China - Beware of fake schools!

[linguistical]

China law states that the employer MUST apply for the working visa/Z visa on your behalf many schools ask you to get a visa yourself. This means they do not have the required license for hiring foreign teachers. One such school is China Hong Kong English School CHES (http://www.teachatches.com/) located in Dongguang and Zhongshan. After being there a while you will realize that the visa they will arrange for you will either be a L (tourist) or F (Business) visa. To work under these visas is illegal! There are certain regulations to protect foreigners such as minimum health care standards and if the accommodation is more than so many floors high it must have a lift. It also contributes to tax fraud and the government has recently been deporting foreigners who brake the law (which could destroy any chance of getting a future Chinese visa). It also means you wont be protected if your things are lost or you are cheated by the employer since all your dealings will be legally invalid.

Protect yourselves and keep safe. I left this school 7 months ago as one of our colleagues got deported.

[systematic]

brake

A good warning. More warnings of this kind are needed even if it 'brakes' with the tradition of not naming and shaming. it also reiterates the message I constantly pliug about the importance of doing as much background research as possible before accepting employment from abroad.
Thank you.
You may also like to repeat your warning on other boards, particularly this Thailand TESOL forum.

[TS-SC]

Nice warning, this definitely holds true to all job seekers. Do not accept a job unless they supply you with a Z visa.

Sam Chapman
sam.chapman@teachingsupply.co.uk

[Peter Easton]

The problem is that the school has to be in business for 1 year before they can legally hire Foreign Teachers. How can a school operate with no FTs for 1 year? This is a legal issue which is usually solved by greasing a few palms down at the local cop shop.... Anyone who thinks otherwise is naive.

TIC

if the accommodation is more than so many floors high it must have a lift.

Isn't this an issue with the building developers? Do you know of any apartment buildings in China above 6 floors that don't have lift? I've never seen one...

It [working on an L or F] also contributes to tax fraud

It doesn't. The tax bureau has nothing to do with the immigration police. If you earn more than 5,800 pm you still pay your income tax at source, no matter which visa your are on. The visa has nothing to do with tax.