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Posts: 35

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Q: Can an expat get a teaching job with a working visa without a degree?

I have a friend back in the States that asked me if he can teach English here at a reputable school that offers a working visa. The thing is, he never completed his degree. Can he still obtain a working visa granted that the school can overlook this with his past experience?

 

 

11 years 31 weeks ago in  Teaching & Learning - Shanghai

 
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Posts: 4397

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  In my experience the coastal cities, like Shanghai, are pretty strict about this stuff. Inland it's a doddle, they just knock one up for you. Your friend might be able to try one of these 'life experience' type degrees. You basically just buy them online. Doesn't wash with getting employment in the states where they seem to come from, not as far as I know, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were accepted here. It's just red tape at the end of the day.

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11 years 31 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1197

Shifu

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He can get a job but he'll never get a work visa which means he'll be working illegally and at the mercy of the police when they raid his school.

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11 years 31 weeks ago
 
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It would be very improbable and extremely hard. Yes, a school could forge a degree (and it has been known to happen in theory), presenting it to the government, but again, as beaufortninja said, he would still be working illegally, and at the mercy of the school, who could then treat him as they wished, knowing that he didn't have a degree and unable to transfer to another institution within China. So really, either way (no degree or no visa), it really isn't a situation that your friend would want to put themselves into.

 

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11 years 31 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Yeah, an illegal one.

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11 years 31 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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I know of someone who was working as a teacher without any legitimate degree but my understanding is that the recruiters did eventually find him this.. (can't remember the name) so whatever that 'Foreign Teacher Licence' thing is.

 

Heh.. but as mentioned here already.. now I am really wondering if they filled it out 100% properly? He did not have any actual TEFL or TESL certs?

                BTW: They bragged he was one of THE best teachers they ever had. So go figure. The 'guy off the street' was their biggest star after all. 

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11 years 31 weeks ago
 
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It's getting more and more difficult.

 

The original way to do this was to come on a tourist visa (a long one, allegedly not available now), find a job, (illegal, but...) and then keep doing visa runs to HK. That loophole has now been largely filled with the new restrictions on tourist visas and the length of stay extensions.

 

The other way is to marry a Chinese partner, this can give you a way to get a legal residency visa, (but not allowed to work) and then work illegally. This still happens but you need to avoid the first tier cities (where the best pay is) as they are much stricter and checks are carried out. With either of these options you are still illegal and as such are very much a victim-in-waiting for the myriad of unscrupulous employers out here. Although with the new laws coming into effect next year the employer will also face a hefty fine so this MAY be reduced, (but don't hold your breath, I suspect guanxi will raise it's head here.)

 

If this person is a genuinely good teacher I would strongly recommend he / she gets a degree, (a real one), if he / she has already spent some time at college and done other learning, he / she may find that the qualifications he / she has plus time already spent at college will get him / her some accredited prior learning (APL) which, depending on amount of APL given may take 1, 2 or even 3 years off the time it will take to get a 'proper' degree.

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11 years 31 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1153

Shifu

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you actually have to have 2 years experience working in china now to get a work visa

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11 years 31 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1201

Shifu

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Let me think...........wait for it...........wait some more for it............NO YOU CAN'T............Read the visa law and requirements and you will understand what's that NO about..................Good Luck with that

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11 years 31 weeks ago
 
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The municipalities and Guangdong are out. So you can count out SHanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. But if he really wants to try then go inland to the 2nd tier central cities.  When I was in Wuhan I have seen it done numerous times. Guys got legit working visas with nothing. I have a friend in Hangzhou who got a working Visa there a few months ago with nothing. But i wasnt there, so maybe there were some fake degrees at hand. But it was definatly one of the larger traiing centers in China,

Other schools with branches around the country will apply for a working visa for you in another easier city and just send your passport. But you Visa will be for that particular city and it looks fishy as to why someone is working in Shanghai with a Xian visa.

 

Dont trust companies in the larger cities listed above. To recruit you ...ahem...your friend, they will tell you its no problem then once you arrive and your settled in they claim they cant but a business or travel visa is no problem.

 

Overall, theres no good way and many people get really screwed but many others make out just fine. It all depends on how bad ya wanna.

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11 years 31 weeks ago
 
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