Frequently Asked Questions

Since we recruit teachers to teach in schools from kindergarten through grade 12, hiring schools are looking for teachers with experience teaching in these settings. At the time of your application, you should be employed by a regular private or regular public school.

You need a university teaching degree in order to qualify for a teaching license in the U.S. Unfortunately, you cannot teach with Participate Learning in a U.S. school without one.

In order to be able to teach in a public school in the U.S., you need to have a teaching license which requires a university degree in education. Therefore, you need to have a university degree in education to be eligible to participate in our program.

We ask that you have a driver’s license and at least a year of solid driving experience at the time of travel.

Access to public transportation is not widespread in most of the U.S., and you will need to buy a car upon arrival in the U.S. and be able to drive. For your safety and the safety of others, you should not only have a driver’s license, but also know how to drive well. If you do not have a driver’s license or know how to drive well, we recommend that you wait until you meet this requirement before applying.

That’s okay! Stay connected with us via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and Youtube. We encourage you to register once you have met the requirements for participation.

Your English does not need to be perfect. However, you must be able to communicate effectively (written and orally) with your principal, staff, colleagues and your students’ parents.

We will evaluate your English proficiency throughout your application process and will let you know if your proficiency is at the level needed to succeed as an Ambassador Teacher.

We wish we could recruit from all countries in the world! Unfortunately, for various reasons, we are unable to do so at this time. Check our recruitment country list to find out if we accept applications from your country.

If your country is not on the recruitment country list, we are currently unable to accept your application. If you are a citizen of one of the countries on the list but currently live elsewhere, we can accept your application.

We will work with you throughout your application process to determine what position is best for you—we take into consideration your training, experience, your interviews, and your preferences. Positions are available in different subjects, but not all subject teachers are recruited in all countries. We recruit teachers for positions in the following subjects:

• Elementary education (primary education),
• Dual Language Immersion (bilingual education in elementary, Spanish, Mandarin, French and German),
• Middle Grades
• World Languages (Spanish, Mandarin, French, German),
• ESL

For more information about our positions, see our Teaching Positions webpage.

We used to recruit teachers for all teaching positions in the U.S. Presently, we only recruit teachers for elementary (primary), world language (Spanish, Mandarin, French), ESL and dual language immersion (bilingual primary) positions. Should this change in the future, we will update this page. For more information about the positions that we have available, visit our positions page.

We can only sponsor visas for your legal spouse. In order for your spouse to come with you to the U.S., you must be legally married.

Same-sex marriage is legal in the U.S., so we can sponsor visas for legally married same-sex couples. You need to have gotten married in a country where same-sex marriage is legal. Civil unions, unfortunately, do not apply here.

Each state has its own curriculum. For more details, visit the Department of Education websites below.

Public Schools of North Carolina
South Carolina Department of Education
Virginia Department of Education

The Participate Learning staff will determine what positions you will be considered for. We make this decision based on your training, experience, interviews and preferences.

Once we have made a decision, we will help you best prepare for this position. Some candidates are eligible for more than one type of placement and more than one level. We will strive to find you a position in which you have the best chance of succeeding and will benefit most.

Learn more about positions available here.

Participate Learning provides training sessions for all teachers joining our cultural exchange program. Online support is also available to eligible teachers who are awaiting teaching positions with Participate Learning. Our online support offers information on teaching in the U.S., as well as logistical details about the visa process, budgeting, transportation and preparing to relocate to the U.S.

Upon arrival, teachers will take part in an orientation hosted by Participate Learning, which includes additional preparation for working in a U.S. classroom and settling into a new community. Most U.S. school districts also host their own orientations for new teachers prior to the start of the school year.

Please visit this page for up-to-date information about costs and fees of participation.

Yes! All salaries are determined based on the year you graduated from university and how many years of full-time teaching experience you have after graduation. Salary is non-negotiable. In the U.S., salary is quoted yearly, as opposed to monthly, and is quoted before taxes.

North Carolina uses one salary scale for all teachers, regardless of the school district they teach in. All teachers in N.C. are paid based on a Bachelor’s degree, and advanced degrees are not taken into consideration.

