Job Discussion Forums

hairuo · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 473 Location: Somewhere in China

I hope that people thinking of coming here listen to the advice of many on this forum. I accepted a job in remote Qing Hai...thought it was my dream job but has turned into a nightmare. I am not new to China or teaching here. I have been here for nearly six years. Not as long as some of you but longer then a lot of you. The agency that hired me is a respected NGO. And I trusted that NGO's reputation. Now that I think back, noone would directly answer my visa questions or payroll questions. Now I find that after I am in this place that is 16 hours by bus from civilization over passes of more than 5000 meters or 16000 feet. Not an easy trip for most of us...Tibetans excluded. The school is not licensed to have foreign teachers so at the moment I have an F visa. I was told that the government knows about the teachers...and not to worry. Now I find that I do not receive a monthly salary even though my contract says I can have my salary monthly. The NGO said oh, well, it is beyond their control because another agency handles the money. Red warning flags are flying big time. Now, I cannot even be sure I will receive a salary at all and have no way to get help...I have an illegal visa. I am leaving this place as soon as I can get a bus. Cut my losses and hope to heaven I can find something. If anyone knows of a college or university in Chengdu or Guangzhou that is still hiring even though it is October...please let me know...... If you are considering a position, ask the hard questions and dont settle for dodged question anwers. Make the agency or school tell you up front if they can indeed get the Resident's Permit or Z visa. Ask them the hard questions about what, when and where of your payment. And for goodness sake, listen to TW, Hunanforeignguy, Snoopbot, William Wallace, Clark W Griswald, Lobster, MOD EDIT and many others that put out good advice.

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

eslstudies · Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Posts: 1061 Location: East of Aden

Lobster · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:17 am Post subject:

Ai-ya! Sorry to hear about that. Hope you can get away cleanly and find a better gig elsewhere. There must still be some openings available. Also check out eslteachersboard.com for more listings.

Best of luck.

RED

hairuo · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 473 Location: Somewhere in China

I wont name the ngo at the moment. But it does advertise on Dave's and has programs in Sichuan and Qing Hai. I would say it spans a lot. And some of its programs do provide legal visas.

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

MOD EDIT

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

So they are not paying you? How long have you gone without being paid?

This is another example of abuse in this industry, they basically got you. What can you do? Do a runner off one of those 1500 meter passes?

They no you have no place to go and do not have a valid visa to get help.
Who is supposed to be paying you?

Can you give us those details so we don't make the same mistakes.

What a scam outfit, hopefully you can get out soon.

How many FT's do they have?

(Be careful if you leave early, this place sounds like one of the places that would have you followed to prevent leaving early or worse "roughed up."

I'm sure they pocketed all the fee's of the students to get a Native Speaker Teacher and if they think you will do a runner they will not like to pay back those fee's.

Be careful, this job has alarm bells connected to it.

1. Did not pay you
2. Cannot legally hire FT's
3. Is in a remote area with no other FT/legal support
4. very isolated and not easy to flee- dangerous

hairuo · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 473 Location: Somewhere in China

First of all, I was hired by the Bridge Fund. Not a bad outfit. They help Tibetan people and schools. They really do alot of good. They are based out of California and Amsterdam. If you have seen the news, you know that the Tibetan people are being shoved off the mountains and into towns. Yaks are the breath and life of Tibetan people...and that's one of the things that is being taken away...the Bridge Fund is trying to help establish co-ops to redo the yak industry per se.

They do have schools that can get the right visa. I am in Yushu...very remote...and the passes are 5000 meters high. Yes, there are two other teachers here that if you can believe it, did not know that f visas were illegal to teach on. I was hired late because another teacher had to leave, family emergency. I came here, was told before I came, dont worry about your visa, it will be taken care of. I assumed that I would get the legal one. In my contract it says I will be paid monthly... then I get an email because Qing Hai Charities handles the money, I cannot be paid until the end of the term. I wrote an email, said that wasnt my problem, because my contract was with the Bridge Fund. TBF office here in Yushu brought me part of my salary so I could have money to live...quote and unquote. But my salary would not be paid until the end of the term. Do you think that 2500 will last until January? TBF does a lot of good things. It even withheld funding last year for a teacher over this visa issue. I dont feel in any danger...noone is threatening. They assure me that the school is being pressured to get the right documents. But after everything that has happened, I am not sure I can believe. Supposedly the school has been trying for 4 years to get the license. I know a school in Hunan it took one big drunken dinner with the province officials... so I dont believe the school story.

The plus side of being here is that this is old Tibet and the way of life is pretty much Tibetan...altho BJ is trying to change it ... there are even pictures of the big DL here...

Just listen to the advice given on this forum...and if you accept a position through TBF, make sure it is at one of the schools that can get you the correct documents. I have learned a lesson here, believe me.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

I hate to sound stupid, but what exactly does "NGO" mean?

jeffinflorida · Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:43 am Post subject:

Lorean · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 476 Location: Beijing

hairuo · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 473 Location: Somewhere in China

Post Script: I am on my way out. Supposedly the school just received its permission to have foreign teachers. Of course, noone has mentioned how soon they are planning on changing the F to a residents permit. So, in the long run, I dont know if they really do or are just saying that because since I came here and made a issue of out teaching on an F visa, they are trying to placate us. I guess I stirred up a hornet's nest. AS I said before, listen to the advice here and never assume because you have been here a few years and hear great things about a school or organization, do the homework or you find yourself 16 hours from civilization and working illegally.

jeffinflorida · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:10 pm Post subject:

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

laska · Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 293

To be honest it sounds like an amazing place to be! So remote, high country. Tibetan culture. Amazing. I would say take a deep breath, have someon send you a couple good books, and enjoy it. Write a lot. Get in good shape. Dig the local people. I mean, unless you desparately need a lot of money or something. I bet you can get a loan from someone there if you run out of money. Sounds like it has amazing potential. Don't sweat the F visa. No one is going to come and arrest you, and even if they did, it wouldn't be that bad. I'm sure it's all cool with the local cops. Seriously. My 2 cents.

What's the school like. If it's a public school, this really qualifies as volunteer work. GREAT for your resume.