Job Discussion Forums

[matador]

I do not have a university degree but I do have teaching experience. Will the Chinese immigration people give me a working visa (Z Visa) ??

[ContemporaryDog]

[burnsie]

Agree, teaching experience is fine. Degree is really only needed if you don't have teaching experience.

[ContemporaryDog]

I find the prerequisite of a Degree to be quite strange. Of course, I think if someone hasn't got anything other than A Level or HIgh School Diploma, than fair dos, but IMHO someone with no Degree but the CELTA might be a better teacher than someone with a Degree in Polyester Dragon Knitting from West Essex Polytechnic!

IT seems that they will take just about any degree, but someone with just the CELTA will have more problems. This is ridiculous when you consider that the CELTA, while not being a truly respected teaching qualification, nevertheless does have some kind of entrance criteria based on one's basic written ability in English/grammar etc, does include English teaching lessons, and does necessitate having a fairly good level of literacy.

The actual rules are more vague than stipulating an innate requirement for a Degree. They actually say "A degree, or the equivalent level of English ability", which would suggest that someone without a degree but who could prove their worth in english could make it.

[Guest]

I arrived here nearly 15 months ago with no Degree, no Experience and no Certificates.

I am now on my second 12 month Visa and hope to stay at this School for another 5 years.

There does not seem to be any problem

[struelle]

As with most admin matters, the visa requirements vary depending on the province, region, or even the specific school and PSB office where you apply for the job. That said, the large and prosperous cities are becoming very strict now, especially Beijing and Shanghai.

Last summer one of my colleagues was refused a work visa because she didn't have enough teaching experience, even though she had a degree.

Another thing to keep in mind is a regulation where employers have to be registered in order to hire foreign teachers. It's notoriously difficult to get this registration, as can be expected, so most schools skirt this regulation. One rumor mill has it going that only EF and Wall Street have the necessary 'funds' to pay (off) the immigration authorities to get this registration.

Where these regulations go in the future is anyone's guess.

Steve

[badtyndale]

It does depend where you go and who is sponsoring your application. You've probably noticed that there is a whole range of different requirements stated in job ads. Some employers won't touch you without seeing a copy of your degree, others are not bothered about you having any teaching experience - I particularly enjoy the ads that contradict themselves, the ones that say no teaching experience required but then state they require formal teaching qualifications. I digress. A school I worked at Beijing hired a couple of teachers who didn't have degrees, however, they (the school via a third party recruiter) submitted forged degree certificates in order to ensure they got their Z visas. Thus, I agree with struelle that location can be a factor. The most important aspect in all of this is that no one is going to check. I've yet to work for anyone here who's bothered to take up references or inquire as to the validity of my credentials. It is, therefore, quite possible to invent your own qualifications (and I'm sure some people do). Therein lies a note of caution for those who blindly send out copies of their certificates, passport pages etc. to recruitment agents. Anyway, good luck with your application - experience counts.

[nomadic]

[struelle]