Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

Dear All,

I previously posted on this forum asking questions as to I applying for an E2 Visa. Thanks for the replies.

I just want to look at the other option of my wife applying for the Visa. This would be a different type of visa. She is a qualified primary school teacher and would be looking to teach in an Elementary school in the USA. My Wife has a Degree and a PGCE which is a worldwide recognised qualification in teaching.

We are a family of 5. 3 Children, 2 Boys (14,12 and a Girl of 3). I would need to be able to work also..

We would be especially interested in hearing from any Teachers that have gone through this process...

Thanks,

Richard

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

There is almost no chance of a teacher getting a work visa, not least because your assertion that a PGCE is "a worldwide recognised qualification in teaching" doesn't generally apply in the US. Teachers in "public" (state) schools are required to be registered by the state in which they teach.

I say "almost" and "generally", because there are a few international schools that hire British teachers. The only ones I know of are the British International Schools, of which I think there are six.

Otherwise, you would be asking a US school district to hire someone who lacks a state registration, and is unfamiliar with the local curriculum, teaching tools and methods, .... and to pay $5,000-$10,000 in visa and lawyers fees to hire them. How do you think that would go down in the UK if your local authority started forking out £5,000/new hire to hire American-trained teachers? Well hiring foreign teachers would be equally popular here in the US!

There was a member of BE, I don't know if he is still around, who was a British teacher, but was never successful in breaking into teaching in the US (he came into the US because of his wife or wife's work, I don't recall which), and ended up taking different work, IIRC as a driving instructor.

BTW I think a teacher would be on some sort of H-1 visa, and a trailing spouse H-4 doesn't allow working. It is possible that the British International School would enable the teacher to get an E-2, with you on a trailing spouse E-2, which does allow work.

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

I agree with Pulaski's assessment of your situation. It's very unlikely that a foreign teacher would earn a visa to live and work in the US.

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

Pretty much, what Pulaski said.

The PGCE is not a worldwide recognised qualification in teaching. Plenty of British teachers have trouble getting it accepted overseas in multiple countries.

You will need to get a state-specific teaching licence, which may or may not be easy, but it certainly will not be a case of "exchanging" your PGCE for a local licence and will likely involve you having to take exams, additional courses or maybe even another practicum. The state jurisdiction is not likely to have even heard of a PGCE.

To highlight how difficult this is going to be for you: Even in remote interior Alaska, where they are desperate to find teachers, they are not currently sponsoring foreign teachers despite some pushes for it from principals.

There was a poster a while back who was looking for a teaching job in Nebraska or Kansas, because the shortages there were such that they were willing to sponsor overseas teachers in very limited instances. But I don't think it was primary - and guess why it's so hard to find teachers willing to work in those places? I don't believe that poster ever did a follow-up about whether he was successful, but doing a search for his threads may be worthwhile.

I really think if you are looking to come to the US you need to come up with a different plan.

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

I can only speak for my state. I would not say a PGCE is recognized, though it can help towards certification after it has been professionally evaluated; plus taking exams in math, English ( those GCSEs are not recognized either) and in the subject wanting to be endorsed.

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

Some of the more diverse inner city areas seem desperate, suffer a very high turn over, where has she tried?

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

I was going to say if you've got the option of an E2 that would a much easier route for a temp stay, but then I see you have kids, so that visa is far from ideal.

What do you do, is that more likely to lead to an employment based visa maybe?

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

Private schools may also be an option. The schools my daughter went to had several British teachers...the head of her high school was also a Brit. Parents who were board members travelled the world interviewing prospective teachers. The pay was abysmal...that’s the price the teachers paid for working in a private school.

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

Does anyone on the forum know what criteria an elementary teacher from the UK would have to fulfill to be able to teach in California?

The person in question has their BA from the UK , together with their UK teaching credentials.

What would they need to do to get Californian teaching credentials?

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

https://www.teachcalifornia.org/Home/OutOfCountry
https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-...rsn=b46384c5_2

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

Turnover is high - but plenty of US Citizen graduate teachers (new teachers) desperate for a job, ready to take on those roles. No need to sponsor an overseas citizen.

As I said - OP is going to have to think Nebraska et al. Definitely not New York or Miami.

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

It is starting to come back to me now. The districts that were, in very limited numbers, sponsoring foreign teachers - they were foreign language teachers.

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

My first husband's cousin came here to work as a teacher in 2004. She was employed by a catholic private school for girls in Georgia that struggled to find female physics teachers locally so widened the search to other English-speaking countries. Her situation is unusual and quite specific. I can't imagine it happens every day.

Re: Teacher looking to Immigrate to the USA
 

Thank you