A criminal record check (CRC) is valid for 6 months from the date it was issued. It must be submitted for your visa paperwork before its expiry date.

In China, contracts are generally 10-11 months long for public schools and 12 months for private schools. In some cases, it is possible to negotiate a shorter (1 semester) contract for public schools or contracts slightly shorter than a full year in private schools.

Shenzhen is the 4th largest city in China with a population of over 20 million people. A lot of people are less familiar with Shenzhen because it has grown rapidly over the last 30 years. It has gone from being a small fishing village to the Silicon Valley of China. It also shares a border with Hong Kong, which adds further importance to it as one of the richest cities for commerce in China. Its rapid expansion continues to this day.

Public schools in China strongly prefer that all teachers arrive about 5-7 days before the start of the semesters, which are March 1st or September 1st. There are some teachers who arrive late, though in this case, teachers are encouraged to arrive no later than October/November.

Private school in China can be more flexible with the start dates, so it is possible to start throughout the year and complete a 12 month contract.

Some minor charges may be overlooked by immigration, especially those related to minor traffic infractions. Charges related to drinking or drug use, as well as other serious offences will disqualify you from being able to get a Z visa.

Teachers heading to China can use a State or local criminal record check rather than an FBI check, so it's possible for a charge not to show up.

Shenzhen has very convenient public transportation that features 11 subway lines (soon to be 13 by the end of 2016), a massive bus system, and its own airport. Taxis are also ever present and generally start their meters at 10-12RMB, which is around $1.70-$2.00. A trip all the way across town would cost around $15. Shenzhen also has gorgeous bike paths through most of the city.

For the Z visa, applicants need to get a medical check form filled in by a physician, declaring that they are physically and mentally healthy. Once applicants arrive in China, they are required to undergo a full medical exam at a local hospital.

The vast majority of apartments have everything one would expect from an apartment in the west—including air conditioning, a western toilet (squat toilets are very common in public places though), and a kitchen with basics like a stove and a fridge. It’s also very easy to set up internet and WiFi, but it’s recommended to get a VPN before arriving in China (more on this later).

Teachers are officially allowed to bring 1 small pet, but it is their responsibility to research the rules, pay all related expenses, and to make arrangments for the pet's transportation. This process can be quite involved, so it's important to do the research and make sure your pet meets all of the guidelines.

Both public and private schools in China are very open to hiring couples (both married and unmarried) and friends. Since the majority of teachers in China rent their own apartment, it can be advantageus to share this cost. If you combine the housing allowance provided by the schoool, it can be easy to rent a modern and more spacious apartment in a desirable area of the city, while still managing to cover any other rent related charges, such as utilities. A smaller number of school in China provide dorm-style housing, which is available to couples as well. Public school teachers in China will not be promised to teach at the same school, but will be placed within reasonable distance to each other.

Obviously all cities have petty crime like theft and personal belongings should be treated with care. Beyond that, Shenzhen is likely safer than most western home countries in terms of serious crimes like murder. One should still be wary of small issues like counterfeit money, especially at bars or when given change by taxi drivers or at small convenience stores. This is a rare problem, but not unheard of.

In order to teach English or ESL in China, you must be a passport holder and have completed at least a Bachelor Degree from one of the 7 approved English-speaking countries - Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, or New Zealand.

This really varies based on lifestyle and starting wages. A safe estimate would be that food will cost around 3,000 RMB a month, and bills will probably range from 300-600RMB. If extra expenditures are factored in, an output of 4,000 RMB is a reasonable estimate for costs outside of housing. Apartments also vary by area. Places in a more suburban neighbourhood like Longgang will be much less expensive than an apartment in the heart of Futian. Most of the studio apartments and 1 bedrooms range from 3,000- 4,000 RMB in the city center. After all of these costs are accounted for, most people still save around $500-$1000 from their base pay. Of course, it’s very easy to get extra classes at a training center or to do private lessons, which could raise a person’s wages by 50% rather easily and make those savings even greater.

