Thank you for the detailed information!

This is really a matter of curiosity, more than anything else. The school probably uses this form of contract as they are easier to get out of if they want to let someone go. I haven't had any problems, I just was wondering if I am technically under contract or not.

Legally, I am not sure but probably I am. In the eyes of the international school world, I almost certainly am.

At the school in which I currently teach (though not much longer), my "contract" that the school has one file for me is merely the offer letter that they emailed to me from abroad, before I was in the country, and which I printed, signed, scanned, and emailed back to them.

Researching this generally, it seems clear that they are in fact not an employment contract and, depending on the wording (especially if employment is contingent on anything else happening) not necessarily binding.

I knew that letters of intent were not in fact employment contracts, but what about letter offers? In my thinking, which is admittedly not fully informed, an offer letter is more akin to a letter of intent than it is an employment contract.

So, is an offer letter equivalent to an employment contract? Is anyone else currently working under an offer letter and nothing else?

I've received good news. No foul play here.

Thank you for the response. I really did not believe, or want to believe, that the school knew I was ineligible for the Alberta certification to begin with, on account of the work visa. Now I'm beginning to wonder.

I do have contingency plans, of course. I'm not as naive as I once was. We will see how this goes. But as I have it in writing directly from Alberta Education that a LOA will allow me to be hired there, so I think it's safe to assume it is not really an issue for the school's accreditation.

Hi all,

I have a deal 95% done for next year, at a Canadian-accredited international school. The process of sealing the deal drags on because I need to be an Alberta-certified teacher. It has taken many months to submit all of the documentation, including the FBI background check that took 16 weeks. Only now do I find that I need a Canadian work permit to get the certification, even though I am an American and will not be working in Canada.

Has anyone else ever had to do such a thing?

The Ministry of Education has told me that they can give me a Letter of Authority (in lieu of the license) so that hiring me would be totally possible, but I'm still waiting to hear from the Director if he is okay with hiring me under that circumstance.

I am researching Canadian work permits, and I think there is an open work permit not tied to any one employer, but if anyone here has faced a similar challenge I'd like to read your feedback. Thanks!

Thanks all for the further advice. I've sent an email to the principal and will be in touch with the teacher whom I'm taking over for shortly. I'll update this thread later, but I'm feeling far more relaxed about the situation now.

Thank you Briz and espaceartist for your responses.

Greetings everyone, this is my first post. I am fresh out of teacher college, so was very lucky to sign a formal letter of intent on the first day of the UNI fair. I was told this is "the contract" and thus did not speak to any other schools at the fair other than to politely decline their interview invitations. I had a Skype interview prior to the fair, and so meeting this school at the fair was a formality and a way to provide all of the documents required for my visa.

About a week after the fair, I sent an email to HR to basically check in, ask if they were satisfied with the visa documentation I provided, and outline some of my housing preferences (as I was told HR would help me find housing).

Dead air, and it has been about a week. I am signed to begin in mid-March or early April to fill in for a maternity leave (with two full school years beyond that) so time is of the essence. The work visa window is incredibly tight.

I am thinking of writing an email to the principal whom I spoke to most at the fair and the Skype interview. Should I be worried? Is a letter of intent the standard contract signed at fairs? Would the school at least let me know if they had buyers remorse and were not really planning on having me?

About the only error on my part that I can think of, is I did not leave a proper thank-you card for the school after signing for the position. I feel I was always gracious and polite in our interactions, which seemed rather relaxed and informal on their part. I have, however, sent a card by mail (highly expedited and expensive). I know that the letter cleared Mexican customs last Friday, but have not been able to track it since. So, one last question:

Should I email the principal right away to know where things stand? Or should I wait for her to receive the card and hopefully get in contact with me?

Thanks for any and all advise for this situation.