Requirements, in the employer's own words
Online English teaching for non-native speakers
Some employers assess English proficiency without a native-speaker requirement. Each role still has its own qualifications, location rules and application process. Start with the exact requirements you can meet.
The board keeps the roles whose own posting accepts non-native English speakers, names Filipino teachers, or asks only for an English level. Those listings are on ESL jobs for non-native speakers, each labelled with the English rule its own posting states. To compare employers by pay, see the best online ESL companies to teach for.
Read these requirements separately
| Requirement | What to check |
|---|---|
| English proficiency | Read the level, assessment or evidence the employer asks for. Do not assume one test score or qualification applies to every role. |
| Native-speaker wording | Look for an explicit rule. A source that does not mention it leaves a question to check; silence is not confirmation of acceptance. |
| Citizenship and residence | Check each separately, along with work authorisation. Where the employer or its students are based does not establish where you may work. |
| Qualifications | Check degree, certificate, experience and teaching-licence requirements for the particular programme. |
| Current intake | Read the application route and its source-check date. Meeting a requirement does not promise an open place, approval or bookings. |
Check the current platform records
The maintained records for Preply, italki, Engoo and Cambly link to the sources behind their requirements and pay terms. These are starting points for checking.
Use the requirements comparison page to narrow your research. Where a requirement is unpublished or unconfirmed, ask the employer before spending time or money on an application.
Where platforms accept non-native English teachers
From each platform’s own teacher-requirements page, checked September 2026. Requirements change, so re-read the current page before you apply. This is an acceptance record.
- Set-your-rate marketplaces — Preply, italki, AmazingTalker and Verbling accept applicants from any country and decide at a live interview that shows English proficiency and teaching ability. Superprof accepts any country with no interview step.
- Native-speaker rules, as published — Cambly restricts applicants to the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa; SkimaTalk and LingoStar publish native-speaker-only requirements.
- Proficiency evidence — the interview is the common path on marketplaces. Some fixed-rate platforms (EF, Magic Ears) ask for these instead or as well: IELTS 7.0+, TOEFL iBT 95+, CEFR C1/C2 or a degree taught in English. Read the level, the test and the evidence the employer names — never assume one score covers every role.
Location is a separate requirement from language. For each employer and country, see the listing and the guide to teaching English online from anywhere. The three starting points — native English speakers, non-native English speakers and Filipino teachers — are on find your teaching path.
Keep pay separate from eligibility
A role may publish an hourly wage, a price per lesson, a tutor's asking price or no rate at all. Read the original currency and unit, then check commissions, unpaid work and bookings.
Prepare the application the role requests
Show how you explain an idea, give feedback and help learners practise. Describe your qualifications and experience accurately. Use the getting started guide to prepare the materials the employer asks for.