Job Discussion Forums

highland52 · Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 13

I am the proud holder of a singed contract to teach English in China. Here is my dilemma: I requested a Letterhead from the University stating my employment starting in 08,(don't read any thing into that, it is something that I need on my end and I don't think its too much to ask or am I stepping over set boundaries.) in which, passing 2 weeks now, I have not heard back from them. In lies the very important question; If I have a signed contract with my personal information embedded within( i.e) Passport number and choose, for some stupid reason, not to honer said contract, will they come and take me away?
Furthermore: Since I have not heard back from them who or can I hold responsible if they jet on this, so called contract?

Confused, please if you can, Help

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

A contract is of little importance if you have not been issued with a Z visa and then with a Foreign Experts certificate in country after arriving. If you wanted to take such a thing to court then it would have to be in China so you would need to be here. You contract would also have to be issued by the State Bureau of Foreign Experts to make any headway.

To do something like you have done would have been better to have been left until after arrival and through you immediate Chinese superior.

As soon as you make any threats you will find that you will have no chance of working for them. Just find another position and learn from this experiance.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

Well Highland52 I don't pay much attention to names when I post here but now that I look I can probably see the trouble you have made for yourself. First you have posted the name of the Uni that you want to work for being: Shandong Weifang University

Then you have posted that you have no experience and want help. Then saying that teaching conversation / oral English should be easy however.

Then you have hinted no evening or weekend work.

Now this post! Sorry but I world say that one of our lot has probably read your posts that work for Shandong Weifang University and talked with management. I wouldn't read to much into your request for the Letterhead from the University on the job offer. The other possibility is someone has read your posts and used them against you and has taken the job themselves. It has happened before here on Dave's, TJ comes to mind.

I warned that they are expecting a high level of teaching from the tone of their advertisement.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

MGreen · Joined: 22 May 2007 Posts: 81

I wouldn't brag about being the proud holder of a contract. Most teachers here apply for several jobs and are the proud holder of a dozen such contracts.

To answer your questions

1) no one will take you away.
2) if they jet on you, you can hold them responsible, but so what.

highland52 · Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 13

Hey guys, its like this. Its a recruiter that I'm going through and now seems to be giving me the run around.
First; you need 0 experience, second: you will start at a University in Weifang at the beginning of the spring semester after our winter camp in which you will be certified. 20 hrs a week with no weekend and no evenings.
So Anda, I hope we are mercifully speaking of two different jobs in Weifang.
Is getting the truth out of China like pulling teeth? I just would like to know if I have a job in January for the plane tickets were purchased after the contract was signed. I'm sure you can feel my worried concerns.
Since I am going through a recruiter, I don't even know if Shandong University even knows that I am supposed to report there in March. I could be learning a hard lesson.

Highland52

therock · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 1266 Location: China

MGreen · Joined: 22 May 2007 Posts: 81

I'm not sure if you've mentioned having a visa yet. Have you received a letter of invitation so that you can apply for your z-visa? A contract signed or not is useless until you get the z-visa. What visa are you coming on? L, F, or X?

Have you paid any money to get certified through this recruiter? It sounds like you are setting yourself up for a world of pain (I'm sorry to say).

At this point, you might want to dump the recruiter and come on your own.
Get a tourist visa if you haven't already and start pounding the pavement once you get here.

clark.w.griswald · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 2056

Have you signed a contract with the school or with the recruiter?

Signing a contract with a recruiter would not help you very much assuming that you are to be working at a school as a teacher not at a recruitment company as a recruiter. I am not having a go at you here - just pointing out that the only employment contract you should be signing is one with the school that you will be working at.

If your recruiter has indicated that you need to sign a contract with them for the work then they have misled you and you might be better off finding another recruiter or trying to get a job yourself. As you are out of the country a different recruiter may be the best bet.

No matter who you have signed the contract with your employment is not set in stone. Many a foreign teacher would have signed an employment contract from overseas and not shown up, and so to it would not be unheard of for schools to sign an employment contract with a teacher and then renege.

If you want to be sure that you have a placement before you arrive then your best bet is to have the school send you the documentation so that you can prepare a Z visa before your arrival. If the school is willing to do that then it is very unlikely that you would arrive to find no position available.

So perhaps if you give us all some more information as to your exact circumstances then someone may be able to point out the best way for you to go here.

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

11:59 · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:45 pm Post subject:

Oh dear. "Honer"...really.

jwbhomer · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 876 Location: CANADA

highland52 · Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 13

Guys... Things have worked out well. They supplied me with the documents that I need. Guess I need not stand on the panic button. They even made a unexpected video call to me at 2:30am my time not theirs. It seems that all is well. I will leave from home not knowing, or hoping, what to expect. I believe with this motto I will refrain from losing my moxie. Maybe I won't be disappointed with the "no expectations" outlook. Trust me, I'm not going with the "I'm probably going into teaching hell" attitude, I will just go with an open mind.
Thanks for your opinions, they were all welcome.
Oh! By-the-way. I have a multiple entry T visa, this will get me there, they will supply the work visa after I arrive. I'm just not too keen on giving up my passport to strangers cause I know thats what I'll have to do.

mike w · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:31 am Post subject:

What is a 'T' visa? Been in this country for 13 years, dealt with L, F and Z visas - never heard of this one before. Is it some new category?

highland52 · Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 13

tourist visa 1yrs /60 day stay/ multiple entry.
bought one to take a look around and see if it was something that interest me.