Once you accept a job offer and sign a contract with the school, the next step is to get a China work visa (known as a Z Visa). Don’t worry, the school will assist you with the process!
- Send the following supporting documents to the school (check with school to see if they require physical copies or if they accept documents via email)
- Bachelor’s degree or higher (notarized by your university and authenticated by Chinese embassy)
- A criminal background check (notarized and authenticated by Chinese embassy)
- TEFL / TESOL / CELTA certificate or equivalent if required (notarized by your TEFL provider and authenticated by Chinese embassy)
- Health check documentation (Print out attached medical form, schedule a health check, and have it filled in, signed and stamped by your local doctor. You will also need to attach a photo on the upper right side of the form. Note that the chest X-Ray, ECG, and Lab Exams can be completed once you arrive in China.)
- A scanned copy of your passport (should have at least 6-months of validity remaining)
- Contract signature page
- Home address & telephone number
- Once the school receives these documents, they will apply for your work permit and invitation letter from the local government. This process will take almost 2 months.
- When the school receives the work permit and invitation letter from the government, they will forward these documents to you via courier which will take about 4 to 7 working days.
- You then take the (1)work permit, (2)invitation letter, (3)your passport (valid for at least 6 months), (4)the visa application form (5) A 2″x2″ photo to the Chinese Embassy near you. It will take 4 to 7 days for the embassy to issue your Z Visa. Most teachers we know have agencies help with this process and we highly recommend My China Visa agency.
- Once the Z visa is stamped in your passport, you can book a plane ticket to China.
- Upon arrival in China, the school will accompany you to the police station to register you as a resident. You will later be given a Foreign Expert Certificate and a Residence Permit. These two documents will give you multiple entries to China within the year.
Please note: The start date of your contract may change based on your arrival date in China. Upon arriving, you may be required to sign another contract which matches your actual start date of work.
