Job Discussion Forums

rc81 · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 85

I was just told that even after all of the visa process is finished there is some kind of license that is needed in order to actually start teaching at a university. I havent seen anything about this before?

What additional costs/ documents are needed?

How long does the whole thing take?

happigur1 · Joined: 25 Jul 2009 Posts: 228 Location: USA

To teach oral english at a University? Some schools require TOEFL or IELTs certificate. After your visa, you enter China and that gets converted into a resident permit and you also get a Foreign Expert Certificate (FEC). The school should take care of all of this for you (expenses, etc.) You just need to provide them with passport size photos of yourself.

rc81 · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 85

I dont have any kind of teaching certificate. I believe the school knows this, I never told them any differently. But I am already in China now and the woman I have been dealing with definitly use the word "license" and I dont feel like Ive come across this before. Her english is lacking so it is hard to get an understandable response.

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

She's probably talking about the Foreign Expert Certificate. The school USUALLY pays for it.

daCabbie · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 244

She is referring to your Foreign Expert Certificate(FEC). She will send copies of your degree, medical exam, contract, resume and some Chinese documents to the government for approval. Don't worry about it just a formality. Takes about five days to process.

Who pays? This can vary from school to school and contract to contract. If you pay, ask for a receipt. But, I have never been asked to pay for a FEC at one school I paid for the medical. Most schools will pay for the medical, FEC, and Residence Permit which runs about 1000rmb for everything if you are staying a year.

Don't worry. Take it one day at a time and one small slow step at a time. The real problem is that your FAO doesn't speak good English. You should also gently ask him/her more questions and help them to learn how to explain the process. But it is difficult for English speakers to understand the process.

Welcome to China

rc81 · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 85

when you say medical check, do you mean the papers I had to submit outside of china, in order to get the visa?

or do you mean the health check that i am supposed to do after i enter china?

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

When you get the medical exam, you will get what is called a "health card", it's actually a booklet. I've never heard of having to submit any medical papers to get a visa.

rc81 · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 85

i meant the medical documents needed outside of china before the visa is printed. i turned in a health form and the sheets showing blood tests and EKG.

tomstone · Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 293

I'm still not sure what that is. It's probably not the medical exam you need for the FEC.

Jayray · Joined: 28 Feb 2009 Posts: 373 Location: Back East

The OP's change of verb tense has me confused.

Is the OP in China as originally stated?

Has the OP been issued a Z visa already?

Has the OP already taken the physical exam in China?

Where is the OP from? The cost of employing an American in Jiangsu costs 900 rmb, exclusive of the medical check. Other nationalities cost less.

SnoopBot · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 740 Location: USA

In the old days FTL Expert license was issued to those with only a BA/BS degree. The FEC was issued to those with a master's degree or higher. I was given both. They were different colors.

Around the 2005 time period some changes came around and most are issued the FEC now, regardless of education level.

Some of the old-time Chinese admin people who do the leg-work for foreign hires still refer to this as a FEL or Foreign Teachers License.

As others mentioned above, the school does this work for you and generally takes 2-weeks to 1-month to get. You can work legally under your Z-visa while waiting for this FEC booklet.

Songbird · Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 1:29 pm Post subject:

Actually, getting the medical to GET the visa paperwork may not be too far off the mark....

Been in China 5 years now, and this year moved from Jiangxi to Guangdong Province. FAO at this school said that this province needed the medical to be done BEFORE she could issue the Invite letter etc- AND it had to be done down here (I asked if I could go to an authorised hospital in Jiangxi, she said no). I thought it was all very strange this time round- not sure how brand new teachers from overseas get this done!

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

Very odd, Songbird, never heard that one before. However, it's entirely possible that the FAO is giving you incorrect information.

Bakunin · Joined: 08 Jan 2009 Posts: 21

I had to do the same thing when I arrived in Guangzhou.
I had to go for a full medical examination at the provincial examination centre. Whilst there I spoke with other teachers from all over Guandong province. It seems for Guandong, all teachers have to have there medical at this one centre.