China Teach ESL Work Visa – The Guide for Getting a Work Visa

China Teach ESL Work Visa – Every year thousands of adventuresome souls leave their home country for six months or more to teach English abroad.

Yet the search for TESOL jobs (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages) or TEFL jobs involves obtaining a foreign country visa at some point before or after the big move.

Every country’s visa application process is manageable, but this could involve: a fair amount of items to collate to meet the foreign consulate’s requirements, consultation with your targeted country’s embassy, an understanding of deadlines to meet, and more.

China Teach ESL Work Visa – The Recommended Process

Following are 5 recommendations on how to best manage the process of applying a China teach ESL work visa:

1. Understand the difference between tourist and extended stay visas.

Your TEFL job / TESOL job will likely require some non-tourist visa classification to remain in the host country for an extended period of time (for example, more than 90 days).

Work with your teaching institution or recruiter to understand what type of visa you will need, how to go about applying for it, and who will pay for the visa if costs are involved.

2. Check with the foreign consulate in your home country.

Use the Internet to find out what requirements are needed for you to understand the country-specific requirements for long-term stays.

For example, a quick Google search to "[XYZ country] consulate in [your home country]" should provide you a good start to understand the details for the visa requirements.

3. Pay attention to schedules and plan ahead.

Some country’s consulates will require specific information from you prior to your departure. They might also have a deadline for your visa application depending on the date you plan to enter your targeted teaching country.

Other countries will provide the visa for you upon entry into the country. You should consult with your teaching institution and/or recruiter regarding these details.

4. Collate materials for the visa application.

Depending on the country you choose for teaching English abroad, there may be items you need to collate prior to submitting a visa application. Examples may include, but are not representative for each and every country:

• A type-written (not hand-written) application submitted to the consulate,

• 2 or more passport-sized photos of yourself,

• A job offer letter or student scholarship letter from the teaching institution,

• Proof of medical insurance coverage,

• Copies of recent bank statements indicating that you have had financial stability in your home country,

• Clearance from your local or federal police department that you do not have any misdemeanors or felonies,

• A signed doctor clearance that you do not have any communicable diseases, including HIV,

• A visa application processing fee.

5. Utilize resources such as recruiter or placement agencies.

It is common to utilize third-party recruiting agenciesto assist you find the optimal TEFL job / TESOL job placement and with assistance and/or advice for the visa.

Good recruiters are worth their weight in gold even though they may charge you $1,200 to $2,200 U.S. for their services.

Ask your recruiter for advice on what is necessary in the visa application process. They will know details from the most recent teachers that have entered the country and can offer advice on how to circumvent potential delays or problems.

China Teach ESL Work Visa: For China–bound ESL Teachers-to-be ONLY

Visa Information: Updated: 20/04/2008

Visa-free entry into China

Classification of Regular Visa

Regular Visas consist of eight sub-categories, which are respectively marked with Chinese phonetic letters C, D, F, G, J-1, J-2, L, X and Z.

C Visa: Issued to crewmembers to perform duties on board an international train, airliner or other vessel, and their accompanying family members.

D Visa: Issued to an alien who comes to reside permanently in China.

F Visa: Issued to an alien who is invited to China for a visit, an investigation, a lecture, to do business, scientific-technological and culture exchanges, short-term advanced studies or internship for a period of no more than six months.

G Visa: Issued to an alien who transits through China.

J-1 Visa: Issued to foreign resident correspondents in China.

J-2 Visa: Issued to foreign journalists who make short trips to China on reporting tasks.

L Visa: Issued to an alien who comes to China for sightseeing, family visiting or other private purposes.

X Visa: Issued to an alien who comes to China for study, advanced studies or internship for a period of more than six months.

Z Visa: Issued to an alien who comes to China for a post or employment, and his or her accompanying family members.

China Teach ESL Work Visa Information

To obtain an "L," "F" or "Z" Visa, a transferee must provide a copy of his/her passport, ten passport-sized photographs and a copy of his/her resume.

If accompanied by a spouse, a copy of the marriage certificate needs to be provided.

If accompanied by children, a copy of each child's birth certificate needs to be provided.

For de-facto spouses, a visit to the local consulate is necessary to obtain a relationship certificate so that the non-working partner may apply for a residence visa. Spouses are not allowed to work with a visitor's visa.

However, if they find a job, they can apply for a work permit before starting the job.

China Teach ESL Work Visa: Bruce Thompson, Founder and Managing Director of TeachingChile http://www.TeachingChile.com, is a U.S. citizen residing in Chile that has been dedicated to programs involving teaching English in Chile. A 19-year veteran of international business, his recent years in Chile have involved recruiting and placing native English-speaking teachers into Chilean schools and universities, and developing TEFL