JoeyBroChill86

Hi everyone!

I am currently studying at The Institute of Education to get my Post-Compulsory PGCE (Masters Level) in order to teach in UK colleges and sixth-forms.

I am desperate to move to Florida as I have many friends there from previously studying in Tampa Bay for a semester.

My question is:

As a qualified teacher, would I be likely to be legible for a green card? If so, how possible is it that I could be successful in my applications?

Also, what is the pay like in the education sector at the moment? It is quite well paid here in the UK so I am hoping to earn a reasonable wage.

Some advice would be much appreciated!

bjohn

Search Engine

JoeyBroChill86

Thanks for your speedy reply bjohn but do you honestly think I would be posting on here if I hadn't already exhausted Google?!

The amount of hours I have spent looking for answers through Google has proved fruitless so I am looking for someone with experience/knowledge to help me out!

Cheers anyway!

bjohn

There's an extremely good search engine within this site - check the top right of this page. Also there is a fantastic sticky at the top of the forum.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=585898

caleyjag

The reason google has probably proved fruitless is because the odds are stacked against you.

Unfortunately your chances of employment, let along sponsorship, are not great.

The education employment sector in the US is not in the best shape right now, and you will likely have difficulty finding a school district willing to stump up the considerable cash to pay for your visa application. It costs a lot of money and effort for them compared to hiring a native.

Green card is not a realistic option for you at this stage.

My understanding is that as a teacher your best bet is to get employment in the UK and look for exchange programs. This will get you out to the US for a year or so, which is better than nothing. Of course, you might not be able to pick Florida.

dbj1000

No, your qualifications as a teacher would not make you eligible for a Green Card. You stand a slim hope of being sponsored by a University for an H1-B visa, but with you not even freshly qualified the chances are not great. Whether you're "legible" for an Green Card probably depends on the quality of your handwriting.

Pay is not worth discussing until you've found a likely route to a visa. Do you have $1M to invest? Fancy marrying a Yank?

radion

As its been said the search engine on here is very good, as I am spending my time going thru and getting great info back to help me, but I'm no teacher..

Ray

He says he is desperate ..... Sex is already an issue ....


But currently ..there are pay freezes and hiring freezes
even my local school board is expecting to make layoffs

ian-mstm

You wouldn't be "qualified" in the US unless you take and pass PRAXIS. Also, unless your degree says MEd or MAT, no one in the US will know what a PGCE is. I'll also add that a "certificate" is not considered the same thing as a "degree" in the US... so while it may be the equivalent of a Master's degree in the UK, it would not be so considered in the US.


Do you mean "eligible"? That would depend entirely on your visa... not your degree. That aside, you have a slim chance at best.


You will fail 100% unless you actually apply. If you do apply, you will have better than a non-0% chance... but less than a 10% chance. You currently have neither the certificate nor the experience required for a US school... and, in the current economic climate, a school board is unlikely to fork out the $$ required to get you a visa.


That depends on where you want to work. Generally speaking, a new teacher will earn about $30,000 whereas an experienced teacher with superior qualifications can earn about $55,000 or more. If you get into administration, that figure goes even higher... but then you won't actually be teaching.


I worked for 15 years as a teacher in Canada... I was earning CDN$61,000 (about US$45,000 at the time) when I left to move to the US. Teachers are not as well paid in the US as they are in either Canada or the UK.

Ian

Noorah101

Could any of your female friends in Tampa Bay work out as a relationship?

Rene

Bill_S

Rene!!!

That's Fatbrit's line.


To the OP, check the Florida Dept. of Education to find out what Florida considers "qualified". Until you meet those specific requirements you have no chance. As Ian says, nobody in the US knows what a PGCE is. Moreover, opportunities for teachers in the US are limited right now, despite what you might have heard. My nephew is a recently qualified teacher (all-American kid, born in USA) and it took him over 1 year to find a job. And entry-level teaching jobs in the US are poorly paid.

Noorah101

LOL, my apologies to Fatbrit.

JoeyBroChill86

Thank you all so much for your help...its unfortunate that none of the answers you have provided are what I want to hear

Thanks anyway!

Orangepants

Take heart that you now know all this before you set your heart on it and commit time, energy and finances. I wish I had known all of this before - I certainly wouldn't have started down this path back in 2006. My partner moved to the US in 2003 on a H1B and we are still living in separate countries with a gorgeous house in Charlotte that I can't live in - and I have the qualifications, experience and got the job offers but a combination of many factors have thwarted us at every turn. You need a huge dollop of good luck.

ian-mstm

We're also sorry. Too often, people come here asking questions while wearing rose-colored glasses and when we tell them the truth of the situation, they get downright hostile... as though it's somehow our fault that they can't get to the US. The fact remains... US immigration laws are specifically designed to keep non-US citizens *out* of the US.

Ian