NETs claim they were pressured to work illegally without visas

Teachers' representative says three had to start on an unpaid basis but EMB says it failed to find evidence of the practice

A number of native English-speaking teachers have had to work without pay while waiting for employment visas, in breach of immigration law and leaving them out of pocket, according to a NET who mentors newly-arrived teachers.

Des Moriarty, a secondary school NET, said he knew three teachers who had started work without employment visas.

A teacher, who did not want to be named, said his school pressured him to work on an unpaid basis for five days before his visa arrived. 'It came down to either I come in and volunteer or the job will not be available,' he said.

The Immigration Department confirmed that an employment visa was needed before a person could perform paid or unpaid work.

The teacher, who changed schools over the summer holidays, said he had not received any pay for the time he worked without a visa. 'I was expected to perform the full duties of a teacher who was employed in the school,' he said.'I was asked to volunteer for those days but the school hasn't paid me for them.'

Mr Moriarty, who raised the issue with the Education and Manpower Bureau last week, said the teachers had been at risk of prosecution and were not covered by work site insurance while they were working without an employment visa.