Teach English in Thailand or China
Your Visa
Please select the destination you are interested in below to read
more about your Visa requirements.
Thailand
Entry Visa
All participants must apply for a Non-Immigrant Type ‘B’ visa before
departure. The Royal Thai Embassy has a standard application form for all types
of visas. Australian participants can obtain this form from us. The form must
be completed and submitted to the Embassy along with the passport, 2 passport
photos, the letter of employment sent by your school and the correct visa fee
in cash or postal order. It usually takes 48 hours to obtain the visa. When
your passport with visa is returned, please CHECK carefully
that all the visa details are correct. Errors cannot be corrected once you
have arrived in Thailand and further applications are time-consuming and expensive.
The Non-Immigrant Type ‘B’ visa issued by the Thai Embassy is
valid for 1 year but permits an initial stay of three months. Your passport
will be stamped upon arrival at immigration at the airport.
Teacher’s Certificate, Work Permit and Visa Extension
After arrival at your school you must apply for a teacher’s certificate,
work permit and a visa extension to cover your employment period. You will be
given work permit application forms during the orientation in Bangkok. Your
school co-ordinator will help you with all the necessary bureaucratic procedures.
You must supply your school with the following documents:
- work permit application form (provided at orientation in Bangkok).
- passport + 2 signed copies of the identity page.
- original degree or teaching certificate + 2 signed copies.
- original university transcripts.
- medical report (this is arranged by the school).
- 6 passport photos 2” x 3” (these can be obtained in Thailand,
usually during the orientation).
- 6 passport photos 2 ½” x 3 ½”
(these can be obtained in Thailand, usually during the orientation).
After the work permit and teaching certificate are obtained, your documents
will be forwarded to the immigration authorities for the extension of your visa
to cover the period of your employment. Your school will be responsible for
all this but you should check with your co-ordinator regularly to keep track
of the procedure.
Please remember that you will be without your passport during this procedure
which can take a month or longer so you will not be able to travel outside Thailand
during this time. You should also exchange enough money or cash travellers cheques
before you submit all your documents so that you are not inconvenienced when
you are without your passport.
When this process is complete you will be required to report to the immigration
office every 90 days to confirm that you still have the same job and are living
at the same place. Your school co-ordinator will be able to assist you. It
is your responsibility to report to the immigration authorities.
China
All participants on the program must have a Chinese
“Z” or “F” visa stamped in their passport before they
can enter China. The “Z” visa is a special entry visa which will
allow you to apply for a residency permit once you arrive at your host institution
in China. Changing regulations mean that some participants may receive an “F” visa,
especially if you are doing a 5 month program. In most cases you CANNOT enter
China on a tourist visa if you wish to obtain a residency permit and undertake
employment. See below.
Processing
We will assist you with processing your Chinese visa.
Note: Recently there have been many significant changes in
the regulation of foreign workers in China; a new Chinese government agency
is now responsible for issuing the necessary documents (invitation letters,
see below) to apply for a working visa to China. Securing these documents is
a multi-step process that used to be organized at the local level, but is now
done at the national level with a different agency. China is changing rapidly,
almost on a daily basis, and it is rarely smooth or efficient. It’s one
of the things that make living there so exciting right now, but it requires
a great deal of patience, acceptance, and improvisational skills. This is one
reason why we stipulate that you should not plan to depart home more
than a few days prior to the program arrival date, or have any other need for
your passport between January 2 and departure.
Invitation Letters
Official invitation letters are needed to apply for the “Z” or “F” visa.
The letters are issued by the provincial authorities and the State Administration
for Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA). Our partner in China arranges for the letters
to be issued and mails them directly to us.
Residency Card
What is a residency card?
A residency card will be issued to you by the Public Security Bureau upon your
arrival at your host institution. Details will be explained at the orientation
in Shanghai. Your host institution will assist you in obtaining your residency
card. Your residency card is not the same as a Foreign Expert Card that is
issued to some foreign teachers; these teachers still need a residency card.
Validity
The residency card will be valid for the duration of your contract with the
host institution. Usually you will be allowed to remain in China for up to
30 days following the end of your contract. When exiting China, you will have
to surrender your residency card to the border authorities.
Work Status
Your residency card will allow you to work for your host institution only.
Undertaking any other employment would be illegal, unless you have permission
from your host institution to do so.
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