Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you are staying within Beijing but changing industries and, therefore, the classific-
ation of your expertise for your work permit, in most cases this can be done from within
Beijing and will not require the cancellation of your residence permit. Some expats have
had different experiences. If you are changing cities, your former employer will also need
to give you the work permit cancellation certificate from the labor bureau and company re-
lease letter with
chop
.
It's also important to remember that if you make any changes to your passport, you'll
need to immediately have your company update your work and residence permits with the
new details.
English is seen as the golden ticket to an overseas education and as the key to unlocking
the gate of fortune. Millions of locals, from toddlers to retirees, are enrolled in English-lan-
guage programs every year across China, and especially in Beijing. This makes for a gen-
erous number of jobs for foreigners—nurseries, primary and middle schools, universities,
and countless private institutions have ready-made positions waiting for the native English
speaker.
It used to be that having a white face meant that you could pretty much walk into any
Chinese classroom and teach English, but things are changing, and Beijing is certainly one
city where the government is monitoring who teaches its future generation. The State Ad-
ministration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) now strictly requires that you be a native
speaker with a bachelor's degree as well as two years of some form of teaching experience.
You'll also be required to have a TEFL/TESOL qualification. These can range from quick
and cheap online courses to more intense programs, such as the seven-day TEFL in China
certificate (
http://tefl.chinajob.com
)
or the highly regarded CELTA certificate and DELTA
diploma (
www.cambridgeesol.org
)
. CELTA courses are held all over the world. They typic-
ally run as one-month intensive programs and cost around US$2,000-2,500. If you intend to
do one, it can help to shop around. You may find taking the CELTA in Thailand or Vietnam,
for example, is much cheaper than doing it at home or even in Beijing.
Of course, there are always exceptions when it comes to qualifications, and many
schools will turn a blind eye to the regulations. This puts both them and you at risk of seri-
ous penalties, and, again, won't qualify you for a Z visa in Beijing. If you really don't want
