Job Discussion Forums

[samgakji]

Hey I know that Korea is a banned topic on here so I will try to steer the conversation away from that as much as possible apart from the fact I have 2 years of experience from Korea that I want to mention up front.

I want to move to Shanghai this spring and have a few questions that I would love to see some Shanghai teachers to throw their 2 cents at

1. Do I need to go back to Canada to get a Z-visa? Can that be done from here (KOR)?

2. I want to study mandarin on a very part-time basis. I read somewhere if I get a student visa for China I can bypass getting a Z visa. I don't hate the idea of going back to Canada for a bit to get that. I just want to figure out which options I do have. Not having to go home 1st before China is I guess preferred. A blog post I read basically was saying that if I get a student visa I can just show up in China and get work by looking for the best option while taking classes part-time.. Is that a reality? Sounds fishy.

3. Ok so check it out, I have a B.A. in unrelated arts, 2 years of teaching in KOR experience and a 100 hour online TEFL. What realistically should I expect for pay or types of positions? How the eff should I find these positions? Can I turn up to China and find them or do I need to commit to something before coming. I prefer adults to children but I also like money just to complicate things. My number one treat I'm looking for is FEW teaching/ working hours.

Sorry if this is TLDR but anyone with a similar experience if you could steer me in some sort of direction it would be greatly appreciated.

[jimpellow]

You are "lucky" in the sense that Shanghai has liberalized the z-visa process. As of a few months ago, you will be able to convert your tourist visa right there without needing to return.

Technically, you could even bypass the tourist visa as Jiangsu has a 144 tourist free transit visa. You would need to show a third country ticket for departure. You can get around this with a fake or refundable ticket.

What I can't tell you is if one can convert a transit visa to a z-visa. I bet you nobody there will give you a straight answer.

Although Shanghai is a more competitive place for teaching positions, you should have no problem finding a position.

This board has a lot of folks who work in unis so you will likely be steered in that position. I personally am more of a Business English man so would suggest, for what you desire, a part time position with a company like Wall Street. Mixed reviews on them, but they won't play you on visas and will allow you to work part time. Some of the other adult chains may too, but be wary of many of them.

I would do the groundwork from SK so you hit the ground running here and at least have interviews set-up and some clarification from them on what will be required for the visa.

Good luck!

[Non Sequitur]

This board has a lot of folks who work in unis so you will likely be steered in that position

Mainly because newcomers have such naive expectations of China.
A uni position has fewer downsides for the 'can I get a China job that pays 20K pm? PS I don't have any experience or degree' mob.

[jimpellow]