TEFL But No Degree -- Can I Still Get An ESL Jobs In Shanghai?
03-14-2014, 09:49 PM
It used to be a lot easier. Visa conversions used to be a lot easier. In 2010, I converted a tourist visa to a student visa, which used to be a routine procedure and they required me to pass an interview and said that they were phasing out tourist-to-student visa conversions. I don't believe that you can convert a tourist visa to anything else anymore, unless someone is really, really connected. For your purposes, it is impossible.
Officially, to get a Z visa in China, you need to have (1) a four year university/college degree, (2) years of after graduation work experience and (3) in the case of English teachers, must be from a country where English is the native language, which in China means Canada, USA, UK, Australia, NZ and possibly, but unlikely South Africa.
So, to clarify, it would be easier for a French speaker who knows no English from Quebec to get a work visa, than for a white African who speaks English and no other language.
Now, due to demand/supply factors, there is variance from region to region. I'm planning on working for a while in Beijing, because while they do tend to insist on a university degree, they aren't really insisting on two years of after graduation experience. Whereas, I've been told, in Shenzhen, they do insist on the two years of experience requirement.
Now, in theory, there could be some God-forsaken hell hole in China, where they can never get enough teachers that might ignore the fact that you don't have a work visa. There are certainly going to be plenty that wouldn't double check to make sure that your four year degree is legit.
So, it is not impossible, but it would mean some risky maneuvers.
I have 2.5 years of working experience in China and I've never had a Z visa. However, this was before last September, when the requirements really tightened up. I got by with tourist visas, students visas (I would casually attend class at one school and they let it slide as long as I paid tuition), and business visas, which one used to be able to buy in Hong Kong for about $200USD.
Not anymore, however. That's one of the reasons I recently went through the trouble of graduating from university. It used to be a lot easier to teach in Korea without being legit. But they got tough a couple years ago and now it's much easy to get deported if you work without proper documentation.
Japan has always had high standards.
Thailand still has low standards on account of the fact that you can survive for a long time on tourist visas and can get them on arrival (not an option in China, with the exception of very temporary transit visas), but I would speculate that they will eventually tighten up enforcement in Thailand as standard increase.
Vietnam is not so easy, because you can't get a visa on arrival.
Cambodia is a dark hole that few people want a job in and Laos seems to be even poorer.
So what does this mean for you? It's actually a good thing on the long run, because with stricter requirements, there will be fewer losers teaching English in China, which means more respect for those who do and a better expat community as well.
Additionally, stricter requirements lowers supply, while demand continues to rise, which means more money for those who do meet the requirements.
However, coming in on a student visa and teaching part time is a solid option. It is very rare for schools to be inspected and 15 hrs of part time work each week pays as well as full time work on a Z visa. The best part of working illegally under the table is that you pay no tax and can quit any time someone tries to screw with you. If you enter on a Z visa, you are essentially married to the company that sponsored you and they can mistreat you at will.
If you are serious about working in China, please PM me. I will discuss your options with you and help you work out a plan. I'm moving back to Beijing myself in May.
I'm the King of Beijing!