To qualify for a Z visa in China, applicants must hold either a 120 hour TEFL certificate or provide a formal letter of employement, stating they have completed 2 years of full-time teaching experience.

To qualify for a subject or international school teaching position, applicants must hold a passport from a native English speaking country, a BA degree and proof of 2 years full-time teaching experience.

Yes, there are a few options to teach older students, who are at least at a middle school age.

Public schools: While most public school jobs involve teaching elementary or kindergarten students, there are some positions at middle or high schools available. Since there are fewer openings for teaching older students, it is best to apply well in advance, before these positions are filled.

Private schools: Private language centers in China have both younger and older students. It is possible to teach older students (middle and high school) as well as adults. Private language centers tend to have smaller classes and students are motivated to improve their English to qualify for studies in a native English-speaking country or their international business. Students in private schools are motivated and are eager to learn. Teaching hours can be: 9:00am-5:00pm or 1:00pm-9:00pm. Teachers are also expected to teach Saturday and Sunday, but will get two consecutive days off during the week instead.

Receiving an FBI check can take between 6-12 weeks and then it can take several weeks for it to be authenticated by the Department of State. If you choose to go with a state criminal record check and then have it authenticated by the Secretary of State in your state, the turnaround times will vary from state to state, but often take several weeks as well. For most applicants this is too long, so we recommend exediting an FBI CRC by using an FBI approved chaneller, such as Accurate Biometrics. For full instructions, go to: www.accuratebiometrics.com and ensure that you select the paper copy option. By using a channeller, you can reduce the processing time down to 1 week, plush mailing time.

The immigration office in Korea is very strict and schools prefer to work with candidates who have a clean criminal record. If your charge is minor, it might be possible to get an E2 visa, but this is decided on a case by case basis.

Your CRC can be ordered through the Criminal Records Unit at the Ministry of Justice. It is free of charge and takes a minimum of 20 working days to process. You can use the calculator on their website to get a processing estimate.

The CRC can be ordered through Ireland's National Police & Security Service. A police certificate is issued by the Superintendant in the District where the relevant applicant resides, or formerly resided, in the Republic of Ireland. You can check your district here. Processing times vary by district and can be up to 40 days.

Your CRC can be ordered through the Criminal Records Unit at the Ministry of Justice. It is free of charge and takes a minimum of 20 working days to process. You can use the calculator on their website to get a processing estimate.

We recommend ordering a DBS non-criminal record check, because is issued by Scottish authorities, is nationwide, and covers all UK citizents for £25. The turnaround times can vary, so it is best to contact the office for the most up to date information. For more information on ordering your DBS check, please click here.

Criminal record checks can be ordered through the Australian Federal Police. Application printed online will not be accepted, so be sure to order a certificate printed on secure paper. Current processing times for CRCs are currently 15 working days, but this can vary.

If your CRC is ink signed by the issuing officer, it is ready to be authenticated by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). If it is not signed, it has to be signed/verified by a notary public first. You can find a notary public here.

A photocopy of your degree must be notarized before it can be authenticated by DIA.

Download the complete guide for authenticating your documents here.

Finally, your documents are ready to be authenticated by the Chinese consulate.

Your documents must be authenticated by the Departmment of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT). For full details and instructions, please visit the website.

Make sure that your degree is notarized by a notary public (solicitor) and that your original criminal record check is either signed by the issuing authority or also notarized by a notary public. Ensure that the notary is registered with the FCO or their verification won't be accepted.

The cost for getting each documents legalized is £30 and the processing time is 2-5 business days. Review the FCO website for detailed instructions and up to date information.

Generally teachers have anywhere from 12-16 classes a week at around 40 minutes each. Sometimes schools ask for teachers to be involved in some extra activities, but that is usually not the case. Office hours are from 8:00am to 5:00pm with a two hour lunch. A lot of schools don’t require teachers to desk warm and allow them to leave after all of their classes are finished. This is not always the case though, so teachers should still come prepared to work their office hours if required. Classes will usually have 50 or more children per class. This number can sound daunting, but sound classroom management and Chinese co-teachers usually help alleviate some of the problems that crop up. However, teachers should be aware that this can present a challenge at first, but perseverance, patience, and humility will be richly rewarded.

