I used to work at a mediocre school that never advertised jobs. They would hire from those who sent in unsolicited resumes, so it does happen. However, based on my experience there, you should be wary of working with those who are incapable of following the simplest of instructions, or being hired by those who are too lazy/inept to even post jobs on the homepage.

Where are you seeing lots of librarian jobs? A librarian friend is looking to make a move and despairs at the lack of options. I'm very curious to know.

In a similar situation, but without the EU passport. Is that going to be an impassible barrier to teaching in Europe?

Also, looking for the next spot, which places in Europe have the best earning/saving potential? How does it compare to top Asian destinations like HK, Japan, or Singapore?

Salaries can be misleading. I've worked at a couple of IS's in Tokyo and the benefits package can really change things. Stuff like health care, loyalty bonuses, housing allowances, etc. For instance, one school with a lower salary took care of my residence tax, which can be several thousand dollars a year. It was also outside of the "downtown" so my rent was a lot less. My next job provided a larger salary with a housing benefit, but left me on the hook for a more expensive health care package and my residence taxes, as well as not paying for the whole summer. I wanted to live near the school and had to pay way more in rent, plus the dreaded key money and deposits. In the end, despite a bigger number, my salary had only increased marginally. In the end, it's worth calculating actual yen amounts so you can compare more accurately. Even now, I have friends who make half the salary with great benefits and we basically break even. FWIW, my first couple of years in Tokyo were on about 250,000 a month, and I still banked half if I was frugal. It's very easy to blow it all though, with just a few big weekends. I know of more than a few IS's in Tokyo now that offer a 400,000-600,000 yen a month gross. A few, more, many less.

If you do get in there, St. Mary's isn't that far out, especially if you bike, and the area is nice, while still being reasonably convenient. I personally hate public transit and ride my bike or scooter everywhere. It's usually faster for journeys under 5km as well.I lived in Ebisu and couldn't stand it. Too noisy, busy and crowded for my liking. Futako Tamagawa, where the school is located, is a great neighborhood; good shopping, easy connections to Shibuya, but remote enough that you probably won't have drunks throwing up outside your window every friday.

Have you considered any other options? If you are a relatively new teacher, it might be tough to get in at SMIS, but there are plenty of lower grade schools that still provide a decent living.

The bit about the boots is 100%. The ladies here truly care about their appearances, and although brown sack fashion has been popular in the last couple of years, there are still loads of gorgeous women about.

I've heard the schools there are full of Canadians. I'd like to go, but I also hear the money is not great, and frequently, the conditions are shit; OFSTEAD breathing down your neck, awful students and parents, oppressive planning and outside work, mediocre pay, high stress. I'd love to hear from those actually in the system, to see if it's as bad as some have made it out to be, though, as it's somewhere I'd consider when my current, admittedly tier 1 in asia, gig gets stale.

Looking at jobs and quite curious to hear about experiences with working at Lycee's outside of France. I've heard they are very bureaucratic, but don't have much of an opinion otherwise and wonder about the odds of getting into one in the International section. I'd love to hear from those who have worked there. In the US, are the pay packages competitive? What are the expectations? How well supported/resourced are they? I know these are quite broad questions, but all stories help in forming opinions. Thank you in advance.

You are not a resident for tax purposes in the situation you have described, and thus, do not have to file a Canadian tax return so long as you haven't generated Canadian income. As others have mentioned, there are situations where you might be, such as if you rent or own a residence in Canada. Also be aware that non-residents can not have TFSA's and can incur a 1% penalty per month if you are caught. Have an illegitimate TFSA for a couple years, and you could really wind up in a pickle!

What CRA and several accountants told me was that the main "tie breaker" that determines your taxability in Canada is where you have your primary residence. If you really want to put your mind at ease, you can fill out a form, fax it to CRA, and they will tell you that you are a non-resident. As far as healthcare and drivers licenses go, that is a provincial jurisdicition, but I believe most provinces consider less than 183 days per calendar year to be non-residence, and thus, you shouldn't be using healthcare or a drivers license. However, a great deal of that is up to your intent, as I believe many provinces also consider you a resident the minute you return with the intent to reside...

TL;DR: Don't file, you don't have to.

You can have a tax-free savings account as a non-resident in Canada, so long as you opened it before you became a non-resident. Don't know if this helps you or not, it was important for me!

You are wise to block a certain poster. The guy often posits opinion as fact, and is totally off base. Hopefully most of those who come seeking advice are smart enough to see through him, too. I would hate to see someone take a job or make a life choice partly based on his ill-informed comments.

I can second sea frieght as a good shipping option. A little more labor intensive, but cheap, if you don't mind the wait.