Hi, new to forum but a long time lurker here. I am from India and plan on working in Taiwan.
Right now, I am looking into getting English teaching job in Taiwan but not sure what to expect. Hope I will be able to get some answers here:
1)What can I expect to earn as an English teacher? ( From what I have read, it is around 60k NTD)
2)How hard is it going to be to land a job here? how long would it take ? ( I am 22 with neutral accent, around 6ft and it is going to be hard to tell that I am from India if that helps)
3) How much should I save before moving to taiwan ?
4) I plan on searching for a digital marketing job after landing a teaching job. I have around 3 years and some month of marketing experience and working as manager but life is rather not great in India. I also have a year of experience in cryptocurrency and fintech if that counts for anything.
It’s not going to be easy. If I were you I would do two things. Firstly, apply for a chain Buxiban like HESS and see if they accept you. I doubt they’ll bite, but you can give it a go.
Secondly, I’d fly over and chance my arm. I really feel that you’re going struggle.
I know two guys from the Indian subcontinent who are teaching English. They are both married to Taiwanese spouses. Perhaps that’s a third option? One of them runs a very successful buxiban.
One of my uni students is from eSwatini and she’s scored a part time English teaching job at a buxiban at 600 an hour. She is stunningly beautiful, which may have helped.
Will try if I end up with no other option. Any suggestion which state/ city I should begin my search in; one with low competition and easy availability of teaching jobs.
How do most people get english teaching job tho ??
Getting a job would be a crap shoot, which is to say it’s not likely you will find one and you will end up spending money for nothing to come here. If no one has said it yet, you can’t work legally as an English teacher, not with only a Bachelors, even if it is in education, even if you get a TESOL certificate. I’ve known guys from Africa who spoke English very well and had advanced degrees, but they sat around their hostel going from school to school because no one would hire them. Schools are going to go for a legal hire everytime. The best you could expect would be a school that no one else will work for.
Also, I don’t know the visa requirements for Indians, but I think the longest time you can stay is 90 days. You’ll have to leave the country and come back every 3 months. After you do this a few times, immigration may catch on and not let you back. Teachers from all over used to do this, but the rules have gotten more strict. I met a Hungarian who carried on like that for years, but I’ve also known Canadians and Australians who got kicked out of the country for teaching illegally.
I would not risk it. If you have digital marketing experience, consider getting on Upwork or some other outsourcing website and at least have some income so you’re not living off savings. Taiwan may need fintech workers and you could possibly find a job in that if you have a degree in some technology field and a few years of relevant and provable experience. But you’re more likely to get deported and barred from returning than to get a teaching job and move on to something else. I’ve often hired Indians to do tech work for various reasons on Upwork, et al. so it’s possible to earn a living that way. If you just want to get out of India, I’d try somewhere with a cheaper cost of living like Thailand or Philippines.
Have the laws changed? I zone in and out of the news, but as far as I know, one must be from one of the few countries Taiwan considers to be English speaking and have a minimum of a Bachelors to teach English here. The only non-native English teachers I’ve met are either teaching illegally, or they advanced degrees and teach in universities or high schools. The OP has said he’s from India and has a Bachelors.
It’s not really a fair law as I’ve met plenty of Indians, Filipinos, and some Africans and Europeans who speak English with a more neutral accent (if any accent can be called that) than some people from those accepted countries. But it’s the law. Unless it’s changed.
We’ve discussed this at length. If English is an official language* of a country then people from that country can teach English in Taiwan (assuming they have suitable qualifications). India and the Philippines qualify.
It’s as BD described. As far as I can tell, there was never a law that specified a limited number of countries, but I can’t say for sure. It could have been an Education Ministry policy I suppose
Ok, maybe things have changed or the general assumption has always been wrong. I’ve been browsing some old threads and there is reason to believe English speakers from outside the usual 7 countries might be able to work legally. But if I was the OP I would want a lot more than some opinions on a forum or even links from government websites. As I know from getting my wife a visa, the information on the government websites doesn’t always tell you everything, even if that’s what the various offices refer you to.
I just seems like, if it is possible, there would be a lot more from outside the 7 countries. I know schools think looks are important, but there are lots of schools that have trouble finding teachers.
I really would like to know from an official source if Filipinos, Indians, and other English speakers can legally get a work permit from the Ministry of Education. I’ve met several Filipinos teaching here, but none had the basic qualifications of just being from the Philippines and having a Bachelors. All of them had some additional qualifications or already had work rights. One of my relatives in one of those countries just graduated with a degree in elementary education, though they don’t have teaching credentials yet. They’ll be looking for a job soon, it would be great to have them here.
But for the OP, I would definitely go to the nearest TECO or whatever it’s called in India and get a definite answer from them. It looks like Indians can at best get a 30 day eVisa. That’s not a lot of time to find a job and process the papers. I would not take the risk only to find out it’s not possible. And I hope @all will come back and post his experience here. And I may find out for myself. Once I can start a business I might run an agency. I know enough of my people who would love to come fill up all the vacant posts in every little town.