In South Carolina and Virginia, salary scales are decided by school districts. Advanced degree salaries are paid in these states. Cost of living is also typically higher in these states.

As your visa sponsors, we make sure you are covered by health insurance. This is why all of our teachers and their families must use the health insurance provided to you—you cannot choose to use any other insurance provider. Participate Learning subsidizes the cost for you every month, as we pay for part of your premium, and you pay the rest. Health insurance is paid for on a monthly basis, and our health insurance provider is United Healthcare.

We also offer you the option of purchasing dental insurance, which you will pay for separately. You will also receive free life insurance.

Participate Learning will buy a one-way ticket for you after your visa is approved. You are responsible for any additional tickets you might use throughout your experience to visit home or any other travel.

If your family will travel to the U.S., you are responsible for paying for their tickets. All family members should travel at least 1-2 weeks after you.

Yes. You will pay for your own housing, food, and transportation.

There is not easy access to public transportation where teachers are placed, meaning you will need to buy a car upon arrival in the U.S. and be able to drive. Typically, Ambassador Teachers pay a down payment for a car and continue to pay for the car while living in the U.S.

Participate Learning will open an account for you before you arrive. Most school districts will deposit your salary directly into your bank account.

Participate Learning does not charge fees to applicants to any Participate Learning program. However, all teachers, including co-teachers, who secure a position to teach with Participate Learning, will be required to pay any applicable visa processing fees.

Co-teachers with Participate Learning are fully qualified teachers who spend their first year with Participate Learning in a dual language classroom shared with a returning ambassador teacher. Co-teachers have the same responsibilities as other educators, but are encouraged to learn from their partner ambassador teacher and gain valuable experience teaching in a dual language classroom. A co-teacher with Participate Learning program lasts for one year, as co-teachers should lead their own classroom starting their second year with Participate Learning.

Participate Learning offers a very competitive health benefits program for all program participants. Participate Learning program participants and any accompanying J-2 family members are required by the U.S. Department of State to have health insurance at certain minimum coverage levels. To meet this requirement, all teachers are enrolled in the same health benefits program through the entirety of their program participation. Participate Learning pays a large portion of the monthly premium cost—however, all teachers are also responsible for paying a portion of the monthly premium.

Participate Learning provides all teachers, including co-teachers with airline tickets for transport from major airports in their home countries to the U.S. for orientation. Participate Learning arranges travel plans and emails itineraries prior to travel. Additional travel during holidays or visits, costs of travel for family, and return tickets at the end of the program are purchased at the teacher’s expense.

Participate Learning is authorized by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor cultural exchange teachers in the U.S. for up to three years. Ambassador Teachers apply for a J visa, which is specifically designed for cultural exchange programs. A new visa is not required to continue to a new position after successful completion of the co-teaching year unless otherwise required by the country issuing the visa.

Participate Learning is committed to providing supportive, comprehensive experiences for all co-teachers. This includes participating in Participate Learning’s online professional development, as well as instructional support provided to all dual language program teachers. Participants completing online professional development modules will earn digital badges that can be shared on resumes and via social media, and are stored for endorsement and certification. Additionally, Participate Learning staff are available by phone and email for questions and make school visits throughout the year.

Co-teachers must be native speakers of the target language, Spanish or Mandarin, and have at least intermediate levels of written and verbal proficiency in English. You must have completed a degree equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor’s degree, which includes teacher preparation programs. Like all Ambassador Teachers, co-teachers must have valid driver’s licenses before arrival in the U.S. and cannot be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

Co-teachers have the opportunity to learn more about teaching in a U.S. dual language classroom by sharing teaching responsibilities with another, experienced Participate Learning dual language teacher. Like all other Ambassador Teachers, co-teachers receive full-time teacher salaries, health insurance benefits, visa sponsorship, and ongoing dual language and cultural exchange program support throughout participation in the program.

