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China: Scam Alert! - Z Visa Required By China Foreign Teachers & Interns - Beware Expats!:

Do not get caught teaching, interning, or even tutoring in China or you will will find yourself in a Chinese jail for a month, fined $2,000 and then deported as a convicted felon. Follow the law and not the advice of some unlicensed China job agent who hopes you are too lazy to took up the law. Read these links and keep yourself legal and safe in China... http://www.chinaforeignteachersunion.org http:://SAFEA.gov.cn http://eslwatch.info/forum/china http://chinceascamwatch.org http://antifraudintl.org/threads/beware-of-china-internship-visa-scams.96692/ http://www.ChinaScamBusters.com

China: Which China Internships Are Scams - Which Are Real?:

The easiest way to tell is that the genuine China job internships are offered for FREE directly by the sponsor company and and not a third party broker or "internship company". If someone wants you to pay money for an internship placement, it is a fraud scheme. Visit this this link for more details and a list of the best internships in China that can be verified: http://chinainternshipreviews.wordpress.com If you have any doubts just google the key words of "China Internship Scams" and you'll see the black and the white hats popping up. You can also check the China Liars List at Scam.com. Good luck in China!

China: 2015 China Visa Laws For Expat Employees & Foreign Teachers...:

As of September of 2013, the visa requirements to work or teach in China have become quite strict. The enforcement of these visa laws has become even more strict. Gone are the days when you could work on a tourist or business visa (L and F visas) and just pay $1,000 to a PSB officer if you were caught. Today everything in China is by the book as we just saw in 2014 with over 1,500 expat teachers being arrested, jailed, fined, and then deported for working without a work visa (Z visa). There are plenty of recruiters and visa agents who may talk you into working as an intern or tell you that L, F, and M visas are okay for working during your first "90 day probationary period". This is not true. The Chinese visa law specifically says that you MUST hold a Z visa to work even part time in China from your very first work day. There are no provisions to do otherwise without getting yourself classified as an "illegal alien". People still try but half of them get caught within three months. So let's keep it simple here... to LEGALLY work in China, in any profession, you must land in China with a Z visa. If however you originally came to China as a student or a tourist and then decided you want to remain and work in China, you must leave China to apply for a Z visa outside of the country. Most people will fly to Hong Kong to meet this requirement. To get the Z visa, you need to have your prospective employer send you an original invitation letter on their company letterhead that is signed, dated, and chopped (corporate seal) clearly stating that you are coming to China to work as a teacher on a ______mo/year contract and this letter should specifically request a "work visa". Having said this, things change in China all the time, so if there are any changes we will update this thread. If you do not live within 100 miles of a Chinese embassy or consulate you may opt to use a visa agent, but caution is urged. Use only well known visa agents with a proven history and legitimate office address and website that is more than one year old. You can even ask the Chinese embassy or consulate "Do you accept applications through visa agent __________" There are many other visas issued by China for cultural exchanges, business training, university students, etc. - even a new 10 year visa for American business people. This thread talk about the only acceptable visa needed to teach in China - the Z Visa. If you doubt any of the above, just contact the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate or visit www.SAFEA.gov.cn

China: Employee Rights Of China Expat Foreign Teachers:

Here is a big and pleasant surprise for you... Thanks to China's new president Xi, we now all have the same 15 Employee Rights and Labor Law protections as Chinese SOE executives! Yes, its true - you actually have some very useful employee rights in China since some amendments were made in 2012 to China's Labor Laws. Prior to that time, we were pretty much equal to indentured servants! If we had "issues" with management prior to 2012, we either quit, or were simply terminated. Gratefully, times have changed, but 70% of expats working in China don't know their rights. Here are the most important ones... * You have the right to receive an original hard copy of your contract that is signed and chopped (red sealed) at the time you sign an employee agreement. * You have the right to receive a written job description prior to signing your contract. It is up to YOU to make sure that job description is specific, in English, and not so vague that your hours, working days, work location, pay rate, holidays, bonuses, visa costs, air fare reimbursement, release letters, etc are clearly spelled out in no uncertain terms. * You cannot be compelled nor forced to do anything not specified in your job description (which you should insist becomes and exhibit to your contract and also gets signed and chopped. This stops you from being used as a marketing monkey in shopping malls on the street handing out flyers). * Your probationary period cannot exceed one month for each year of your employment contract. So if you are asked to sign a one year contract, your probation period should not exceed one month. If however, you sign a contract that specifies a 3 or 6 month probationary period, you are implicitly waiving your right on this issue. * If you hold an FEC (Foreign Experts Certificate) you cannot be compelled to unpaid overtime hours without your consent. This one protection alone is worth about 5,000 - 10,000 rmb every month to some expat teachers in China. * You have the right to receive both an invitation letter and release letter free of charge (These are both legal requirements and administrative duties of the employer). * You have a right to a Z visa if employed in China (Again, this is a legal duty of the employers and of anyone tells you that you only get a Z visa after you complete your probationary period they are surely a scam operation to be avoided. To learn the other 8 of your rights visit our website at http://www.ChinaForeignTeachersUnion.com or drop us an email at the same address (admin@). Happy New Year to all of our teacher colleagues working in China!

