http://www.safea.gov.cn/english/Ha ha,
Yes the Red book is now officially the Blue book. I was totally unaware that there was a green book for teachers too!.
I know they use to issue a green book that was actually your Residents Permit but that has been replaced with a sticker in your passport now.
If the school you intend to work for is not SAFEA licenced to employ foreigners there is another route that bypasses the whole, Z visa - Medical Check - Foreign Experts Certificate - Residence Permit route. That is to get an "Alien Employment License" issued by the labour ministry as apposed to the Experts cert that is issued by SAFEA. This by all accounts is a laminated card!
Foreign Expert Certificate consists of two types: economy and culture/education.To get a ' Blue Book' this is the official line;-
Foreign Expert Certificate (Economy) is issued to foreign experts employed in industrial or commercial enterprises or institutions, who work in the fields of economy, technology, management and training; while Foreign Expert Certificate (Culture/Education) is for those employed in that of education, media, publication, culture, art, hygiene and sports.
Application for the Foreign Expert Certificate shall be submitted by the host organization of the foreign expert to the corresponding supervising government departments. The organization intending to employ a foreign expert is allowed to do so only after having observed the related regulations, having met the employment qualifications and having been authorized by the State Foreign Expert Bureau.
Procedures and Requirements
The host organization should apply to the Foreign Affairs Office for the Foreign Expert Certificate after being approved by the corresponding supervising government agency or district/county foreign affairs office.
The following items should be provided: Application of the host organization; Contract of employment, appointment decision of the Board of Directors or letter of appointment; Resume of the foreign expert; Certificates of education and employment qualifications of the expert; Copies of data pages of the expert?ˉs passport and employment visa; Duly-completed Foreign Expert Certificate Application Form; Two 2-inch recent photographs; Letter of Approval by the Municipal Education Commission or related supervising agencies; Health Certificate for experts.
Then it's the Residence Permit....
Foreign experts are teachers who hold advanced degrees and have received an “Expert Certificate” from the National Expert Bureau of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Expert Resident Permit should be obtained from the teacher’s local Public Security Bureau with the help of the employer. The Foreign Expert Resident Permit requires the following documents.
- Valid passport and visa;
- Originals and copies of “Expert Certificate” issued by the National Expert Bureau of Foreign Affairs Office of the Municipal Government;
- Original “Health Certification” submitted by Beijing Exit & Entry Inspection & Quarantine Bureau;
-Two recent, two-inch, bareheaded, full-faced photos (either black and white or in color);
The official seal of the unit (their employer) on a filled-out “Application Form for Visa, Residence Permit,” along with one recent, two inch, bareheaded, full-faced photo.
This all sounds very official to me and is a long way away from my own experience.
I had to supply ;-
My original degree certificate in Engineering,
A full CV
2 letters of recommendation ( previous employers or friends is OK)
My teaching certificate (any one is good and is why any prospective teach should do a course as without it----No experts cert!!!)
'Proof' that I had been teaching sometime in the past 2 years ( get creative here! Volunteer work in your home country is good!)
Pictures.
The good news is the school will do all this for you and 'help you' to complete the application form correctly. It really is not as hard as it sounds! Every school that has a licence to employ foreigners has a guy/woman who's job it is to get you/school all the paperwork you require. They have contacts in the relevant office's to help them do this.
On a side note yesterday evening was our official end of year dinner for the teaching staff. Great food, good company and lots of toasting! My abiding memory of the evening was the Dean of the University opening bottles of beer with his teeth!