You can get your documents authenticated by using a company such as MyChinaVisa (www.mychinavisa.com) or US Authentication (www.usauthentication.com). These companies will walk into the Department of State and the Chinese consulate/embassy on your behalf to bypass the lenghty mail-in delay. Sometimes these companies do not offer to have the Secretary of State authenticate the documents, so be sure to check their policy in your state.

Your documents must be authenticated by DFAT. Within Australia, staff at the Australian Passport Offices in capital cities are authorized by DFAT to provide authentication services. Make an appointment or send in your authentication request to the nearest passport office. Processing times can vary, so please call ahead.

Once your documents have been authenticated by DFAT, you can bring them to the nearest Chinese consulate to be authenticated, or hire a company to do this for you.

You must have at least 6 months remaining validity on your passport in order to apply for your Z visa. However, please double check with your local consulate or visa processing centre to verify this with them.

A nation-wide (RCMP, FBI, etc.) criminal record check must be submitted for the E2 visa. Check your country's E2 visa guide on our website for detailed instructions on how to order the correct criminal record check.

Wages in China have increased dramatically over the last few years, by 50 to 100%, while living costs only increased by 15 to 20%. You can expect to save around $500 month, working exclusively at your contracted school.

It is worth noting that it is much easier to work "on the side" in Korea, which can be very lucrative. Private lessons pay on average 250-300 RMB per hour, in a Tier 1 city such as Shenzhen. It is also possible to work overtime at private learning centers and earn additional pay per hour.

If your CRC is ink signed by the issuing officer, it is ready to be authenticated by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). If it is not signed, it has to be signed/verified by a notary public first. You can find a notary public here.

A photocopy of your degree must be notarized before it can be authenticated by DIA.

Download the complete guide for authenticating your documents here.

Finally, your documents are ready to be authenticated by the Chinese consulate.

This can vary even more significantly than public schools because the management style will largely depend on private ownership. With that said, most teachers have around 25 classes a week, though they also usually get higher starting pay. Private schools give less vacation time as well, but they also tend to be more malleable to personal situations or giving time off for emergencies. Unlike public schools where elementary tends to represent the greatest demand. Academies usually have a wider range of demographics. Adult and high school classes are not uncommon. Class sizes also tend to be much smaller, from 6 to 20 students. As these are usually extracurricular programs for most students, the working hours are usually from the late afternoon to evening. Late risers tend to prefer this arrangement.

For sure! This is allowed and encouraged and transfering to a new school or extending your visa at your current school is a simple process.

Teachers in China, who have at least 2 years formal teaching experience, qualify for Subject Teacher or International School jobs, which generally pay considerably more than entry-level public and private schools.

No. Documents that have been apostilled cannot be authenticated. If you are applying for a Z visa, you will need to order a new criminal record check and obtain a new notarized photocopy of your degree and get them authenticated by the Chinese consulate.

Gathering documents required for the Z visa from outside the USA isn't as complex as it may appear, it just involves extra shipping costs. You'll need someone you trust to be able to send and receive documents and to ship them to you once they have been authenticated by the Chinese embassy. We highly recommend using a third party to order your CRC (ie. www.accuratebiometrics.com) and to get your documents authenticated (www.mychinavisa.com).

The Chinese embassy in another country will not authenticate documents that have been legalized in another country.

No. Documents that have been apostilled cannot be authenticated. If you are applying for a Z visa, you will need to order a new criminal record check and obtain a new notarized photocopy of your degree and get them authenticated by the Chinese consulate.

Your Bachelor degree and your passport must both be from one of the approved English-speaking countries in order to qualify.

