Teaching and living in China is for all different kinds of people. Are you fresh out of college and want to get work and life experience before entering the workforce at home? Do you want to travel and see the world? Do you want a change of scenery after working at the same desk for the past 20 years? Do you have a passion for teaching? Are you looking for a fresh start? Are you an experienced teacher looking for a new challenge? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then yes, teaching English in China is for you!

Why us? That’s simple. We’ve been there, done that, and got all the t-shirts! We’ve been in the industry for a long time now and know it inside and out. From teaching 3 year olds to 60 year olds, working in small institutions to the largest multinational teaching company in the world, and everything in between.

Yes and no. Sometimes experience is a visa requirement, more than a school requirement, depending on where you want to teach. With that said, it all depends on the city. Some cities require the experience, while others don’t. We can go over this in detail during our chat.

Most schools will provide you with training before stepping into a classroom and continue to offer professional development opportunities.

Teachers need a university degree, a clean criminal record, a TEFL/TESOL/CELTA/DELTA certificate, a clean bill of health, and in some cases experience is required. Teachers must also be no older than 58-59 years of age due to Chinese government regulations.

The industry standard is 120 hours. The certificate can be obtained in class or online.

You need the right visa to work in China. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. We only work with schools that obtain the correct and legal visa (Z visa) for all their teachers.

The visa process requires a bit of patience and diligence. The school will help you and guide you through the process. Most will also reimburse you for fees incurred to obtain the visa. The average teacher requires 6 to 10 weeks to secure their visa, depending on the steps needed and the region. So remember to start early. The process might seem long, but keep in mind you’re getting a work permit/residence permit for a different country. Think about how long that would take in your home country.

Generally, the visa process begins by sending the required documents to the schools. These documents include your bachelor’s degree or highest degree, your English teaching certificate (TESOL/TEFOL/CELTA/DELTA), a criminal background check, and medical test (both less than 6 months old). Your bachelor’s degree, English teaching certificate and police background check, for most cities, need to be notarized in the country of origin of the documents and then they need to be taken to a Chinese embassy or consulate in order to be approved for the visa process. Each school will give you detailed instructions about the process for that particular institution and city.

You can choose from working in a new and modern city, an old city full of culture and tradition, a small city in an undiscovered rural location, or a large city full of all the comforts of home, including expats.

In much the same way, you can choose from a large array of schools. Everything from small and privately owned schools teaching children after hours to large multinational schools that focus on adults and business English.

What city and schools you teach in is really all about your preferences.

We only work with schools that provide teachers with excellent working conditions, competitive salaries, and the proper visa. These can range from small privately owned institutions to large multinational corporations. We’ll work with you to find a school that fits your needs.

We’ve done the prescreening ourselves and have made sure we only work with reputable schools. We’ve also talked to current and former teachers at the schools to get their opinions. In some cases, we’ve also worked at the schools personally and we’ve had a great experience with them.

Yes. You will need to complete an interview with schools to be hired. The interview process is fairly straight forward with typical interview questions. If you’re not great at interviews, no problem. We’ll give you some tips to ace the interview! In many cases you will be interviewed by a Chinese national, whose first language isn’t English. Remember to be professional and respectful.

The process can take up to 3 months from starting the application with us to arriving in China. So keep this in mind as you plan your transition.

Contracts are generally 12 months in duration and can continued to be renewed.

Living in China can be very inexpensive or it can be very expensive, depending on where you live. Large cities like Shanghai, for example, will have a cost of living similar to a large city in the United States or Canada, however, salaries paid to teachers reflect this.

Teachers are able to live very comfortably, regardless of where they choose to live. Things like public transportation, local food, utilities, cellphone service, internet service are very inexpensive.

Most schools in China pay once a month. Many also offer different benefits like housing or a housing allowance, free Mandarin lessons, flight reimbursements, monthly bonuses, end of contract bonuses, etc.

When it comes to salary amounts, these vary greatly. It mostly depends on the city and type of institution you are working in. Regardless, teachers in China are well paid. Salaries are often, if not always, 2 to 3 times a local’s average salary. This ensures that teachers have a great quality of life regardless of where they live or work.

China is extremely safe for both males and females. Police and CCTV cameras ensure safety.

If you’ve done some research you’ve probably heard about the “Chinese Firewall”. This restricts access to sites like YouTube, Facebook, Google, etc. Most people will purchase a VPN service that will help them “jump” over this wall.

If you require prescription medicine, please make sure to bring a few months supply with you. Most medicines can be purchased locally and many times without prescriptions. The school where you work can assist you in obtaining the right medicine or connecting you with a doctor who can help you.