Frequently Asked Questions

All international teachers must meet the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Teaching, or the subject intended to teach
• Minimum of two years of teaching experience
• Qualified/certified to teach in your home country
• Must be currently teaching, or if not currently teaching, you must have recently obtained an advanced degree in the subject intended to teach.

Spirit sponsors international teachers in the following US states:  Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

You are responsible for arranging your own housing. Spirit will identify a mentor at the Host School who can help provide local housing suggestions, but ultimately it is up to you to make final arrangements.  It is strongly recommended that you arrange short-term housing prior to arrival so you have an affordable place to stay while you look for long-term housing.  Housing in the United States can be expensive and take some time to finalize after arrival, so it is important that you create an affordable temporary housing plan before arrival in the USA.

Spirit accepts participant applications from January – May. A typical school year begins in August and ends in June. It is recommended that participants arrive at least two weeks prior to the start of the school year to attend Host School orientation, secure long-term housing and make daily transportation arrangements.

Successful applicants are required to submit a variety of documents for Spirit’s review prior to final acceptance. These include, but are not limited to:

• Bank Statement including sufficient funds to support settling in expenses and J-2 dependents, if any. (Minimum $5000)
• Employment Verification
• Foreign Credential Evaluation
• Reference Letters
• Passport
• Background Check Report
• Copy of Degree or Diploma

Teacher salaries vary by location and teacher qualifications. J-1 exchange teachers can generally expect to be paid anywhere from $35,000 – $50,000 per year as a starting gross salary.  Exchange teachers should expect deductions from each paycheck for items such as state and federal taxes and insurance offered through the Host School. More information on expected deductions will be provided by the Host School after placement, but teachers should expect at least 15- 25% of each paycheck to be withheld for such deductions.

Teachers typically participate for 1-3 years but must renew their program annually with Spirit and the Host School. Renewal applications are approved based on teacher compliance with program rules and regulations and the Host School’s interest in renewing the teacher’s program.  After 3 years, participants can apply for an extension for up to 2 additional years, but the extension must be approved by the Department of State and is not guaranteed.

Public transportation, walking or biking to the Host School are generally only viable options for those teachers placed in very urban areas.  Teachers placed in the suburbs or more rural areas should expect to apply for a driver’s license in the USA and buy or lease a car upon arrival.  Auto insurance is required in almost all states and should be included in the teacher’s estimated monthly budget along with gas and auto maintenance expenses. Typically, international teachers arriving to the US do not have a “credit score” required for auto loans in the USA.  Most teachers will need to arrive to the US with enough cash or credit already arranged to purchase a car without financing through the US auto dealer. For information on how much a car will cost in the USA, please refer to https://www.kbb.com/whats-my-car-worth/.

Ultimately, it is your responsibility to complete your teacher certification before you are scheduled to start teaching. Each state in the US has different requirements for teacher certification.  The first step in becoming certified to teach in the United States is to complete a Foreign Credential Evaluation through a third party service. Contact Spirit for information on approved Foreign Credential Evaluation services in the state you wish to teach.   Your Host School and Spirit will advise you on how to apply for final teacher certification after you receive an offer from a Host School.  This can be a lengthy process and may not be completed until after your arrival in the USA, depending on state requirements, so start the process as soon as possible.

Participants and their J-2 dependents are automatically enrolled in BridgeUSA regulatory compliant insurance coverage through Spirit.  As regulatory required insurance is limited with a number of exclusions, Teacher Program participants are strongly encouraged to also enroll themselves and any J-2 dependents in the medical insurance plan offered by their Host School.  Host Schools generally provide comprehensive coverage that includes conditions typically excluded under the regulatory required insurance provided by J-1 visa sponsors.  In most cases, participants will need to enroll in both plans to achieve comprehensive medical coverage and meet federal regulatory requirements.

Spirit offers J-2 visa program sponsorship for Teacher Program spouses and dependents under 21 years of age.  Child dependents must be 19 or younger at the time of application. Teaching in the United States is a big change and the first several months can be very stressful adjusting to a new way of life.   It is strongly recommended that you arrive first in order to settle into your community, begin teaching and identify long-term housing.  Then, once you are settled into life in the USA, you can request to have your family join you. Any potential future dependents should be disclosed at the time of initial teacher application.

Teacher Program J-2 spouses can apply for work authorization through United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS). The work authorization process can take several months or more to process, during which time the J-2 dependent will not be able to work.  Participants should not count on spousal income in order to cover estimated living expenses for their family.

The purpose of the J-1 Teacher Program is temporary cultural exchange.  J-1 visas are issued by US Consulates abroad to applicants who agree to return home upon successful completion of the program.  Therefore, Spirit is not able to assist in any change of visa status.  Participants who wish to change to a different visa category are advised to complete their J-1 visa program, return to their home country and then apply for a new visa category.  In our experience, completing the intended terms of your J-1 visa will improve your chances of receiving future visas to the USA.

Spirit accepts applications directly from international teachers via the “Direct” application process on our website. Spirit also works with a network of vetted international partner “third party” offices that assist applicants who would prefer local support with their applications.  Any third parties used to assist you with your Spirit program must be approved by Spirit before you submit an application. This is important to ensure that the third party you are working with is an approved Spirit partner office. Failure to disclose the use of a third party to Spirit will result in cancellation of your application or program termination. For a list of approved Spirit international partner offices where you are located, email teacher@spiritexchange.com.