Ask Headmaster Ken

Hello,

I'm writing this to ask a few questions concerning a training center/school located in Northeast China. I have been in contact with this school for the past 3 months and have been going through procedures necessary to secure a Z-Visa to go to China and work for them. As of right now, I will receive the Visa in the next few days, and my flight to China has already been booked.

The contract looks to be fair, and through our many emails back and forth, they seem to be very friendly and happy to welcome me to their team.

My concern came when I did some extra digging on this particular school. I have seen some posts that suggest that this school is not very reputable, and has been known to withhold some or all monthly pay from their foreign employees, and in some cases, illegally holding onto their passports so as to prevent them from leaving.

My question is this: As a Z-Visa/Legal Residency Permit holder, is there any appropriate legal actions I can take in the event that I am submitted to the same treatment that these other posters allegedly went through? For example, If I am stiffed on pay, or in the event that they breach the contract I have with them, they hold my passport, etc. I ask this because, in most cases, holders of anything other than a legal status/visa in China would be "at the whim" of this kind of treatment, with no real ground to take actions against it.

As a note, I am withholding the name of this school and location because, in these same posts, there were also reports that this school in question somehow managed to erase nearly all negative remarks and reviews against them so as not to damage their reputation, and it proved to be very effective. Apart from the posts mentioned above, I have had a hard time finding any other sites that name this school as anything other that reputable.

Thanks very much in advance for any advice you may have on this matter!

Jsar

Hello Jsar,

The problem with these sort of outfits is that once they have your passport in hand, it will be many weeks, if not months, before you get it back. Meanwhile, they see how much they can dump on you.

You really must have the e-mail address of at least one current and one former teacher to check them out.

There is a particular outfit in Northeast China that is notorious for this sort of thing. They frequently change the name they present to the public. They are not really a school, but an agency that will also use the name of the school they are representing.

Don't even think of showing up until you have e-mailed those teachers. Even losing your flight will be a much cheaper and less frustrating experience.