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Q: Non native teachers in Shanghai!
The agency informed me that it would be impossible to find a job as a teacher of English in Shanghai or close to it because I am not native speaker. Has anybody got the work permit to work in Shanghai?
9 years 10 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
I worked as a Non-native English teacher with valid RPermit in Dalian/Liaoning, Fuk./Xinjiang and Jianou/Fujian since 2012. Before that, I worked in Jixian/Hebei, also with valid RP. Now, I'm in Kaifeng/Henan. At my arrival to Kaifeng in Sep. there were at least 20 Native English teachers (Ozz&US) working at the Uni with F visas, but some new rules started to apply in Henan, and they all left. Currently, I'm the only FT working in the city with RP.
I usually apply everywhere, and try to avoid big cities.
Make sure you'll tell school's representative at your first contact, you are Non-native English teacher. They usually know, if SAFEA/FEBureau in their city will grant Working permit to Non-native English teacher.
Good luck!
Only native speakers can get work permits for teaching in Shanghai, sorry.
Yeah Spiderboenz is right. Any job you did get offered would be illegal and probably turn into a nightmare.
The idea behind the FEC can be found in the middle word of the words that the initialism represents. That is 'Expert'. Whatever skill the PRC issues you one for you are supposed to be an expert at said skill. I guess they figure only native speakers are expert at teaching whatever language it is that they intend to teach. That probably isn't true, but I do understand and agree with them on the idea that one should be an expert in whatever it is that they are being issued an FEC for.
Really? Only native-English speakers can get a job in Shanghai?
Isn't that a bit racist? I know many people that speak English better as a second language than some native-English speaking morons.
Oh right... no racism in China, excuse me!
yongge:
How did you figure out the race part? Non-native English speakers can be the same race as native English speakers.
The municipal law states that only native speakers can get a FEC in Shanghai.
And this applies to every languages not only English, so you must be from US/UK/Canada/OZ/NZ to teach English, must be from Spain/South America excluding Brazil to teach Spanish, must be from Germany to teach German, and so on. There are less offers for other languages than English but also less candidates and they often pay much more for some reasons. I am glad that we won't see anymore "English only" Americans teaching French or Italian, or at least trying to.
Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, as well as Shandong and Sichuan provinces have the same rules.
However if your employer is very big and influent (EF, Wall Street English, ...) they can use their guanxi/connections to obtain you a FEC even if you are not a native English speaker.
icnif77:
Liaoning and 'majority of Chinese coast cities' too, by info from Jiangsu SAFEA.
And which provinces are known to hire non-native speakers with ease?
Eorthisio:
I suggest trying Henan, Heilongjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, Jilin, Hunan and Guizhou. Most are places where no one wants to go and for good reasons.
DrMonkey:
Those provinces are ok, if you just wish to stay one or two years, to breath a bit and for the life experience, after completing your studies. But on longer terms (settling down, stable job, a family) those places are unlikely to satisfy you. If you go there, give yourself hard limits and no "just a few more months".
Thank you everybody for bringing such sad facts to light.
Please, give me some reasons not to risk in such places as Henan, Heilongjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, Jilin, Hunan and Guizhou.
Spiderboenz:
1. It is illegal.
2. As an illegal worker, you have absolutely no protection under the law.
3. You are more likely to be exploited by your employer.
4. Possibility of arrest, detention, fines, deportation, and being banned from PRC.
5. Those places suck.
Hotwater:
If you can get a work permit there then go for it.
If if you work illegally on a business visa then think about how much it will cost you for visa runs to get out of China every 30 or 60 days!
I worked as a Non-native English teacher with valid RPermit in Dalian/Liaoning, Fuk./Xinjiang and Jianou/Fujian since 2012. Before that, I worked in Jixian/Hebei, also with valid RP. Now, I'm in Kaifeng/Henan. At my arrival to Kaifeng in Sep. there were at least 20 Native English teachers (Ozz&US) working at the Uni with F visas, but some new rules started to apply in Henan, and they all left. Currently, I'm the only FT working in the city with RP.
I usually apply everywhere, and try to avoid big cities.
Make sure you'll tell school's representative at your first contact, you are Non-native English teacher. They usually know, if SAFEA/FEBureau in their city will grant Working permit to Non-native English teacher.
Good luck!
