VIPKid Canada Review (2024) – Teach English Online and Travel the World

Pop quiz: What’s an online job that requires minimal training but can still provide you with upwards of almost $30/hour Canadian?

The correct answer –  Teaching English online. 

As someone who makes his living online, I’ve travelled to many different countries and have met countless other remote workers.

I’ve lived in Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam in the last few years. In every country, I’ve met people who work for VIPKid. 

20 hours of teaching a week can provide you with a great quality of life in many different countries.

But VIPKid is not right for everyone. And with new restrictions from China not allowing foreign teachers, it’s become much tougher to get classes to teach.

Here’s a thorough VIPKid Canada review where you can determine if it’s right for you.

What is VIPKid?

VIPKid is an online English as a Second Language (ESL) company that provides a platform for teachers to interact with students purely online. 

The teachers are from Canada or the United States, and the kids that they are teaching our students in China are between the ages of 2-12. Classes last 25 minutes.

How Much Does VIPKid Pay?

With incentives, your total hourly wage from VIPKid can range from $14/hour to $22/hour in U.S Dollars. 

This can come out to anywhere from $18/hour – $30/hour in Canadian dollars! (Depending on the exchange rate of course) Here’s the breakdown of how you get paid:

1. Base wage: $14 to $18 USD per hour worked (classes are in half-hour increments, but I calculated it for hourly)
2. Participation incentive: Can reach $2 USD per hour. This is based on your punctuality and if you’re teaching correctly to the schedule.
3. Finished class incentive: Can reach $2 USD per hour – Determined by the number of students who book with you every month and is the main metric that VIPKid uses to judge the quality of your teaching abilities.

How often does VIPKid Pay?

Payments are sent out monthly, no later than the 15th of every month.

Will You Need to Sign a Contract to work at VIPKid?

Yes, you will be asked to sign a six-month contract when you first get hired. At the end of the six-months, you may get renewed or they can decide to let you get depending on your performance.

How to Become a VIPKid Teacher

Requirements

1. Must be from Canada or the United States
2. Have a bachelor’s degree in any field OR a college diploma in child education or something similar.

Application Process

1. Fill out the application, complete with supporting documents that prove you meet the education requirements.
2. You’ll be contacted for an interview, where you’ll do a short mock lesson to showcase your skills. It’s an adult pretending to be a child, so try and have fun with it!
3. You’ll receive feedback on how your interview went and areas you can improve on.
4. If you get accepted to VIPKid, you will be given a six-month contract and a series of training to complete.
5. You’ll get quizzed on the training, which is said to be easy.
6. You might have to do two teaching practicums, depending on whether they think you are ready to teach or not. If you did really well in the interview and quiz, you might not have to do this at all.
7. Start teaching!

VIPKid background check

The company may perform a background check while they process your documents, but it’s mixed reactions as to whether they actually do or not. You can start teaching right away if you get accepted.

Work Hour Requirements for VIPKid

Minimum hours of work for VIPKid

There is no minimum hours of work required anymore for VIPKid! This provides the ultimate flexibility for teachers.

Maximum hours of work for VIPKid

There is no maximum number of hours! As long as you meet the requirements for the minimum hours you can work whenever you can schedule students. 

Testimonial From a VIPKid Teacher – Kyle Snow

I met Kyle Snow in Vietnam, and we became surfing buddies. In between catching waves, we chatted about VIPKid and his experiences there. Here’s what he had to say about working at VIPKid:

“I really love the flexible schedule. There is no minimum required amount of hours per week. This allows me to be able to take time off to travel without having to worry about it getting approved or not.

I like that classes are only 25 minutes. With it being a 1-on-1 environment, if the classes were any longer, the student would start to lose focus. I also like that there are tons of opportunities for professional development in the VIPKid community. 

There are Facebook groups, helpful Youtube channels, and weekly workshops in the VIPKid portal. It is a great company to get started with teaching online for teachers who are new to this style of teaching.

There really aren’t many things that I don’t like about the company itself. One thing that can be quite limiting is that teachers need to teach during peak times in the Beijing time zone. 

This is from 6-9 pm Beijing time, which happens to be very early in the morning in parts of the US. I currently live in Vietnam (one hour difference from Beijing), so I am always working in the evening, which often cuts into my time for socializing.”

VIPKid Taxes Canada

VIPKid does not send Canadians a tax slip. If you’re new to getting paid as a contractor, you might think that you don’t have to pay taxes. This is a huge mistake. 

Pay your taxes, and avoid any tax issues with Canada Revenue Agency. Trust me, you’ll sleep better at night! 

The CRA is smart and has received more funding to battle tax evaders. If you don’t pay your taxes, you might get away with it a couple of times, but one year you could get audited and have to pay steep penalties and taxes.

Hire a tax preparer or accountant, as self-employed income is a bit different than employed. They can walk you through what expenses you can write-off also. 

Is VIPKid Legit or a Scam?

With over 100,000 teachers and 700,000 students, VIPKid is no scam. The company is a serious business, and is valued at over $3 billion. 

On a personal note, I’ve met many teachers while travelling and living the digital nomad life who have taught on the VIPKid platform. Most of them seem happy with the company. 

VIPKid Vs Qkids

Qkids is one of VIPKids’ biggest competitors. Here’s how Qkids stacks up against VIPKid:

Qkid is better than VIPKid because:

1. Slightly higher base pay rate
2. Better cancellation policy
3. More flexible weekly hours commitment
4. Lower education requirement
5. Standby hours still receive half-pay

Qkid is worse than VIPKid because:

1. Must work from the US or Canada
2. Can have up to four students at a time. VIPKid is only one.
3. Working hours can be tough to manage in Canada time-zones. 

If you’re planning to teach in Canada or America, Qkid could be a better option than VIPKid. However, if you want the freedom to work and travel and become a digital nomad, VIPKid is the clear winner. 

What is Freshdesk VIPKid?

Freshdesk VIPkid is the customer service support for its teachers. If you become a teacher for VIPKid, you will get access to Freshdesk. 

VIPKid Contact

Refer to the VIPKid website for up to date contact information. 

Is VIPKid Right For You?

Consider teaching for VIPKids if:

1. You meet the requirements.
2. You like kids.
3. You want to earn money online quickly.
4. You want a location-independent job to travel and work.
5. You want a steady income with minimal training.

VIPKid – Who Should NOT Become a Teacher

Don’t become a VIPKid teacher if:

1. You don’t like kids
2. You need face-to-face interaction in your work
3. You don’t have access to good wifi

Conclusion

If you’re itching to travel and work or trying to escape the 9-5 life, VIPKid is a fantastic way to start earning money online. 

You don’t need a huge time commitment to try it out, just 7.5 hours per week to start. Why not give it a try to see if you like it?