Ask Headmaster Ken

I was wondering if you could answers some questions I have! I’ve been researching my trip to China for months and I still have more questions than answers! I have tried posting my questions on different forums before, but I would get conflicting answers. Also, it seemed like some career teachers were offended that I wanted to teach. Some thought I would be doing a huge “disservice” to the students!

1. Are visa requirements different depending on which province or city you’re working in? For example, I’ve read that, in some places, you must be 25 years old to get a Z visa. Other sources have told me different ages. If visa requirements do vary from place to place, could you possibly point me in the right direction for finding this information?

2. Do certain places require working experience or various teaching certificates in order to legally obtain a Z visa?

3. Is it advisable to get a teaching certificate? I was wondering if spending around USD $1,500 for a certificate is worth it – especially since I do not plan on becoming a career teacher! Furthermore, if I don’t have 1) experience or 2) a teaching certificate, will it be almost impossible for me to find a teaching job in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou?

I think the type of “orientation” many TEFL programs provide would be helpful, especially at first. On the other hand, I don’t think that the 6 hours of real teaching practice, that most programs provide, would do much good for my teaching skills.

Can anyone suggest reputable teaching certificate programs inside China? I would like to take the TEFL/TESOL/CELTA programs in China… not in the USA (If I decide to pursue that option)

Are any recruiting agencies reputable? Also, do all recruiting agencies take money out of your paycheck every month? Is there a way to pay a one-time fee for their services?

4. I heard that as long as I complete my health examination within 5 months of coming to China that it will be valid once I arrive. Is this true?

5. Lastly, are there any other employment opportunities for Americans fresh out of college? I’m willing to do anything….

Quick Information about myself:
- 23 years old
- American born (white, if that helps…)
- BA Political Science
- Languages: English, Arabic (intermediate level)
- Teaching Experience: About 3 months teaching in Ghana (But the kids already knew English. I wasn’t really teaching English as a second language)

My main goal is to learn Mandarin. I want to combine Mandarin with Arabic in hopes of getting a government job. I think teaching English in China would be the best way to finance my trip!

Sorry for the lengthy post. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks a lot!

Virtually all the answers to your questions are already addressed in the Guide, so we won't repeat them here.

Physical exams obtained abroad and in other provinces are good for up to six months. However, there is a very good chance you will have to retake the exam once you are in China, depending on province and school. Many schools simply use the physical exam as a method for screening out teachers who will fail the exam once in China before spending the time and money to process their Z-visa paperwork.

I suggest you carefully read the following chapters:

Minimum Qualifications and Requirements to Teach English in China
Teaching Qualifications and Requirements in Practice
EFL Teacher Certification Programs
Finding and Applying for English Teaching Jobs in China
Preparing For Your Arrival in China

I would also suggest you take a look at our Mini-Checklist and China EFL Teacher Resources pages. In light of your predictably unpleasant experience with anonymous China EFL forums, you may also want to take a look at How to Evaluate The Credibility of China EFL Websites. Another good place for you to get started is by taking our Prospective Foreign English Teacher Self-Assessment Test. The explanations on that page alone will answer almost all of your questions. In addition, feel free to use the Guide's robust search engine to find answers to other questions you may have.

If after reading all the above material, you still have questions not answered by the Guide, please feel free to follow-up and either Ken or I will respond.

Best of luck.

I appreciate your prompt reply! I'm sorry that I burdened you with questions that were already answered!

Has this website been updated recently? I had read most of the articles previously, but the links you provided to me seem to have new information. (Or perhaps information I missed or disregarded earlier)

As I suspected, the requirements for the Z visa seem to be very flexible.

However keep in mind that the SAFEA regulations are strictly advisory and that each province, autonomous region, and municipality is free to adopt their own rules and procedures for issuing foreign expert certificates and residency permits.

Although our information is constantly being updated to reflect the latest developments, the chapters linked to in the list have been around for a couple of years.

I'm glad you found what you were looking for. Simply stated, especially with a bona fide degree, you won't have any difficulty finding work as an English teacher in China, particularly if you are willing to remain flexible in location and school type.