Job Discussion Forums

hartlepool · Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 6 Location: uk

I have been accepted by an organisation called ISTplus for their Teach in China programme. it sounds perfect and i am very happy with the organisation ........ BUT the number of forms i am having to complete and hoops i have to jump through is getting me down.

they want me to pay for xrays and bring the xrays with me to china, pay for tests for HIV, hepatitis, syphilis and on top of that i have to get something called an enhanced police disclosure document. Lord knows what else they are going to ask for. and all this for a five month placement with a weeks training in shanghai to start.

is all this really necessary? does every teacher have to go through all this?

i am looking at paying about eight hundred pounds sterling just to let them do the admin and another eight hundred pounds for fares and mecidal exams etc.

would it just be cheaper to hop on a plane with a tourist visa and learn TEFL in beijing or shanghai and then get a job or would i have to go through all this red tape if i was offered a job anyway?

any information would be much appreciated

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

No, it's not worth it. THere are tons of CHina jobs. Don't enter on a tourist visa. You have to enter on a Z visa.

tedkarma · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:55 am Post subject:

Certainly not worth all that hassle for five months. It would be different if it was a high paying one-year contract somewhere.

Loads of good jobs out there.

Vo Rogue · Joined: 27 Jul 2007 Posts: 31

To get a Residence Permit - required if you're working there on a Z visa - you need to take the medical examination. I've always had it done in China, because I've heard stories of people having theirs done in their home country, only for the Chinese authorites to then insist on having them re-done by a Chinese hospital.

The schools I've worked for have always paid for the medical. In my current job, the contract actually said that it was my responsibility to pay the costs, so I asked them to change it - which they did without any problem.

In terms of immigration red tape, China's requirments really aren't onerous, relatively speaking. You should see what immigrants have to go through to get a work visa to my country!

MGreen · Joined: 22 May 2007 Posts: 81

First, does it cost this much to do a medical check up of this kind in the UK on your own (800 pounds)? Second, what admin are they going to do for you at 800 pounds? What kind of training are they providing? TEFL cert?

If you were just to jump on a plane and look for a job in country, it would be cheaper than this.

You do not need a medical exam for a short term stint in China unless you want to get the z-visa.

I did my medical in North America, brought photo copies (sans chest x-rays), and the hosptial in Beijing that deals with the medical for foreigners excepted my records. I didn't have to redo them in Beijing. This was 3 months ago. Call it dumb luck or karma.

Personal, I would not get involved with this company.