Job Discussion Forums

dixie90210 · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 4

i am considering pursuing a teaching career in china or somewhere outside the u.s. i have an old felony possession drug conviction, which is why i could never teach in the u.s. they do not allow it...period.

i want to know if the chinese embassy or consulates in the u.s. do background checks when they process a z-visa, and if an old drug conviction would disqualify me from getting that z-visa required to teach in china. does the fao at the school or the fao government office in china do background checks? how about the recruiters? if so, would my felony most likely get me rejected? how about taiwan, indonesia, thailand, vietnam, etc.

i understand and sympathize with countries wanting quality teachers with good backgrounds. i made a poor choice over twenty two years ago and have since made a wonderful life for myself and my children, who are grown and very good people. i have tired of my current profession and am now in the position to do some things that interest me, without the constraints of family expenses to consider.

i would like very frank comments and replies, with as much detail as possible. i would like to teach english. but if i have to do it illegally or end up wasting time and money stumbling through permit and visa rejections, then i would rather not waste my time or anyone else's. there are other callings, yes?

thanks.

MyTurnNow · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 860 Location: Outer Shanghai

You should have no problems. The US side won't interfere as long as you are eligible for a passport. The Chinese side doesn't really care enough to invest the time, energy and resources in such a check...things are, uh, a little slipshod around here at best. I suspect they probably assume we're all on some sort of drugs anyway. C'mon down. Very Happy

MT

Joe C. · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2003 1:28 pm Post subject:

Sun Yuan · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2003 3:23 pm Post subject:

Well one more time.
Seems darling that you just might have to work on your drug problem. Hey that is good advice. If the guy has a felony that is serious stuff. So, try and make sure you know who you are darling before you come over here. Drugs are rampant here. It is not a secret.
The queen says come over if you have worked on yourself.
Love
Sun Yuan

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

just to back up the other two posters, if you have your passport, you will have no problem.

senor boogie woogie · Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2003 11:06 am Post subject: Overblowism

Hola!

I know where you are coming from with "background checks". This was a reason why I came to Asia instead of teaching in the US, and my beef was a misdeamnor in which I served no jail time. In Mississippi they mug shot and fingerprint people for teaching jobs, which is a classic case of American "overblowism." The school districts run the fingerprints through the FBI. They just started that crap when I was looking for work there.

Well, I have taught English in South Korea, Taiwan and China. No problems whatsoever. What I am concerned of in the future is the prolifferation of western management here, and some of them making suggestions that the schools should look into people's pasts because of all the weirdoes, freaks, druggies and low life's in the world.

Off my soapbox, if you feel that you would be good in teaching, come on over. I feel that this is an excellent place to have a second chance and do something worthwhile. China is cool. But if you have an active drug problem, you can find drugs in China, and in my opinion, enforcement is much tighter in the US than here. But that's my opinion only.

SENOR