a work visa in quite a few countries. In these scenarios, employers usually handle the bulk of the paperwork and sometimes the costs to fill a vacancy. This will include sending the job advertisement and your employment contract to a nation’s relevant ministry, and in some cases, require proof that a local teacher couldn’t fill the job vacancy. This isn’t to say that the onus is on employers entirely—you’ll likely have a share of admin to do, but it’s certainly easier.

In other TEFL locations, you’ll need to convert a tourist visa to a work visa when you’re in the country, which can be stressful. However, again, employers should be willing to give you the resources you need to make the transition smoother. Sometimes, a teacher must leave a country temporarily, hoping to return with an improved, longer-term visa.

“Visa runs” are also relatively common in some parts of the world. Employers will allow teachers to leave the country and come back to “reset” their visas. This is a regular occurrence in nations where long-term visas aren’t readily available.

Time to apply!

When you start thinking about visa applications and the process of moving abroad, it can feel lonely and like a lot of work. You’ve likely seen someone go through the process - there can be ups and downs, anxious waits, and confusion amidst the bureaucracy. 

That said, so much help is available online and offline to make it all easier. Befriending staff at the nearest embassy or consulate, using online resources, and seeking help from your local library and fellow teachers will make it much less daunting.

Yes, we know: it’s not the most exciting task in the world and can be tricky. However, close your eyes and think about how good it’ll feel once it’s done. Visualise yourself getting on a plane and starting your TEFL teaching adventure.

It doesn’t sound like that much work now, does it?

Looking to start your TEFL journey? Look no further than our highly accredited 120-hour Premier Online TEFL Course , and you’ll be teaching English abroad in no time!