The Journey of an English Language Teaching Student Who Wants to Immigrate to a Developed Country

Hello, this is my first blog post, so please forgive me if there are any mistakes.

As you read in the title, I've decided to share a blog post about the research and experiences I've had over the years. I hope it will be helpful and give some ideas to people who have graduated or are currently studying English Language Teaching in Turkey.

To start from the beginning, back in my first year of university (2023), I was aware of the situation in my country, and I didn’t have much hope for the future. So, I had already decided to immigrate to another country.

When I was in high school, immigration to Canada was very popular. Some people went through studying at university or graduate school, while others used the Express Entry system to immigrate through work. After I got into university, I immediately began researching Canada because I still had it in mind from high school. Unfortunately, this research was a disappointment for me because studying at university or graduate school was expensive, and that was something I couldn’t afford.

Then I went through a period of reflection, thinking about how I could move abroad. I listed my options: either I would finish my teaching degree and immigrate as an English teacher, I would go under the guise of a language school, or I would go through studying for a master’s degree. Of course, the most important factor was money… By the way, I’m not a particularly successful student, so getting a scholarship was quite difficult for me.

Slowly, I started researching many countries, but all of them turned out to be disappointing. To summarize briefly:

Netherlands: To work as an English teacher, you need EU citizenship. Universities are expensive. I couldn’t afford the master’s program.

France: Universities are expensive, and it wasn’t a country I particularly wanted to go to anyway.

Switzerland: It was one of the countries I wanted the most, but it ended in disappointment (becoming a teacher was very difficult and had strict conditions).

Japan: It was actually one of my best options because there were a lot of openings for English teachers, and they even had a program called JET to bring foreign teachers. However, I found out that since 2018, they hadn’t been accepting teachers from Turkey. I wrote to the Japanese embassy, but the response was disappointing.

South Korea: Another one of my best options, and like Japan, they had a program called EPIC to bring foreign English teachers. Unfortunately, they weren’t accepting teachers from Turkey either.

Then there were places like China, Vietnam, and Cambodia, where I might have had a chance, but since I didn’t want to live in those countries, I didn’t research them much. Maybe you can try those.

Then the idea of immigrating through language schools came up. I researched Ireland, Malta, Germany, the USA, Australia, and New Zealand. However, after a few days of research, I realized that I would have difficulty affording the expenses, and even if I could, the chances of immigrating would be low.

By the way, I participated in the Green Card Lottery in the USA, but I didn’t win. If I had, I would have gone for sure.

Then I started researching Germany... I had found the way to achieve my goal. Studying for a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Germany was free.

I watched hundreds of videos, browsed websites, and did countless hours of research... But I was sure of it. My chances of studying for a master’s degree in Germany were high, and after that, the chances of staying were also high.

After completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Germany, I had 18 months to find a job. If I could find a job related to my field, the path to citizenship was open. While studying, I was allowed to work 20 hours a week, which meant I could finance myself while studying.

Not everyone might want to study in Germany and build their future there, and everyone’s situation is different. Maybe you could get a scholarship from the Netherlands or the USA. This post is written for people like me, who have financial constraints and are not successful enough to get scholarships. After a brief explanation, let's continue.

I had the opportunity to stay in Düsseldorf, Germany, for 3 days, and I really liked it. I had gotten a bit of an idea about Germany, and my decision was clear.

Now, let's talk about what’s required to pursue a master's degree in Germany:

Germany wants you to be able to finance yourself for 1 year and ensure that. So, you have two options: either you open a blocked account, or you find a guarantor.

A guarantor is someone who agrees to be responsible for you for 1 year, meaning a relative has to sign for you.

A blocked account is the solution that requires money. When you arrive in Germany, you open an account with a bank, deposit €11,910 for 2025, and lock it for 1 year. The name comes from the fact that your money is blocked, but each month, they give you back €992, meaning the money is not theirs. By giving you €992 per month, they are ensuring that you can finance yourself for the year. It’s a pretty smart solution.

Of course, another condition is that you must get accepted by a university. Acceptance conditions vary from university to university and department to department.

https://www.mygermanuniversity.com/

and

https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/international-programmes/en/

You can review it further. More detailed information can be found on the university’s department page.

Generally, they ask for your German language proficiency, English language proficiency, bachelor’s diploma, and the ECTS values of the courses you took in your bachelor’s degree, etc. Sometimes, I have seen requirements like doing academic work in some places.

By the way, it’s often said that studying in Germany is difficult, and people usually suggest adding an extra year. A master’s degree takes 2 years, but they say you should consider it as 3 years.

The cost of living varies from city to city. The reason Germany asks for €992 is that they want you to have a comfortable student life. They’ve even calculated that amount to cover your entertainment and travel.

So, you could study for around €700-800, but it would be a bit challenging.

Let’s talk about tuition fees and wrap up this blog post.

As I mentioned, studying at a university in Germany is free, but they do ask for a semester fee, which usually ranges between €85 and €400. This fee also includes a transportation card, and with this card, you can use the buses and trains for free in the city where you study. So, it’s a pretty good deal in my opinion! :)