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Q: a story I been told ..right or wrong... you tell me, please
This is in Beijing
got a 10 year visa ...good til 2025
gotta leave the country every 60 days
32 hours per week of mostly private leasons
11,000/week ..... so 343/hr .. 44,000 a month
no room supplied and no food.
6 days a week
they do not pay for any of my 60 day exits to renew the visa.
how sane and or ridiculous does this sound to you?
8 years 32 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
The OP didn't say this was a job offer. More likely relaying anecdotal info, which is somewhat exaggerated.
Is it possible? Yes.
Is it workable? Not for everyone.
Are the stated numbers 100% accurate? Unlikely.
Let's look at the details:
a) 11000 yuan x 32 hours per week = ~350 per hour.
350 is a fairly high rate, and students would expect quality instruction, not just rounds of UNO. It's possible, after investing a fair amount of time in networking and reputation, to build up that schedule like that. Said investment is key though, so it would not be the kind of situation accessible to a newbie.
b) If It's mostly privates, factor in a cancelation rate of about 10% too. Also some students won't come during holidays, some will stop classes all together. It's basically highly unlikely that the schedule is as regular as stated.
c) 32 teaching hours per week is really high, especially if there are multiple locations involved. With prep and travel that's probably a 55 hour week. Not everyone wants to (or is able to) work that much.
d) The 10 year visa is a tourist visa, meaning the work is illegal and taxation is evaded. Plenty of people do this, but not everyone gets away with it.
How sane or ridiculous does it sound?
The market is hungry enough, but it takes a certain kind of person to devote all their time to working (on the wrong visa!). I know plenty of people that have gone this route in tier 1 cities. There are two broad categories:
One is the the lone trooper teacher mercenary.
They hit a good couple of months earning 30k+ and boast about their high salary and independence, but it doesn't last. Their students gradually drop off and the teacher, with no community of colleagues or co-workers, becomes disconnected and goes off in search of more fulfilling diversions.
The other is the foreign teacher-China wifey team (never seen it with Chinese husband, foreign teachress, curiously).
A more stable situation, where China wifey handles all the difficult stuff like scheduling, parent contact and feedback, location, whilst foreign teacher man breezes in and does his thing. What is rarely mentioned is that the salary earned should then be divided by two because it is not a lone enterprise, and the wife will often have total control over the purse strings. Works for some, wouldn't work for me.
TL:DR: When people boast about how much they earn, consider whether or not they are sharing the work and money with others, and consider whether the claimed salary is a real or theoretical total.
Englteachted:
And you can't open a bank account unless its a business visa.
Nice hourly rate but a high chance of burn-out and the stress of looking over your shoulder would make me consider very carefully. Having an RP is a secure feeling.
This sounds like bollocks to me.
If you need the money, do it. As for me, I choose safe and secure over money, especially in Beijing.
Englteachted:
Are you renewing the visa or just leaving to get the stamp?
44,000 per month - where do I sign up - that's good money , can live well here , and afford a nice weekend get away to any number of countries around China , every 60 days
I guess I understand the 60 day exit problem. Like in Shenzhen, easy to pop into Hong Kong and pop back into China, but I guess you can't do that in Beijing and the cost of exiting and entering, not to mention the hassle would cost a lot money & time.
you could take a train from beijing to qingdao and ferry to korea, about 320 to 550 rmb each way for tickets, ferry is 1100 to 3000 depending on quality of boat and seats. 2 day process though.
train to jinan, fly korea air to seoul and back, probably more money but faster, not sure tickets in jinan would be any cheaper, but korea air has a daily flight to jinan 45 minutes.
assuming you take the job, getting to a border fast and return with the most efficient cost would be my only concern.
good luck, ive done border runs in thailand, border runs in philippines to malaysia, it can be a pain but life goes on. there is a port for cruise ships a couple hours from beijing, but i dont know whats available there since the mysterious destruction of the india owned range rover company there (tata motors takes 300 million dollar write off, ouch, feel the burn) and called it a hazmat chemical fire to cover up taking out an auto competitor, strange how a new chinese company last year introduced a great copy of the land rover and range rover, i dont believe in unfortunate coincidences
Englteachted:
Flights from BJ to Seoul are around 1200rmb last time I checked. might as well just fly.
You could visit Mongolia or Russia every 60 days. The visa doesn't sound legal to me. I would not risk it but if you are single with no ties to China ut sounds like a good job.
A - could get caught out in a raid - bad idea!
B - you get a guaranteed holiday every 2 months - and plenty of cash to spend on it. Nice! (yes you tell them that if they're going to fuck you around with a business visa, then they can deal with you taking 2 weeks off every 2 months! Especially as was mentioned - you're miles from anywhere that can do the stamp)
The OP didn't say this was a job offer. More likely relaying anecdotal info, which is somewhat exaggerated.
Is it possible? Yes.
Is it workable? Not for everyone.
Are the stated numbers 100% accurate? Unlikely.
Let's look at the details:
a) 11000 yuan x 32 hours per week = ~350 per hour.
350 is a fairly high rate, and students would expect quality instruction, not just rounds of UNO. It's possible, after investing a fair amount of time in networking and reputation, to build up that schedule like that. Said investment is key though, so it would not be the kind of situation accessible to a newbie.
b) If It's mostly privates, factor in a cancelation rate of about 10% too. Also some students won't come during holidays, some will stop classes all together. It's basically highly unlikely that the schedule is as regular as stated.
c) 32 teaching hours per week is really high, especially if there are multiple locations involved. With prep and travel that's probably a 55 hour week. Not everyone wants to (or is able to) work that much.
d) The 10 year visa is a tourist visa, meaning the work is illegal and taxation is evaded. Plenty of people do this, but not everyone gets away with it.
How sane or ridiculous does it sound?
The market is hungry enough, but it takes a certain kind of person to devote all their time to working (on the wrong visa!). I know plenty of people that have gone this route in tier 1 cities. There are two broad categories:
One is the the lone trooper teacher mercenary.
They hit a good couple of months earning 30k+ and boast about their high salary and independence, but it doesn't last. Their students gradually drop off and the teacher, with no community of colleagues or co-workers, becomes disconnected and goes off in search of more fulfilling diversions.
The other is the foreign teacher-China wifey team (never seen it with Chinese husband, foreign teachress, curiously).
A more stable situation, where China wifey handles all the difficult stuff like scheduling, parent contact and feedback, location, whilst foreign teacher man breezes in and does his thing. What is rarely mentioned is that the salary earned should then be divided by two because it is not a lone enterprise, and the wife will often have total control over the purse strings. Works for some, wouldn't work for me.
TL:DR: When people boast about how much they earn, consider whether or not they are sharing the work and money with others, and consider whether the claimed salary is a real or theoretical total.
Englteachted:
And you can't open a bank account unless its a business visa.
