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New Work Visa Regulations - Degree Required?
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falseidol



Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:02 pm    Post subject: New Work Visa Regulations - Degree Required? Reply with quote

It seems the rules have changed very recently. A couple of schools (in Tianjin and Yuyao) have just told me that they can't hire me, though they thought they could a month ago.

Quote:
I hope the visa regulations in other parts of China aren't as tough as the
new ones here. I've found that now we can't employ teachers on
work permits unless they have at least a Bachelor's degree and two
years' teaching experience. It would pay to check very carefully
wherever you are thinking of going. I understand that shorter term
F visas are still possible though.


Does anyone know anything about this? I've looked for information about this, but haven't been able to find any about a recent change. If it's been covered already, though, a link to that thread would be nice.

Thanks
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nolefan



Joined: 14 Jan 2004
Posts: 1458
Location: on the run

PostPosted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Having a degree has always been a requirement to get a work permit and Z visa in the educational field in China. Training centers could get away with it by using the F visa or hiring teachers under a different job title.

It's only getting tougher from now on.
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Don McChesney



Joined: 25 Jun 2005
Posts: 656

PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The rules are adapted as needed by each province, and often each town.
Many people without a degree, but who have a diploma got employed legally, but the situation is changing from place to place.
Shop around, you may find somewhere that is OK with your qualifications and you can get LEGAL employment.
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Volodiya



Joined: 03 May 2004
Posts: 1025
Location: Somewhere, out there

PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 6:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A university degree and two years teaching experience has been the minimum requirements for FTs, under the SAFEA guidelines, for as long as I've been following these issues. But, as Don pointed out, when the supply of FTs in a particular area is insufficient, the authorities "lower the bar", and grant official permission to live and work, long-term, in China- by issuing the Foreign Expert Certificate and Residence Permit for Foreigners- to some who do not meet these qualifications.
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tw



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898

PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 6:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The authorities really started tightening the regulations as of April this year. Some employers consider these as being "new" regulations.
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Volodiya



Joined: 03 May 2004
Posts: 1025
Location: Somewhere, out there

PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 6:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tw, what's your evidence for this rather sweeping assertion? Can you tell us the source of this?

Did you mean to assert that it is true of the whole country?
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Bethany123



Joined: 12 Jun 2005
Posts: 38
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i can relate to falseidol's situation. my employer just told me a few days ago that there is a possiblity that i will have to leave when my visa expires in a month...

they said they're working on extending it another 3 months, making my stay 6 months in total. the contract stated at least 10 which i was planning to stay for, but i guess that doesn't mean anything to them. I have two other co-workers, one has a degree and has to go to shanghai to get her visa. the other also doesn't have a degree like me, so we're in the same situation. i'm working for a brand new school, and it doesn't seem like they really know what they're doing. i guess we're just the test runs. and finding out what is going to happen is impossible. i wouldn't be surprised if they told us we had to leave two days before a flight they booked for us.. i'm learning that's just the way the chinese are. but i love it here and i don't want to leave already, so i'm hoping i can at least stay 6 months. i guess i'll just have to wait and see...
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clomper



Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 251
Location: Beijing

PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's also true here in Zhanjiang. Two FTs are having a hard time getting a RPF. One is my colleague and the other is in a local college. However, one teacher who has 2 years experience and a 2 year associate degree was able to get a RPF.
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tw



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898

PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Volodiya wrote:
tw, what's your evidence for this rather sweeping assertion? Can you tell us the source of this?

Did you mean to assert that it is true of the whole country?


I am not saying that this is true for the whole country. We all know that it varies from province to province, and city to city. I was told by both a recruiter and the was-to-be-employer in Dalian about these "new" regulations.

As most people know, I don't have a degree either. With my college certificate, TEFL certificate, and nearly two full years of work experience in China plus a reference letter from my previous employer, I was able to get a work permit and as a result Z visa to teach in Inner Mongolia. Now, I am working legally with a FEC and RPF.


Last edited by tw on Fri Oct 14, 2005 12:26 am; edited 1 time in total
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Keath



Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 129
Location: USA / CHINA / AUSTRALIA

PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

TW: Volidya is pretty thick in the head.. He's not getting it.. Just give him some time until he needs to get a new visa for himself. .
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vikdk



Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676

PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 5:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Isn't it strange how many so-called teachers on Z visa have no degree - let alone a teaching degree Laughing
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Volodiya



Joined: 03 May 2004
Posts: 1025
Location: Somewhere, out there

PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keath, I asked tw to clarify the source of his assertion. He had written:
Quote:
The authorities really started tightening the regulations as of April this year. Some employers consider these as being "new" regulations.

tw did not make it clear in his post where he got this information, or whether it was meant to be a statement about the whole country. As a result of my asking, we now know that it was based on two sources (perhaps related to each other), and was not meant by him to be applied to the whole country.
___________________

Keath, you've implied that I might have trouble getting documented to work, next time round. For that to be the case, they'll have to raise the SAFEA nominal requirements well above the present "university degree", and "two years teaching experience" to exclude me from consideration for an FEC- as I have undergraduate and graduate university degrees, coupled with thirteen years full-time EFL teaching experience.

Nothing has appeared on this thread that convinces me that there will not continue to be rulings favorable to FTs by the local authorities, on a case by case basis, just as there was in tw's case- granting FECs to some who do not possess the nominal minimums under SAFEA.


Last edited by Volodiya on Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:32 am; edited 1 time in total
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Keath



Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 129
Location: USA / CHINA / AUSTRALIA

PostPosted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone can fake a diploma or college transcripts or a TEFL certificate, there is no regulation or accredation to TEFL certificates. The value of the TEFL is mostly in the name of the organization or the brand of TEFL obtained.

People without degrees can spend $200 for an online computer course to complete their TEFL.

Either a diploma or certificate will get you the Z, (or transcripts wehich are translated)
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bjwellgo8



Joined: 13 Oct 2005
Posts: 34

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

regulations regarding degrees have been tightened in several provinces, including zhejiang, hebei, hunan, liaoning and a few other other places. it's said to be related to the government department revamping.

email me at [email protected] if you have any news.

jeff

www.sinoyuan.com
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tw



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898

PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bjwellgo8 wrote:
regulations regarding degrees have been tightened in several provinces, including zhejiang, hebei, hunan, liaoning and a few other other places. it's said to be related to the government department revamping.


Hunan??? Shocking! Shocked I would think that province is depesrate for FT's.
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