Job Discussion Forums

[Piper2]

I think it would be useful to list all the documents needed for working in China, with their proper names in English and Chinese (and photos if possible), plus a timeline of when they are needed and who obtains them.

If this has been done please tell me and I will delete this post.
There are stickies on the forum but I think they might be too old and have too many pages to be really useful now.

Below is what I can remember. I am bound to have forgotten, got confused about or not know about stuff.

If you think this is worth doing please comment and/or add to what has been written.

I think a wiki would be ideal for this, though someone else would need to set it up. If that is what people want I would be happy to continue the writing process on a wiki and for final text to be posted back on this forum.


Even before beginning: (based on comments from Banner41, see posts below)
This post is an attempt at a general overview of documents currently needed to become a legally employed foreign teacher (FT) in mainland China. As such it should be seen as a possible starting point or general reference along the way. It does NOT deal with all the different scenarios that may be encountered by FTs in different parts of China, but rather attempts to offer an idea of what many posters might consider to be typical in many regions. The FT should always carry out his/her own research and should always bear in mind this thread (this forum) refers to China, and that China is many things, including incredibly inconsistent when it comes to bureaucratic procedures. Different regions may interpret national laws and regulations differently, resulting in different procedures. Plus each region might have its own, particular rules and regulations. Even within the same region or city, laws/rules/regulations may be interpreted and implemented differently. Also, any particular law/rule/regulation may change over time. The FT should always try to find reliable sources of accurate and up to date information. The information obtained should be confirmed (and reconfirmed).


To begin with:
FT contacts school/recruiter (from now on "school") or vice versa

APPLYING FROM OUTSIDE OF CHINA (FT has never worked in China)
School asks FT to email copies or scans of:
CV/resume
Proof of undergraduate qualification or higher (e.g. BA, MA, etc)
Proof of English teaching qualification (e.g. CELTA, etc)
Passport that will be used to enter China (must have at least 2 blank pages and 6 months left when applying for z-visa; some posters suggest when initially contacting school to black out some of the information (part of passport number?) to help avoid identity theft)
Current photo

Possibly:
References to prove 2 years work experience after finishing degree
A Criminal Records/Background Check (CRC) or certificate of no-criminal record/convictions if required, the school might ask for it now. This may be a letter written by the FT stating s/he has no criminal record or it may be a state or national-level background check. The CRC is typically to be obtained from the FT's home-country (which is usually the country the passport is issued by?) possibly irrespective of length of time resident in other countries. It may need to be authenticated.
The CRC may be needed once in China in order to apply for the FEC or RP. However, it has been reported that some schools are now requiring them for their own purposes.

Phone/Skype interview or (details of) demo lesson may be required

FT and school negotiate terms of contract
Terms of contract and appendix and other details are agreed
Final version of contract and appendix are emailed to FT
Though ideally a contract should be negotiated, and vague language clarified, in reality many state/public schools/universities, very large training schools, and other schools will NOT change the terms written into their contracts. They may verbally amend terms and conditions but these will not be legally binding in the case they later "forget" about these changes.
The contract and appendix/appendices are (usually?) in English and Chinese versions which should have similar meaning and both versions should be signed by both parties. The Chinese version will prevail and be used in any legal action? Often the contract is based on SAFEA guidelines (and as such should be printed on SAFEA paper?) and is more straightforward and shorter in length, with a fairly reasonable division of rights and duties between school and FT. Some posters suggest SAFEA-type contracts are not "better", or easier for an FT to enforce if the school chooses to break the contract. There are many contracts that will overwhelmingly favour the school, these should be avoided.

School may ask FT to:
Sign contract and email copy (some posters believe this is not legally binding for school or FT)
Write, sign and email copy of a letter of commitment

(School applies to local Chinese authorities for documents needed for FT to apply for z-visa: Minimum time: 2 weeks? Average about... ?
From this point on the school will have incurred what they consider to be significant costs, and will do all they can to avoid an FT pulling out including threatening to put the FT's details on a "blacklist". Some posters believe that at city and provincial/regional levels schools informing the authorities of FTs reneging on their commitments can effectively impede the FTs obtaining employment in those cities or provinces/regions. However, it is currently thought that no effective national-level "blacklist" exists, meaning FTs might find it impossible to get paperwork processed for one region yet have no difficulty in others.)

School sends FT the documents needed for z-visa:
(Should these necessarily be original hardcopies (i.e. posted/mailed/couriered to FT)? Or can they be printouts of emailed scans?)
Letter of Invitation, which will state the country in which the FT will be applying. This letter can NOT be used elsewhere
Working Permit, a letter that gives the FT and school's details and contract dates. It allows the FT to apply for the z-visa.


