November 2007, yes they need to have copies of your degree, resume etc, now I have heard in Zhejiang province you need to get a TESOL or something similar. It all depends on your experience. To make it easier for you I recomend you try and do some pedagogy subjects, get some teaching experience so you understand classroom management and assessment

I've heard of several people flat out being refused visas because they don't have teaching certification. They tried to tell me that even though I sent them a copy of my F'n certificate. That was in Guangdong. And if you don't have a degree then you can forget about a visa. China's desperate for native speaking teachers but they're not so desperate that they'll take any white failure who couldn't cut it back home.

I did a ton of reading on expat sites before I came to China. I wanted to know what I was getting into. It's stupid not to do that these days, all the information you need is out there, so take a few hours a day and read some articles. Anyone who comes here in the last year or two without doing research first, and then complains about stuff that's easily found online, is stupid. As for where you can teach, Jiangsu province is very strict; not only do you need a TEFL certificate and a degree, you also need 2 years of teaching experience. However, I got a job in Zhejiang with no experience and it wasn't a problem. Then again, I already have a degree and a TEFL certificate, so all I need is the experience.