China: Resolving Employee Disputes As China Expat Foreign Teachers:

If you decide to work or teach in China, rest assured that you will have at least one argument a month with your employer. This is normal for new arrivals in China. Every month we get about 30 "complaints" from expat teachers in China about their employers but in reality maybe only 5 of the 30 are legitimate gripes. The vast majority are simply misunderstandings due to language barriers, cultural misinterpretations, or lack of communications. Keep in mind that for 5,000 years Chinese culture has programmed their citizens to be "harmonious" and avoid conflicts. Your employer does not want problems with you. They need you and usually want you to be happy. Granted there are exceptions where some unethical employers will try to exploit you, but they are not the majority. The key is to control your temper and not make a public scene. If you can keep calm and cool, you can resolve about 80% of all your gripes with your employer. But there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. This is China and things are done differently here - and "face" is extremely important. This is not your country. You are a guest here and need to adjust to local ways and protocols. There is no BBB, FTC, or Congressmen here to run to when you have issues. Your embassy will NOT get involved in labor issues so don't waste your time nor theirs. You need to be your own diplomat first, and usually that will be sufficient to work things out. Only when you cannot accomplish a mutually-acceptable settlement will we intercede on your behalf. The CFTU offers a free guidebook to "China Labor Relations & Conflict Resolution" and we offer it both to teachers and schools. Send for it by email and it will prepare you for your next argument with your employer, and hopefully you will have less and less "misunderstandings" after reading this free publication. You can request your own free copy at request@chinaforeignteachersunion.org

China: Contract Tips & Advice For China Foreign ESL & TEFL Teachers...:

China is a fun but risky place to work if you are not aware of the many job scams and identity thieves that lurk in China. To be fair, 90% of the schools, kindergartens, and universities in China are honorable and ethical institutions, but the 10% responsible for all the horror stories seem to get all the attention! For newbie teachers and other expats inbound to China to work, you need to know three things from the get-go... 1) About half of all the job ads you see online for China jobs were posted by scam artists and/or identity thieves. 2) You do not have to sign any contract that is a)not in English, b)that you don't understand or agree with, or c)an illegal contract. 3) You have some powerful rights as an expat in China bit don't expect your China employer or job recruiter to even mention them to you. To understand why, visit http://ChinaScamWatch.org So from the veteran expats working and teaching in China for at least three years, here are some of the more important contract clauses you should insert into your employment contract before signing it... * Party B does not under any circumstances waive his/her employee rights and labor board protections, and retains the right to seek legal remedies in the courts of China. * Party B shall not be compelled to do any non-teaching work for Party A. * Party B shall be compensated for all overtime hours worked in accordance with central and provincial laws. * Party B shall not be compelled to provide testimonials or his/her image for any public display purposes by Party A. * Upon termination for any cause, Party A will provide Party B a release letter within 10 consecutive days of termination, at no cost. * Existing lesson plans, teaching materials, and ppts of Party B are proprietary and may not be copied nor used without express written consent. * Party B agrees to work exclusively at one campus located at __________ for Party A. * Party B is not liable for any fines nor other penalties if this employment agreement is breached by Party A. To get the complete list of contract clauses we recommend to China expats just drop us an email at admin@ChinaForeignTeachersUnion.org Best wishes to all of our teacher colleagues in 2015 - a year we hope is full of wealth and good health for you all.

Date Joined:

1/8/2015

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