FT applies for z-visa:
The FT should NOT rely on information provided by the school for this process
The vast majority of the time a z-visa can ONLY be obtained outside of mainland China, and it is necessary for the FT to enter China using the z-visa
A z-visa may be obtained at a Chinese Embassy, Consulate, or Visa Centre. Consult local Embassy, Consular, and Visa Centre websites for current, exact details. Bear in mind websites may not be regularly updated and information should be confirmed by phone or email. Additionally, reliable Visa Agents should have current information.
The FT may take the documents in person or authorise a 3rd party to hand them in. There may also be a service by mail (though the passport/visa will NOT be returned to an address abroad)
The country a particular FT may or may not apply in for a z-visa will typically depend on his/her nationality or residency status in the country they currently live or the country where they wish to apply. Bear in mind that a school may assume the FT will apply for the z-visa in the same country their passport is from. Consequently, an FT who has residency status in a country that is not their home country and they wish to apply from there, should confirm the school understands this. Equally, an FT with dual nationality should take care which passport details they send to the school and which country they apply from.
Pre-z-visa medical, is required by some Embassies/Consulates/Visa Centres and not required by others. Recent changes to visa regulations means fewer places are requiring this medical, so the FT should be sure of having the latest information.
Typically an FT will request a 3 month, 1 entry, 30 day z-visa. This is a visa that is valid for entry into China up to 3 months from date of issue, allows only 1 entry, and from the date of that entry the FT has 30 days to obtain a Residence Permit (linked to that z-visa).
The FT's passport will need to be handed over and held for a few days. It will be returned with one of the pages covered by a paper sticker, the z-visa.
Note that having a z-visa does NOT guarantee entry to China. E.g. Border Control officers have the power to deny an FT entry. That said, it seems most FTs enter without incident.




FT enters China:
On entering China the z-visa will be cancelled (physically stamped in red ink). The school now has 30 days to secure for the FT his/her Residence Permit (RP) and, before that, his/her Foreign Expert Certificate (FEC), and before that his/her Registration Form of Temporary Residence (RFTR).

At this point, after entering China and before the FEC and RP are obtained, there is NO guarantee that these documents can or will be obtained. E.g. the FT might fail the medical for the RP (or is it for the FEC?), or there could be administrative issues (see Bud Powell's post below for further details). However, most FTs who work legally for schools should soon be issued with their FEC and RP.

The RFTR should be obtained within 3(?) days of entry to China or a fine is payable. If the FT stays at a hotel this will be dealt with by the staff, otherwise the school (or the FT themself) should take the FT's passport and the FT's address in China to the nearest Public Security Bureau (PSB) office to apply for the form. It will be issued immediately and is free of cost? The RFTR is a bit of a misnomer as the same form may be kept for years, possibly updating it, if the FT lives at the same address. Technically every time the FT stays even a single night at a different address s/he should register with the nearest PSB and re-register once back at their home in China, however most FTs are not aware of this, forget, think "how would the PSB know?", or if the PSB find out there no consequences or the fine is small, the end result being no-one re-registers for short trips away in China. Trips outside of China are a different matter and it is easy to forget to re-register, which can lead to larger fines if months are involved, rather than weeks or days?

Irrespective of whether the FT had a pre-z visa medical, the FT will most likely need to have a check up performed at a particular medical centre. The cost is typically covered by the school though sometimes the school insists the FT pay and reimburses the cost once the FT is confirmed as healthy. In larger cities most FTs should find the medical centres are sufficiently clean and procedures are carried out in safe and sanitary conditions. The whole check up can be over in a few minutes. The only uncomfortable procedures are the removal of several vials of blood and possibly the abdominal ultrasound scans. Be aware that if the FAO fills in the medical form they may request that the health certificate and the detailed medical report it is attached to are sent to the school. The FT can fill in the address so that s/he receives the envelope containing the certificate and report, and then only hand over the health certificate to the school.

Once the school has started the process for FEC and RP application it is not unusual for the FT to be required to teach. If after 6-8(?) weeks the FT's passport, or passport with RP sticker, or FEC booklet have not been returned or obtained then the FT should be concerned as s/he could be working illegally. The FT's passport is to be held by the FT at all times apart from it being held for 15(?) days by the Entry-Exit Bureau for the RP sticker. The FEC must be obtained before the RP can be applied for. Often schools will keep the FEC booklet, even though it is actually an identity document that should be held by the FT and returned (to the school?) once the contract is over. The FEC is actually of little use to the FT and so apart from asking to inspect (and take copies of) the FEC there is no point insisting on keeping it. The RP must be an RP-for-the-purposes-of-work and it will typically expire on or soon after the contract end date.

(What should the FT do in the uncommon(?) event that the school cannot obtain the RP? Can the FT leave China without any other visa/documents?)

APPLYING FROM OUTSIDE OF CHINA (FT has worked in China before)

APPLYING FROM WITHIN CHINA (FT currently working in China)

APPLYING FROM WITHIN CHINA (FT currently on non-work related RP or visa)

[Vaxa]

So once you are over in China and the school applies for the residence permit there is still a chance it could be refused???

Why is that?

I thought once they organised z visa and you come over and get it stamped your basically in. So there are other variables that could stop you from entering once your actually there? Or am I reading that wrong sorry.

[jimpellow]

Great posting which required a lot of effort. This should be a sticky! Well done job on providing a service to help others which you were under no obligation to do.

[Bud Powell]

[Shanghai Noon]

[Banner41]

Only problem I see with this is that there are ever evolving rules and if someone takes this as the only way to get it done it could be confusing. Every province is different....hell city is different....hell, every school is different. Also, does this apply to language school, government school, university, private school? Does the person at the school have good guangxi or not?

In short, there are no one set of rules that can possible conform to every situation. Example....length of time for something to get done.....Is the staff on vacation for the summer or not? Is it a busy time of the year to be processing paperwork at the PSB? Again no one set answer. Most of the time you get "this is what happened to me". That's about as good as it gets sometimes.

A place of reference is nice...but rather than relying on one post it is good to try and search out the actual school and city to get a better idea of the process. Being able to research something is a good skill to have here.

[Piper2]

[Banner41]

I think its a great start to look at. Just people need to know all of the variables and the one-size does not fit all aspect of it.