Hi, I am new to this forum and any help would be greatly appreciated.

My fiance is a student at the ETH in Zurich. We are both American, but I am living in the United States while my fiance has 2 more years left to get his master's degree. We are going to be married here in the U.S. next month.

After a lot of research and applying for jobs (constantly being rejected for my lack of German language skills) I have determined that teaching English might actually be a possibility for me.

My fiance has called many English teaching schools and they all seem very interested in hiring a native English speaker and some didn't even seem to care if I had the proper certification.

I am planning on moving back to Zurich with my husband in June and taking the CELTA course this summer. After reading around on this forum here it seems as though obtaining a work visa may prove to be an incredibly difficult task.

I am worried that I will quit my job here at home, move to Zurich, get my certification and then not be able to find an employer willing to hire me and sponsor me to get a visa. It also seems as though there are very few schools that hire teachers full time (which I have heard is a requirement to obtain a visa, is that right?).

Has anyone done this before and been successful?

HELP! Please!.
- meg

You don't need full-time employment to obtain a residents permit L, A, B C (not Visa). However you will need to check the reason for obtaining this and whether this allows you to work as you accompanying your husband who is a non-EU student.

English teaching, like everything else at the moment, is very competitive and someone with no experience and what might be seen as complicated permit situation, may well have problems securing a position...

Yes, I think you're right. It is a difficult situation. After some more research it seems as though it is not likely for a non-EU citizen to obtain a work permit to teach English and live in Switzerland. My fiance spoke with the authorities there and they said that even though he is living there on a student visa, I cannot live there with him, even as his wife. So, my only option is to find an employer to sponsor me. Sadly, this does not look like it is going to happen. .

U.S. certified ESL teacher living here, can't find anyone to sponsor me. Good luck in your search.

Another English teacher here, two years with the same language school. Even they won't sponsor me after my student visa runs out. Too much paperwork.

Have you looked into doing a graduate degree in Switzerland? Relatively cheap way to get a residence permit.

I wanted to do the same thing - teach English so I can be with my Swiss boyfriend. But I've been doing the research for about half a year now (from the US) and it seems like a hopeless situation for the same reasons you and others have listed. Over the past month I've switched focus to trying to fill a niche and be hired as an English-speaking speech therapist. It seems like a very slightly better possibility only because the competition is lower. So far, no bites. I know your post was back in May -- do you have any updates? Any ray of hope for us in the same shoes?

I wonder why everybody automaticaly thinks because their native language is English, it enables them to become English teachers ?

I'm not a teacher, but i think the job is a little more difficult than just being able to speak English.

Thanks so much for that Charlie!!!!
I studied linguistics and languages for 6 years and I am an ESOL teacher, have been for 7 years. You are absolutely right, it isn't as easy as being a native speaker or taking a short course to learn. But, if you want to work for a language school that is like a fast food joint, with a get 'em in and get 'em out kind of attitude- there will be schools hiring all over the world. The problem for workers is that they are only native speakers- a dime a dozen. So they will not sponsor you, or do anymore than they have to. And, as both a language teacher and a language student- there is a difference in someone who is assigning work from a book, and those who are using their knowledge and training to help someone acquire language.

I agree, and unfortunately there are too many agencies, mostly in Asia, that will hire people with that as their only qualification. I guess for people at the end of their ropes with their jobs or with nowhere else to turn, teaching English could become their new career and give them a tool with which to travel to boot. I just wish they (the companies hiring poorly trained teachers) would value quality more. Though that means I'd have fewer clients on my caseload

think you mean fewer clients ...!

Thanks, fixed it! That'll teach me not to post at midnight.