Participate Learning is officially designated by the U.S. Department of State as an Exchange Program Sponsor. As such, Participate Learning is authorized to sponsor cultural exchange teachers in the U.S. for the maximum time allowed by the U.S. Department of State. Ambassador teachers apply for J-1 visas, which are specifically designed for cultural exchange programs. These visas are available only to non-U.S. citizens and those who are not permanent residents of the U.S.

Learn more about the J visa here.

The initial J-1 Exchange Visitor visa used by Ambassador Teachers is valid for up to three years. During the third year, teachers who remain in good standing may be eligible to apply for a two-year extension, for a total of five years. At the end of the program, Ambassador Teachers are expected to return to their home countries to share their experiences and fulfill the cultural exchange. 

Teachers and schools renew contracts with mutual consent at the end of each year of employment for a maximum of five years. Schools typically have the expectation that teachers will remain for the maximum length of time allowed under the J-1 visa.

Participate Learning ‘s multi-year cultural exchange program is designed to provide teachers with significant international experience and professional development. Our teachers average around four years in the U.S. with Participate Learning sponsorship.

Participate Learning encourages teachers to plan to participate for as many years as possible. Minimum availability is two years and maximum length of stay allowed by the J-1 visa is five years. It has been our experience that both teachers and school districts report the greatest satisfaction with the exchange experience in the teacher’s second and third years, once the teacher has successfully completed his or her first year and adjusted to the new classroom and community.

Applicants should plan to live in the U.S. for at least two school years. Prospective applicants who are not committed to teaching in the U.S. for at least two years, or who have work or personal obligations that would prevent them from doing so, should not apply to teach with Participate Learning.

Ambassador Teachers work in full-time teaching positions where they serve as teachers of record at U.S. public or private schools. Unlike other exchange programs where teachers “swap” positions with U.S. counterparts or enter into job-sharing or teaching assistant programs, Ambassador Teachers take on the expectations and responsibilities for students like any newly hired teachers.

Settling into life in the U.S. and new school positions requires significant commitment and time from international teachers, as well as school administrations. The length of adjustment periods vary depending on the similarities and differences teachers encounter—it requires time to learn, adapt and, most importantly, build trust with new students and colleagues. Again, both teachers and school districts report greatest satisfaction with exchange experiences during a teacher’s second and subsequent years, once the teacher has successfully completed his or her first year and adjusted to the new classroom and community.

Participate Learning partner schools are aware of the adjustment period for teachers in their first year, and recognize that frequent turnover in teaching staff can hamper student progress. Therefore, they are unwilling to host teachers for only one year and expect teachers to remain in their positions, if possible, for the full extent of the J-1 visa program. Accordingly, Participate Learning has set two school years as a minimum commitment for program participation.

Your continued employment as an exchange teacher is largely your responsibility and will be dependent upon your ability to teach successfully in the classroom in accordance with the requirements of your teaching position at the host school district and / or as assessed by Participate Learning personnel. While we cannot guarantee employment for a specific period, we will work hard to provide you support and the opportunity to adjust quickly to your new community and succeed in the classroom.

The terms of program participation, including departures prior to full completion of program participation due to resignations, terminations, contract non-renewals or other extenuating circumstances, are addressed in more detail in the Participate Learning Educator Agreement that is provided to all participants before beginning the program.

Most Ambassador Teachers refer to their first year as “challenging,” due to the number of changes they encounter. This includes a new country and culture, a new school system, new colleagues, a new home, new food, new friends and more. Cultural adaptation requires a significant adjustment period as one moves through the various phases. Typically, it takes at least six months to arrive at the final phase where one begins to adapt to the new culture and fit in.

While the first year is primarily one of learning, adjustment and personal challenge, the second year begins to offer true program benefits as teachers settle in and begin to make significant contributions. This is also the year in which personal growth truly starts to occur. Teachers begin to feel they have accomplished something of significance, and gain more confidence and new perspectives on the nature of teaching itself. Participate Learning staff provide support throughout the experience, and teachers also have access to professional events with other Ambassador Teachers and staff.

No. Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, applicants are no longer required to have or get a COVID-19 vaccine as one of our application requirements. We do recommend that you bring any vaccine-related documentation with you when you travel, as it may be requested at a later date.