No. Documents that have been apostilled cannot be authenticated. If you are applying for a Z visa, you will need to order a new criminal record check and obtain a new notarized photocopy of your degree and get them authenticated by the Chinese consulate.

Your criminal record check (CRC) must be less than 6 months old when it is submitted to the Korean immigration office.

American teachers also must get their CRC's apostilled within 3 months of the issue date as this is required by the Department of State.

Also, EPIK applicants need to submit CRCs less than 6 months old from the start of the semester date, rather than the date it is submitted to the immigration office.

Gathering documetns required for the Z visa while outside the UK isn't as complex as it may appear, it just involves more shipping costs. You'll need someone that you trust to be able to send and receive the documetns and to ship them to you once they have been authenticated by the Chinese consulate/embassy.

For anyone applying from outside the UK, we recommend using a service which can handle notarization, legalization by the FCO, and authentication by the Chinese embassy.

No, the process for getting documents legalized varies for each country. For use in Korea, documents are apostilled by the Department of State, but for use in China, they are authenticated by the Chinese consulate. Documents that have already been apostilled, cannot be authenticated. You will need to order another criminal record check and obtain a new notarized photocopy of your degree. We advise applicants who are considering both countries to not go past the notarizing stage until they have accepted a contract in either country.

Public schools in China do not reimburse teachers for visa related expenses, though some private schools may do so. The reimbursements should be laid out in the contract you sign with the school.

You will be met at the airport or at an arranged meeting place in Hong Kong or Shenzhen (or another city) by staff from your school or placement company. This designated person will help you over the next few weeks with things such as finding an apartment, phone and bank account set up, medical exam and registration at the government office, etc. They will also help you learn about the daily schedule of your school and help you meet other teachers who work for the same school or company.

Though it’s not the 24 hour party culture of Seoul, Shenzhen has many bars and several clubs to go to. KTV (karaoke) is also hugely popular. Friends often get together for hot pot and then head for different bars or parties on the weekend. It’s comparable to the nightlife in most US cities (not Vegas).

Detailed instructions on how to apostille your documents (criminal record check & degree photocopy) can be found on our E2 Visa Process page. Select your country on the page to go to the detailed instructions.

Canadian teachers cannot apostille their documents as Canada is not part of the Hague agreement. Instead of the apostille, Canadian teachers must get their documents stamped by the nearest Korean consulate.

The E2 visa process depends greatly on how quickly you can send all of your documents to Korea after you accept a contract. When your documents arrive in Korea, it can take 1-3 weeks for your E2 number to be issued by the Korean immigration office. Once your E2 number is emailed to you, it can take another 2-3 weeks for the Korean consulate or embassy to issue your E2 visa. With the visa in your passport, you'll be ready to fly to Korea.

You should plan ahead and allow a mimimum of 3-6 weeks for the visa process, provided your documents are in hand and ready to send when you accept the contract. Add additional time accordingly, based on the expected time you will have your documents in hand.

Since some medications can cause false positives for illegal drugs on the medical exam, it is important to check with your physician to make sure the medication you are taking will not cause you to fail. Teachers who fail the medical exam can have their contract cancelled by the school, since they won't be approved for the residence permit.

Yes! One of the great things about traveling and working in another country is overcoming the challenge of the language barrier. Most people in Shenzhen speak Mandarin, but traveling to different provinces will reveal that even fluency in Mandarin might not help in all situations. Fear not, though—body language and preparation can solve most problems. Also, Shenzhen, as an international city, has quite a few ESL speakers, especially in important government offices or banks, so most language barrier problems will not affect important matters. It would definitely be helpful, though not necessary, to take Mandarin lessons while working in Shenzhen.

While your contract may include a clause forbidding work on the side, it is generally overlooked, as long you don't teach at another school or your private lessons interfere with your contracted school. Side work pays around 250-300 RMB per hour, so it can be pretty lucrative. Extra lessons are generally available during the evenings and on weekends, so it's easy to fit them into a public school work schedule.