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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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 Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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A 'flaw'?
It is what it is.
It can be instructive to look at your own country's immigration processes. We all think they are benign and welcoming but are not so to others.
Anyway I'm sorry if I rubbed you the wrong way. But I've found it less than rewarding kicking back at Chinese officialdom.
At this stage in the hiring season, I feel the advice to the OP was sensible.
Best
NS |
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dean_a_jones
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 1151
Location: Wuhan, China
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| Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:01 am Post subject: |
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| Lord Bafford wrote: |
| dean_a_jones wrote: |
3) Make sure you are organised--get all your scans, photocopies, etc. in order. Get your medical stuff done, do a criminal background check etc. in case you need it if it is easy to do. Be familiar with the visa application form and process. At this point being able to get stuff done quickly might be a factor, and being able to show a school what they are looking for (in particular the medical check if needed) rather than waiting to be asked to do it might be the difference between landing a job or not. This is a call you will have to make, as every now and then we hear from people who said they didn't require a medical check done in their home country beforehand--but they seem a rarity to me. You might at least want to get the blood testing done if booking appointments and waiting for results might take a while, as that seems to be the test they are most interested in. |
It's very easy to casually type such recommendations, not so easy in practice.
I can't be alone in feeling this requirement is utterly unreasonable -- especially the medical. It certainly wasn't necessary for my last position in China.
For me to get a medical prior to arriving in China would be prohibitively expensive, probably the equivalent of 3 weeks salary. And then there's the cost of obtaining the visa -- also an expensive process.
If a school insists on a medical before arrival they'll be told where to go!  |
I didn't type it casually and if you had read it properly you would see that the information I added above in bold clearly states that a prior medical is not always required (though seems to be the norm).
Also, schools don't insist on medicals: local government offices who issue the visa application paperwork, or the local embassy seem to request this (which is why in the US you hear that certain places are better to apply, assuming the former didn't request the check to issue the paperwork). So 'telling them where to go' because it is 'too expensive' is a bit of a joke. Teaching in China is not an extension of a welfare programme, it is a relocation abroad--unsurprisingly, that takes forward planning and money.
This is a person looking for advice to try to help find a teaching position late in the day. Having your paperwork in order at this point can be helpful, as schools are often feeling the time pressure as well and may not be willing to wait an additional week or two for this to be done if they are also in contact with other potential candidates. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:53 am Post subject: |
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d_a_j is right.
I too have noticed in posts and PMs a certain plaintiveness on the part of job seekers.
Some seem to be willing China to be at fault so they can justify rejecting it on some ground or other.
If money wasn't an issue then getting a medical on the likelihood that an employer will require one, is a prudent step.
If money is a problem to the extent that you can't afford that and an airfare too, then you may need to hold off until next hiring season when you will be be better prepared financially. |
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Lord Bafford
Joined: 29 May 2012
Posts: 58
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:17 am Post subject: |
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| dean_a_jones wrote: |
| Lord Bafford wrote: |
| dean_a_jones wrote: |
3) Make sure you are organised--get all your scans, photocopies, etc. in order. Get your medical stuff done, do a criminal background check etc. in case you need it if it is easy to do. Be familiar with the visa application form and process. At this point being able to get stuff done quickly might be a factor, and being able to show a school what they are looking for (in particular the medical check if needed) rather than waiting to be asked to do it might be the difference between landing a job or not. This is a call you will have to make, as every now and then we hear from people who said they didn't require a medical check done in their home country beforehand--but they seem a rarity to me. You might at least want to get the blood testing done if booking appointments and waiting for results might take a while, as that seems to be the test they are most interested in. |
It's very easy to casually type such recommendations, not so easy in practice.
I can't be alone in feeling this requirement is utterly unreasonable -- especially the medical. It certainly wasn't necessary for my last position in China.
For me to get a medical prior to arriving in China would be prohibitively expensive, probably the equivalent of 3 weeks salary. And then there's the cost of obtaining the visa -- also an expensive process.
If a school insists on a medical before arrival they'll be told where to go! |
I didn't type it casually and if you had read it properly you would see that the information I added above in bold clearly states that a prior medical is not always required (though seems to be the norm).
Also, schools don't insist on medicals: local government offices who issue the visa application paperwork, or the local embassy seem to request this (which is why in the US you hear that certain places are better to apply, assuming the former didn't request the check to issue the paperwork). So 'telling them where to go' because it is 'too expensive' is a bit of a joke. Teaching in China is not an extension of a welfare programme, it is a relocation abroad--unsurprisingly, that takes forward planning and money.
This is a person looking for advice to try to help find a teaching position late in the day. Having your paperwork in order at this point can be helpful, as schools are often feeling the time pressure as well and may not be willing to wait an additional week or two for this to be done if they are also in contact with other potential candidates. |
Your tone here suggests that I'm some kind of uneducated oaf who views China as a 'work abroad' programme. I resent that.
I have an MA and over 1.5 years of EFL experience. My intention is work! But if the visa stipulations require me to shell out copious amounts of cash just for the privilege of doing so, it starts to become a fruitless endeavor.
I apologise if my posts appear a little edgy, my current situation is stressing me out a tad. |
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dean_a_jones
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 1151
Location: Wuhan, China
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| Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:55 am Post subject: |
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No, I didn't mean that, I just meant that it is not strange to expect certain expenses (and challenges) in obtaining a visa/permit and relocating abroad. These things are changing, but in a way that is (arguably) positive as it should mean things are being better regulated overall (although, this being China...).
On a related note, what sucks for people in the US is not that China is asking for a medical check (a fair requirement and, am pretty certain, also necessary for all Chinese students going to study abroad in Western countries like the USA, UK, NZ etc.) but that the US healthcare system is more a business than a public service and therefore sucks as a system unless you are wealthy.
Anyway, if you are seeking work hopefully you will find something that is suitable and workable for you. |
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