International Educators

Tulsa Public Schools is honored that over 150 international teachers from 33 countries have chosen to teach in our district, giving our students the opportunity to learn from educators from a wide range of cultures and experiences. International teachers bring a unique perspective to their classrooms and enrich the lives of their students and our community.

The Language and Cultural Services department at Tulsa Public Schools provides support to international teachers under a variety of visa categories.

J-1 Visa (Cultural Exchange Teacher)

The J-1 Visa program is processed through the Department of State by a Bridge USA program.
J-1 visas are initially issued for 3 years, with an option to extend for 2 additional years (5 years maximum).
The J-1 Visa program is for professionals with a teacher certification and at least 2 years of experience in their home country.
Teachers will be issued a temporary “Visiting International Teacher Certificate” by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

F-1 Visa (OPT, STEM OPT, and CPT)

Tulsa Public Schools regularly hires international teachers who have CPT or OPT work authorization through an F-1 student visa sponsored by a university.
The international teacher program coordinator can work together with teachers and their university to renew work authorization as needed while on an F-1 visa.
Certified teachers may be considered for H-1B visa sponsorship by the district once they have exhausted all other CPT/OPT work authorization.

H-1B Visa (Only available for current teachers - TPS does not sponsor H-1B visas for new teachers)

While Tulsa Public Schools does not currently sponsor H-1B visas for new employees, we occasionally sponsor H-1B visas for current teachers under certain conditions.
An H-1B visa is a temporary work permit that is initially issued for 3 years at a time. It can be extended up to a maximum of 6 years.
H-1B sponsorship is determined on a limited case-by-case basis and is dependent on budget and teacher performance.
Teachers must hold a valid teacher certification from the Oklahoma State Department of Education before we can submit an H-1B petition.
Tulsa Public Schools partners with an immigration law firm to submit H-1B petitions.
Tulsa Public Schools does not generally sponsor green cards or PERM process for its employees, absent extraordinary circumstances. Teachers are solely responsible for planning for the action steps and associated costs for continued legal status following the expiration of all available and approved H-1B authorization.

Questions?

For questions, please contact:

Anna Kennedy
International Teacher Program Coordinator
kennean1@tulsaschools.org
918-746-6491

Additional Resources for International Educators

Monthly Social Events

Our international teacher program coordinator hosts monthly social events for our international educators. This is a great way to connect with other international educators and learn more about the city of Tulsa. We gather together at places like Mother Road Market, the First Friday Art Crawl downtown, Philbrook Museum, Turkey Mountain, the Tulsa Farmers’ Market, Gathering Place, share potluck meals, and more!