TORF Eligibility and Registration

To register for the Recruiting Fair, applicants must be:

• certified as an elementary or secondary school teacher
• experienced (two years or more not including substitute or student teaching). 25% of the places are reserved for inexperienced teachers (more details below) with priority given to candidates currently in the B.Ed. program at Queen's.
• willing to sign a two year contract (there are only a few one year opportunities) effective August or September of the same calendar year
• flexible and able to adapt to a foreign culture and environment

Successful Circumstances

• Single Teachers or Teaching Couples.
• Flexibility with Regard to Location — We recommend that teachers be open to at least two continents or regions. Teachers with specific geographical preferences should check with Education Career Services before registering.
• Qualifications in Demand — Most of the international schools offer a K–12 academic program. In addition to elementary and secondary academic subjects there are positions in administration, guidance, library, physical education and the arts. There are a few openings for ESL and business education teachers but rarely for technological studies (vocational) teachers.

Less Successful Circumstances

You are welcome to contact us to discuss your own situation if one or more of the following limitations apply. Please note that we reserve the right to limit the number of registrants in these categories.

• Teachers with Non-teaching Spouses or Partners — We are unable to offer much encouragement in this regard. This is not a reflection of a teacher's ability or the potential of the spouse to make a contribution, but is the result of problems with visas, work permits, housing, insufficient salary to support dependents and other issues. Because overseas schools have a choice, they usually opt for single teachers and teaching couples. Based on recent experience, approximately 25% of candidates in this situation have been successful.
• Teachers at or Near Retirement — In some locales, there are age restrictions on visas imposed by the host country government. 
• Unmarried Teaching Couples — The prevailing local standards or national laws in North Africa, the Middle East and other locations require that couples living together be married.
• Teaching Couples with More than Two Dependent Children — Due to the limits of provided housing, the cost to a school for transportation, benefits, tuition for staff dependents, or a school enrollment already at capacity, couples with more than two children will find reduced chances at TORF.
• Teachers Without Recent Full-time Teaching Experience — Administrators prefer to consider recent experience and current references.
• Inexperienced Teachers with Less Than Two Years Full-Time Classroom Teaching and Candidates at Faculties of Education — Most schools prefer to hire teachers with at least two years experience. This is not an arbitrary requirement imposed by Queen's but is a generally accepted requirement or preference among the overseas schools. Given the demands of adjustment to a new culture, professional environment, climate, most schools prefer that teaching skills be 'in place' prior to arrival.
  • Background — The basic prerequisites for registering for the Fair are teacher certification plus at least 2 years of full time K-12 classroom teaching experience. This does not include day to day supply teaching, summer school teaching, or student teaching. Most overseas schools prefer, or require, this background so that teachers don't have to deal with the challenges of first year teaching in addition to the adjustment issues which anyone will face when moving to a different country and educational environment. However, quite a few of the schools will consider first year teachers; thus, every year at the Fair, we set aside about 25% of the places for inexperienced teachers. Priority is given to current Queen's B.Ed. students who are served by Education Career Services at Queen’s.
  • Possible Exceptions — Some years we may be able to accept a small number of applications from inexperienced teachers outside Queen's. As of mid-January we usually will know how many schools, experienced teachers, and Queen's B.Ed. students are registered. If there is room we will accept some additional registrations from B.Ed. students at other universities, and other inexperienced teachers. Depending upon the level of interest and the places available, we might do this on the basis of candidates' marketability.
  • Registration — Please contact one of the TORF organizers to discuss your candidacy if you have any questions. Follow the normal registration procedures. After you register, we will hold your paperwork until we can determine how many inexperienced teachers from outside Queen’s we are able to accommodate. We will notify all registrants of their candidacy in mid-January. If we are unable to accept someone, we will return all your paperwork and registration fee ($100 CDN).
• Friends Hoping to Travel Together and Teach in the Same School — It would be best not to make this a condition for going overseas given the many variables involved in staffing a school.

Candidate Registration

Advance registration is required and enrollment is limited. There is no specific registration deadline but registration will be closed when the enrollment limit is reached, possibly in mid-January. (There will be no waiting list.)

Assuming you meet the eligibility criteria, we invite you to proceed with the registration process. All registrants must have an email address.

Step 1

Registration Instructions (195 KB PDF) – Please download, print, and read carefully.

Step 2

On-line Data Form – Complete and submit electronically, after reading the registration instructions above. A printable version of this on-line form, in PDF format, will be provided by return email once it has been reviewed by a TORF staff member.

Step 3

Submit, by mail or courier, all documentation with the registration fee.

Step 4

Wait for confirmation of acceptance.

Additional Information

Accommodations in Kingston (22 KB PDF)

Registration Fees

The registration fee payable to Queen's University is $100 (CAD or USD) for the weekend, $50 if currently enrolled in the B.Ed. or M.Ed. program at Queen's (a limited number of places will be reserved for current Queen's B.Ed. students who are served by Education Career Services). There are no subsequent placement fees for candidates. The university — and the event itself — are non-profit and the registration fees are for cost recovery. Please see Registration Instructions (above), certified cheque or money order required.

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