What documents should I start preparing?

Hello

I've been offered a position in a uni, I'm waiting on an email back from them regarding information on what documents they're going to need to apply for the visa and copies of the contract. I'm going to Changchan, Jilin to be an English teacher / lecturer.

My nationality is British,  I am currently residing in South Korea and I am not intending to return to my home country before beginning my contract in September.

Thanks for any advice.

You may know this already, but its really important. probably the most important thing in the whole process.

In order to get your visa to enter china (a Z visa) you will need an invitation letter. (actually 2 documents; a permit for foreign experts and a confirmation letter of invitation).  This letter will state in which country you will apply for the visa. It will cost the uni quite a bit of money to get this letter, so it must state that you are getting the visa in Korea. You should make sure that the Uni understand this, right at the start. if they get the letter done saying that you're getting your visa in the UK, they probably won't change it, and you'll have to go back to Blighty.

I suggest that you tell the Uni in writing and ask them to confirm in writing in their reply that the invitation letter will state Korea.

The documents you'll need vary, and might include criminal checks and a medical check.

The definites will be a scan of your passport and certificates.  You may need your original certificates once you're in China (for the residence permit).

The Uni will probably be hurrying the paperwork along now, because the invitation letter (and PFE) may take about 3 weeks for them to get.

Let's hope they won't need the criminal and health checks, because if they do, that would probably be in order to get the letters (and not at the getting the visa stage).

Oh dear, I've no idea whether they understand this ....

I've emailed him and he hasn't responded to my questions to my questions regarding what materials I need to prepare. Ive also been speaking to someone re the offer and it seems likely I don't have all the items I need to get a full idea of what I'm getting into. The contract is quiye short so she thinks there will be a appendices so I've requested that too. On the contract they mention 8 hours, 90 mins sessions but no mention of overtime etc and heating / ac havent been mentioned either. I'm quite worried : (

I don't think there are any appendices. the contract you've posted seems to have everything one would expect, and to be missing the stupid things that you would fear.

If there's no agreed overtime rate, that's a plus. You can negotiate your own on a student by student basis, or find your own students. Overtime rates in contracts tend to be something ridiculous like Y80 an hour, whereas you could charge Y200+ an hour.

If the Unis in the north, the heating will be probably be automatically on half the year and off the other. In it's in the south, there's probably no heating.

There's really nothing missing. You just need to get clarification on the residence permit thing. Its a pain in the arse if they're going to expect you to pay for it.

Are they going to pay for the medical (in China). That would be about another Y400, and you'll need it for the residence permit.

Basically though, there's no problems with the contract. Its all about the relationship with the employer, and FAO in particular, anyway.

I used to be a contract manager, and the only problem I've ever had with a contract was solved fairly easily by me and another foreign teacher (deliberately) taking diametrically opposite interpretations of a contract clause, at which point the employer resolved the problem to our satisfaction. Honestly, the shorter and simpler a contract, the less opportunity there is for abuse.

The one potential hazard is the probation period. This is almost certainly nothing to worry about. The Uni is giving you a job 'sight unseen' and I guess they want protection in case you're an absolute freaking nightmare. You would have to be an AFN to lose your job, because if you're simply a poor teacher with a difficult personality, that is the norm for China.

However, assuming that you're a good teacher, there are some things which, if they apply to you, you should keep quiet for the first 3 months. (Including most definitely in any replies on this thread).

Sexuality - if you're gay, then you should probably not go out of your way to tell everybody for the first 3 months. Just in case.

Disability- if you have anything, including depression or any other kind of mental illness. China's mostly cool with people being gay. Disability; hell no. Staggeringly ignorant in fact.

Drinking - One of our members was ill the other day, but everyone ignored her because they assumed she was drunk. When you go into a shop, they will hazard a guess that you want beer. They think we're all alcoholics. Probably best to be cautious about being seen buying alcohol for the first 3 months, or resting in a drunken-like manner in public. (At my last Uni a teacher was seen with a bottle of wine in his shopping bag, and as the DOS I was asked if he was an alcoholic).

Tattoos - Not many Chinese people have tattoos.

Best not to give any fuel to the Uni's wild prejudices for the first 3 months, just in case.

This university is in the north, Jilin to be exact and I'm told it's very cold - around -10 to -25 apparently so I want to KNOW that heating is covered to some extent.

In an email the HR Manager said that they will cover 2, 100 RMB for successful applicants for the work (z) visa, 399 yaun for the health cheack and also residence permit from the police 400 yaun. He did state that this was new thing in his email. The contract actually states "The employee should take care of his  / her own residence permit and its related paperwork and bear full responsibility in case of overdue."

Furthermore, a few other issues I'm concerned about:

1. The contract mentions "pre-tax" salary - what rate of tax is applicable to me?

2. The contract states 'Give after-class coaching patiently and correct students' assignments and in time"   is this standard or something that should be covered in overtime - I don't want to be available 24 / 7 for after-class coaching, as part of the 7000 rmb deal.

3. The contract states "when asking for sick / businees leave, the employee should provide relevant documents and ask in written for from his / her working department .... Seriously, what happens if I'm sick, do I need to ask for permission?!?

4. The contract says "with a doctors certificate salary will be paid as normal if the duration is less than 30 days" is a doctors certificate difficult to come by, in China?

5. "If the employee is absent from his / her post without the employers written consent, a deduction of 3 days salary will be made for each absent day (!!!!) the employer has the final say to terminate the contract and the employee is responsible for the violation of the contract.    Like wtf - is this standard too?

6. Employer wopuld provide round trip international flight reinbursement of upto 8, 000 rmb or 80% as ticket subsidy (pr-tax). The above mentioned welfare is only to be provided when the whole year contract is fulfilled and can only be claimed within the validity of the contract. If not claimed with the contract valid time, the employee gives it up"

Again this sounds a little dodgy, like it would be in their interests to find issues with me and sack me before the end of the contract...

7. Vacation salary - how much is this likely to be? How is this calculated?

8. "employee shall not conduct religious activities incompatible with the status of expert" Whta is meant by this?

9. And finally, "When either of the two parties fails to fulfill the contract or to fulfill the contract obligations according to the terms stipulated, that is break the contract, it must pay a breach penalty of US $1000 (or the equivalent in RMB).

I emailed the HR Manager yesterday and asked for a list of materials I should start preparing and aslso again last night to ask some more questions I wanted to query and so far I've heard nothing back : (

MH,

I agree with everything 'Mr. Ben' says here and in you Contract Zone thread; except, I'd be extremely surprised if there wasn't an Appendix.

The devil is in the details ... and the details are in the Appendix.
 

Changchun is a great city, enjoy your time there! My first job in China was there in 2006. I spent a little over a year there and still miss the place