Job Discussion Forums

[Greeneuva]

Beware of the Kid Castle corporation operating in Shanghai!

I worked nearly 10 months for them (and most of that time was rather pleasant) but, unfortunately, it ended badly. Let me first say that you should disregard most of the nonsense on their website. They are a Taiwanese company lisenced as a computer software company in Shanghai. All of their foreign teachers are actually "network support technicians" and they are completely unable to get their teachers the legal and required one-year Z visa.

I was asked to forge a computer degree or certificate that would enable me to work as a technical support consultant. This was 9 months into my contract and in order for them to get an extended F visa (which is, by the way, illegal to work with). Why 9 months in? Because the F visa they initially provided me with wasn't longer than my contract, and it took them 9 months to realize this. Until that time, I was also never registered with the authorities as an FT. (This allowed me to slip under the radar without the necessary Z visa but it also allowed the company to pocket the monthly "tax" they withheld from my paycheck).

To make a long story short, the company was unable to provide me with the necessary paperwork to remain in China and I was forced to go to Hong Kong and get a new tourist (L) visa - out of my pocket.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of problems I've had with this organization. Some have had better experiences, but you should beware. There are hundreds of other, better schools and English centers that will treat you better. Look elsewhere.

[edwinagirl]

Taiwanese firms are often messy like this. Taiwan is such a free-wheeling place they are not used to being constrained by the mainland laws.

Is forging degrees common? Has anyone else heard of it in other organizations?

It's got to be easier for local organizations to get the right to hire foreigners, but does anyone have experience of people actually forging degrees like this?