What am I allowed to teach on the E2 visa?

What am I allowed to teach on the E2 visa?

 

For as long as the E2 visa has existed, there has been an argument on what E2-visa holders are allowed to teach while on the visa. 

We are writing this job post in order to clean up some misunderstandings. Please do note that this is our opinion only and if you are worried, do talk to the Ministry of Education or a lawyer. 


Please note: The legality of your teaching content is based on the school's curriculum intent. If the intent is to improve conversational English through other methods (e.g. cooking) then it is legal.

Can I teach other subjects on an E2 visa?

This depends on the ages that you are teaching, so I will give some examples. Just always ask yourself, 'is the primary purpose of this lesson language acquisition?'. 

 

If you are 'teaching art' once a week to kindergarten students in English, this is most of the time not an Art subject, but just another method of English instruction, e.g. any Native speaker could do the activity and specialist knowledge isn't needed to teach the lesson. 

 

However, if you are teaching middle school students and 60-70% of your teaching time is spent talking about Monet or van Gogh and it requires a specialist knowledge or qualification (e.g. a bachelor's in Art History), then this is not allowed on the E2 visa. The aim of this subject isn't another method of English teaching but for the students to learn about Art History.

 

Second example; debate. If you are being asked to research different subjects for your students to debate about (e.g. the impact of the pandemic on the world's economy), then this is allowed on the E2 visa. Having your student debate is designed to increase their speaking skills, argument methodology and vocabulary. However, if the entirety of the subject is you explaining different economic phenomena and their effects on the world then this is not allowed as it is not expanding their English vocabulary but informing them about macro economics. You can introduce the subject to them, but you should not function as a subject teacher. 

 

 

 

Additional Classes

Another common worry for teachers is they are teaching more hours than what they have been contracted to do. 
We would recommend counting how many hours you are in front of children teaching and compare with what is in your contract. Another common misunderstanding is that if the school gives you any more classes on top of your usual schedule that this is overtime and you must be paid overtime. The majority of the time, the schools mention 25-30 teaching hours a week, but only give their teachers 23 or 24 hours so if any additional classes are given then overtime pay may not be required. We would suggest reading the wording of your contract and getting advice from a legal representative if clarification is needed. 


Taking on additional employment while on E2
Thirdly, when on an E2 visa, private tutoring/working at multiple locations is not allowed. This is why, in most cases, E2 visa holders cannot work part time as some partime employees would like to take up additional employment.

If you would like to take up additional employment, you need to apply for permission from immigration to do so. However, do note, that this is incredibly uncommon and, with decisions up to the discretion of the immigration officer, your application might be rejected. 



 

As an E-2 visa holder, your work should remain clearly focused on teaching English as a language. While different teaching methods (art, debate, activities) are commonly used, they should support language learning rather than replace it with subject-based instruction.

If you are ever unsure whether a specific teaching duty is permitted, it is best to confirm directly with the appropriate authorities.