I taught in China last year and all I needed for the visa was my degree, resume and a stamped health check.
The health check was sent back for "stamping" and since I was coming from a country that used signatures, I was at a lose.
I wound up stamping the document with a parking validation stamp that had the hospital name on it - it worked fine.

This is the first I'm hearing about a 2-year teaching requirement.

Since when is proof of two years previous experience required in China?
I've been in and out of China for years and never had this hurdle to cross.

If it is a new requirement, I wouldn't worry about it. You could just forge something and put any kind of stamp on and you'll be fine.

Uncloudy Said: Higgs confuses "options" with "rights"

I'm not confusing anything; you are. If I'm unhappy at my job, I quit - that's my absolute right. I may not have the option though; I may not have another job lined up but at any time, I have an absolute right to quit. How anyone can think otherwise in this day of "right to work" and "at will employment" is mind boggling.

And I don't a reason to quit. Boredom with a current post is reason enough for me. I get my money and I catch a plane to Bangkok and start looking for that next gig. Its my right.

Don't listen to Sid - or listen but consider the source!
He's a lapdog for whatever owner happens to have him on a leash.

Sid said that "right" is a strong word. What nonsense. Of course you have the right to do whatever is in your best interest and if its your health and health related costs you are concerned with, I wouldn't give the school a second thought.

I'm using Teacher Ready Online Certification Program right now and I can tell many of those enrolled are not from the US.

https://www.teacherready.org/

It leads to FL state certificiation

ShadowJack - you are right that the owner is loosing money hand over fist and will probably do so for some time to come but he continues to invest in the school and is actively recruiting new teachers for next year. I don't see him closing down this school any time soon. Certainly, SPIA will be here next year. Teachers speculate it will be here at least through 2016/2017 school year - enough time for the current grade 9 students to graduate.

Bear in mind that the owner, Mr. Hou, is not a poor - he is a billionaire! Who knows why the incredibly rich do what they do, but one thing is for sure, the job is incredibly easy, well paid and stress free.

I just don't understand why they are having such problems recruiting new teachers.

Dragonguy - I think I have the PERFECT school for you. Its a complete dawdle, the ultimate big easy:
Shenyang Pacific International Academy in beautiful Shenyang, China!

1. The most respectful students you can imagine. They are by and large on the lazy side, but very pleasant and friendly.
2. An average class size of about 6. My largest class has 11 students and my smallest class has 4 students.
3. The workload is ridiculously light. I teach four 40-minutes classes per day - that's it! You are required to lead two after school activities per week, one hour each but its a dawdle.
4. I know you said you didn't care but the money is good - in the range of $50,000 per year tax free plus free housing and free medical.

Big mistake gladly - the disorganization of the school is actually one of its selling points in my view.
It would have been the easiest money you ever made!

The school isn't really in Shenyang - it's in a village called Shenyang Bei, about an hour by bus from Shenyang city. The main afterschool activity among teachers in this village is eating BBQ and drinking and drinking and drinking. If you're a drunk, you'll fit right in here. There isn't a whole lot to do in this village and the food options are limited to Chinese. Honestly, the location of the school is a major drawback to working at SPIA, so put a heavy red mark in the minus column.

The students are by and large very polite and there are no discipline problems. However, they are NOT hardworking, just the opposite. They are like no Chinese students that I have ever taught before. They are is very pleasant, well behaved rich kids who do as little as possible to get by. They are all ESL students and communication is an issue. All in all though, the students are in the plus column.

The pay is excellent and I have always been paid before the 31st of each month. Its a tax free salary and you get one month bonus at the end of each year. Pay goes in the plus column.

Banking is always an issue in China but for whatever reason, its more of an issue at SPIA. You will get paid but repatriating the salary will be hard. As always for China, banking goes in the minus column.

There are no facilities, no books, no anything except an overhead projector. We actually had one of our students find and download online texts. Resources are a big minus.

The job is a dawdle. You'll teach 4 forty minute classes per day and you are expected to run two clubs per week for one hour per club. Its the easiest money that I have ever made and I am honestly concerned its made me lazy but still, a big plus for workload.

All in all, if you are offered a job here, you should accept without reservation and prepare for one Big Easy.

Sid is the resident lapdog so no surprise he is concerned for the poor owners.
The bottom line is juts that - its a bottom line industry and I have yet to work for a school I trust.
As far as admin, just varying degrees of bad.

Accept the offer from A and if B makes an offer afterwards, tell A you changed your mind.

3rd tier schools and below are some of the best. I'm currently at a no-tier school in China that caters to the elite and I've never been happier: no oversight, big salary and a basic all around dawdle. My advice is to actively seek out the low tier to no tier schools.

@newchapter - Forget everything you've been told.Teachers on these forums are mostly M.F.s - Malad Fools! or Moralizing Fools! They tend to be one or the other.

The best schools are the bottom schools. You should be making a list of bottom schools, 3rd tier schools and, best of all, no-tier start-up schools, not so as to avoid them but to actively seek them out.

The opportunities at these so-called bottom schools is mind boggling. I was at a 3rd tier school in Vietnam for close to 9-months and didn't do even a lick of work. I would arrive at 7:59am just in time for 8:00am class and spend the next 7 hours surfing the net, putting in applications for the next gig and searching for my soul mate on Asia Friend Finder. The hardest thing about that job was finding ways to occupy my time - but I did! I learned a good deal of survival Vietnamesse, caught up on my reading and found myself not one but TWO fiances some 25 years mu junior.

In my experience, there is nothing NOTHING! better than a well paying job at a bottom school. Its inevitbly stress - free employment and if you can manage your free time, much can be accomplished while you are not busy not teaching.

Best of luck New Chapter.

@Callipro

I don't think its an issue then. If you can guarentee the school you'll have a license by March, apply now. They may offer a conditional contract based on you producing the license.

I wsh I had a license come March. I'd be applying for jobs in Thailand right now.

@Callipro

I haven't had a teaching certificate since 2003 and I've been without a job, in fact, multiple job offers. The best time to apply without a teaching certificate is late in the season, which is when many teachers either don't return or just don't show up. Or show up, collect relocation benefits and then move on to the next job. I love when I get to do that!

Once I had three jobs in one year. I got to Europe, Asia and Africa all in one go. It was probably the highlight of my career.

Anyway, it does limit you but not having a license won't rule you out.