Can a non-native be an English teacher?

You DO NOT have to enroll at the university to get an F visa. You get the F visa before you arrive in China (from the embassy/consulate in your country). To get it, you will need an invitation letter, which the school you're applying to will send you. Most universities require you to submit an application fee of a couple of hundred RMB to process your application and send you the letter. You DO NOT need to pay tuition fees before you get the letter (this is because Chinese prefer cash payments in the form of red renminbi notes...).

(On another note, I didn't even have to submit an application fee the last time I applied (they said they would charge it later, which they kind of didn't do ). I submitted my application by e-mail and they mailed me the letter and visa form swiftly.)

Nakuru,

Take a look at this other thread with info. about changing visa's:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/1861-can-foreigners-ever-understand-chinese-culture6

Think some people explain clearly how to change visa's. I'm far from a visa expert! just giving my opinion about the possible options. Many people on this forum have been in China a lot longer than me:) The idea about signing up at a Uni was simply a possible option. i.e. to get a long term visa and also to get a basic knowledge of the language which can make life much more enjoyable in China. Yes it is much more pricey than just changing your tourist visa to a working visa.

Some people are saying that you cannot change your tourist visa to a working visa anymore. I am not sure about this. In many cases I guess you still can by using a visa agency. But I imagine in come cases you cannot. Check the link I gave you and other forums such as www.shanghaiexpat.com which is a very active forum in Shanghai. Use the search option on that site and this site and I'm sure you will find lots of info. about visa's. From my experience in Shanghai most schools don't really care what type of visa you have. They are just glad to find a teacher. I know of many people who teach English working on long-term student visa's and business visa's when by law they shouldn't be doing this. The school's just seem to say " well there are some laws in China that are strict and some that are less strict!"

As I say have a look at some of the other threads on this site, I sure they will answer your question.

Good luck!

From my experience in Shanghai most schools don't really care what type of visa you have. They are just glad to find a teacher. I know of many people who teach English working on long-term student visa's and business visa's when by law they shouldn't be doing this. The school's just seem to say " well there are some laws in China that are strict and some that are less strict!"

This is true. Employing someone on the wrong visa is much cheaper than paying for all the proper licenses, permits and doing all the paperwork. Just be aware that the school probably has enough contacts to get away with employing you illegally. While on the other hand you have no contacts that can keep you out of trouble. I have known more than one teacher who has be wakened by the PSB in the early morning and gone to the police station for breakfast because their school didn't do the visa and residency permit properly. While they did get the situation sorted out in the end, it was not without allot of stress and some fines.

Yes Rincewind,

I still believe a Residence Permit is key into working and living properly in China.

It's the same for foreigners trying to work and live in our countries, isn't it?

It's probably worse for people going to the West without proper permits. If you work without permits, you almost always end up working for low quality employers with poor or illegal pay and conditions. Many people going to the UK illegally end up in criminal trades such as drugs and prostitution (often against their will). Some end up dead - refer to the 23 Chinese cockle fishermen who died in Morecambe Bay a few years back.

In the UK, if you are caught, you won't simply be fined. You'll end up in a jail or detention centre before going home. The immigration officers are even empowered to remove children born in the UK when their parents entered the country unlawfully.

Hey guys. I am getting confused by the native english. I am Chinese-Canadian. Does that mean I will have problems securing employment as an English teacher in China?

Non-native as used in this thread means that English is not your mother tougue. I'll reply to the other side of your question on the other thread you have running.

Being a non-native English-speaker is not particularly restrictive. What is more important is your accent. If you speak English well with no marked accent, and a university degree, you can get a job as an English teacher.

And don;t forget there is a demand (certainly in Berlitz) for teaching languages other than English. There are many French companies in Beijing and Shanghai, and German too. They need to have their staff taught their language.