Ask Headmaster Ken

I have heard there are new new rules for Foreign Teachers. My concern is an 'age limit'. I have heard two maximum ages - 64 years and 69 years. Is there an age limit for a teacher obtaining a Foreign Expert's Certificate/Z visa/contract??

Catherine,

There is no legally imposed maximum age limit on foreign experts in China, just as long as he or she can pass the physical exam.

Having just written this, many public (government-owned) schools and universities do have an internal policy of issuing accidental injury insurance to their foreign teachers and their carrier may impose restrictions on the maximum age of the insured. However, it remains very possible that the school might also have some individual discretion as to whether the foreign teacher could waive the insurance for, by example, demonstrating the existence of private insurance. We know of at least one foreign teacher who is still employed by a public university at the age of 69.

In effect, if a province chooses to enforce the education and experience requirement (and we believe all do as a matter of policy) then there would be a minimum age requirement of 23 unless, of course, someone had been able to graduate from a 3-yr bachelor’s degree program at an age younger than 21.