Job Discussion Forums

Alexis009 · Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Nanjing

Well, I just heard that the Foreign Affairs Office in Jiangsu province denied my visa application due to lack of experience... Really? I have 2 yrs tutoring experience plus about 5 years unrelated work, though no real classroom teaching... I'm sure I'm not the first, first-time teacher to apply. English degree and TESOL, all set up with a great university, and yet they deny me for a residence permit... Anyone had this happen to them?

Now I'm just a wreck- have to start all over looking for a school (and public schools, my preference, are so hard to find now). The kicker is that Jiangsu is my much preferred province- cannot beat the hour train ride to downtown Shanghai. Am I now just barred from working in Jiangsu till I have "experience" or can I just re-apply to a different school in the province and roll the dice... This is ridiculous, I thought the FAO is just some government body that accepts money and passes out permits.

The Ever-changing Cleric · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 1523

Alexis009 · Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Nanjing

Puffy · Joined: 08 Feb 2011 Posts: 45

You might consider looking into schools in Hangzhou, Zheijiang. The fast train to Shanghai is 1 hour or so too. Perhaps that province won't be a stickler for the rules?

As you said, though, right now it is a bit difficult to get a job in a public school because most are still closed for the Spring Festival holiday. I did hear though that middle/high schools in some parts of Guangdong opened 2 days ago and know that most universities in Guangdong will re-open sometime next week. Some universities began classes Monday and their offices are open now.

If a school really needs you they may ask you to fly over tomorrow and they'll sort out the visa etc... All things considered, you may just choose to wait until September and apply some creative resume writing.

Puffy · Joined: 08 Feb 2011 Posts: 45

ECC is more correct than you. In order to get a RP, you need to first have a Z-visa. In order to get the Z-visa, the school goes to the PSB with your resume and other documents. The PSB then issues an Invitation Letter that the school would send to you in order to get the Z-visa in the USA or wherever.

Then, after you've arrived in China, the school has 30 days to apply for the RP. Before they do that, though, you would need to take a physical in China. Basically, they are interested in knowing if you have AIDS. If so, you would have to return home.

After you have a positive health check, which generally takes 1 week to get the results, the school takes that, their official papers and your passport to the PSB. The PSB then issues you a RP which is good for 1 year. The Z-visa is only good for 30 days.

It seems that the PSB saw that you didn't have 2 years of full-time teaching experience and denied your application. In the past, all they required was 2 years of any experience, but things have changed.

As previously stated, you could be creative with your resume. If you are set on Jiangsu, I'd wait a few months and apply again. I doubt the PSB computer remembers who was denied, but, I could be wrong.

daCabbie · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 244

The PSB denied your visa, not the FAO. My guess is that the FAO has done something to annoy your local PSB so they are enforcing every little rule to make his/her life difficult. Or they have a newbie at the PSB who doesn't realize these are guidelines not rules.

My advice is apply for other jobs. You would probably be fine to apply in the Jiangsu province just in another city. The Jiangsu province tends to be liberal when it comes to rules. Schools are open this week in Jiangsu (students start next week).

A lot of schools are finding that teachers are not coming back or won't be showing up, so there are lots of jobs available.

Good luck. This is just the first bump in a long and bumpy road. Get used to it. TIC... This Is China.

mat chen · Joined: 01 Nov 2009 Posts: 494 Location: xiangtan hunan

A possibility of what is taking place in China is this. Many schools hire up to twenty new teachers a year. Now if they must do the paper work with the future teacher out of the country and that person decides on an other job, then the paper pushers get angry with the nebulous work.
Seems like English First has an edge on everyone else. I have also heard that English is not as popular as it was in the past with students and it is not going to be a core subject anymore.

LanGuTou · Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Posts: 621 Location: Shandong

I am not saying this is the case but it is always a possibility. If you received the information about the rejected 'Z' visa from the FAO, they might just be fobbing you off. They may have offered you the job then another applicant came along that they preferred. This could be something as simple as someone else being prepared to work for a few yuan less. Sadly, this is the way that many Chinese conduct business.

The Ever-changing Cleric · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 1523

Another possibility, Alexis may have submitted an English writing sample similar to one on this thread and was thus summarily rejected.

clownshow · Joined: 19 Dec 2010 Posts: 181

Sounds like you have personal experience with this kind of rejection. Would you like to elaborate?

ooragnakkangaroo · Joined: 28 Jan 2011 Posts: 33

The fact of the matter is, that you do not have the necessary work experience - that's the simple fact.

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

I think the experience the person has is more than many (most?) first time teachers who come here.

cormac · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 768 Location: Xi'an (XTU)

Teatime of Soul · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 905

Some cities do have an FAO (Foreign Affairs Office) staffed by FAOs (Foreign Affairs Officers).

Our city's FAO is led by a Chinese gentleman who studied in America.

Interestingly, they Have NOTHING to do with FTs or schools. They simply have terrific activities for foreigners and strive to build a good relationship between the foreigners and the community.

The local SAFEA office in our town screens/rejects applicants.

Every place can be a little different. An FAO is not necessarily a school employee.

Cheers.

chengdude · Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 294

The Jiangsu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office is in charge of approving applications for teachers. Changed in the summer of 2009; no go without their (literal & figurative) stamp of approval. Posted briefly at the bottom of this thread:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=75514&highlight=

Either Jiangsu is really cracking down this year or the OP's application crossed the desk of an extreme stickler for the rules. Other factors could be the OP's "great university" isn't trying hard enough or has feeble guanxi with the provincial FAO. In any case, the procedures took a sharp turn in 2009 and university FAOs weren't exactly thrilled with the added headaches.