Editor’s note: Special thanks to our friends at TravelBud for tipping us on this unfortunate trend for ESL teachers getting scammed by being told they can work legally in China on a student, rather than a Z, visa. TravelBud offers paid teaching programs in China and other Asian countries.
Maybe some of you out there studied Chinese or Chinese culture in college. You’re fed up of pinning pics on your dedicated China board and you’re itching to go to the source to check it out yourself. You start skimming the thousands of job opportunities online to teach English in China. However, if you’re not careful enough, you could end up a statistic: another victim of teach in China scams.
Don’t let a bad company scam you and squash your dreams of teaching in China!
China is hot stuff these days in the global ESL industry. It offers several opportunities for native English speakers to travel and teach English. However, on the flipside, there are also people out there profiting from fresh meat who would do anything to get a job there. The scams are numerous including TEFL certification scams, online job offer scams, and teach abroad scams.
FAQs on teach in China scams
By now you’re probably thinking, how do I avoid visa scams for teaching abroad in China? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are some FAQs on teach in China scams.
What’s going on with ESL teachers in China?
If China’s on your wish list, beware. You should know that 51 South African youths are presently stranded in China because of a teach abroad scam. All of them were victimized by a recruitment agency and are now under criminal investigation in the country. They are living the perfect ESL nightmare: stranded with no work permits, confiscated passports, and no money to get home.
What do the scams look like?
Teach in China scams have a lot of things in common. First, the company may reach out to you via social media even if you haven’t sought them out first. They may seem too eager to hire you, even before having a video interview or asking for your resume or references. They may offer you an eye-popping salary/perks in spite of your lack of a bachelor’s degree, TEFL certificate, teaching qualifications, or teaching experience.
You may be asked to fork out ridiculous placement fees upfront to “cover costs” you have no idea about. They may ask you to enter China on a tourist or student visa, promising to get you the proper work visa after you arrive. Or, when you land, they escort you to a less than livable apartment or room you have to share with other ESL teacher hopefuls.
You may also notice suspicious things. For instance, they start you off in one school then shift you to another and another without proper reason or cause. You may be offered an ESL “contract” with vague terms. Worst of all, you may arrive in China and realize that there is no actual job or salary waiting for you.
Scams can come in all shapes & sizes—from online job offer scams to TEFL certification scams and beyond.
They might also tell you that you’re paid “under the table” or will hire you when you’re not on a proper work, or Z, visa. Keep in mind that even if “your friends are doing it,” you’re at risk of deportation (and no security for faulty pay or companies mysteriously disappearing) if you’re working on a Tourist, Student, or Internship visa while in China.
What happens if I get caught?
If you don’t have a valid work visa to teach in China, you have no legal right to be there and can be fined, imprisoned, deported, or worse yet, banned from traveling to China and by extension, other countries, because of your deportation record.
That’s quite the risk you run for not following the proper channels to work in China legally!
Is teaching English abroad “under the table” good advice?
Teaching English abroad “under the table” is when you’re paid cash for your services. There is no legal contract between you and your employer. Also, because you don’t pay any taxes, you don’t have any access to benefits such as national health insurance.
Working under the table is never a good idea because of the consequences if you’re found out. Anyone working in a country with a tourist visa/without a legal work visa is breaking the law. If you get caught red handed, it could squash your ESL career for good.
Yes, this is common practice across China—especially at smaller schools or if you are working as a tutor one-on-one. But if you’re going to involve yourself in these illegal practices, please be aware that your safety net is non-existent.
Working under the table might get you cash fast, but it comes with a great risk.
What are signs to look out for?
Here are some other tell-tale signs that it’s a teach in China scam:
- Are they asking for sensitive personal details like your social security number before you get there?
- Does the email address look weird (e.g. ending in a generic domain name like @gmail.com)?
- Are their emails and other correspondence littered with spelling and grammar mistakes? It wouldn’t be wise to teach English with a school/company that doesn’t practice what it preaches.
- Do they have a permanent physical address? A P.O. box address is a major red flag.
- Are they reluctant to answer your questions or put you on to people who work or have worked for the company/school?
Does this happen to ESL teachers working in places besides China?
TEFL certification scams, online job offer scams, and teach abroad scams aren’t just limited to China. They exist everywhere, even in developed countries with established ESL markets. That said, it really pays to do your research if you’re thinking of up-ending your entire life to work and live overseas.
Because your English skills are in high demand, there’s a risk of experiencing teach abroad scams anywhere in the world.
How do you avoid falling victim to these scams? Research, research, research! Don’t just rely on gimmicky websites and splashy feel-good ads that tug at your heartstrings. Peek underneath the surface. Read unbiased reviews. Talk to real, live, breathing humans who’ve worked for or are currently employed by the schools/companies you’re interested in. Ask the hard questions. If the answers are vague or non-existent, you know what to do. On to the next one!
9 reputable companies with teaching jobs in China
Now that you’ve got a handle on what to look for regarding teach in China scams, here are some reputable program providers you should check out if you still want to work in the land of the red dragon.
1. TravelBud
If you’re new to TEFL or a licensed teacher with loads of experience, TravelBud can get you placed at great jobs across mainland China. TravelBud promises to match your qualifications, subject knowledge, and interests with the right school.
Teach at private English language schools for kids or adults, preschools, kindergartens, public schools, international schools, and universities. This program provider also lets you choose between high paying jobs to save cash or pay off debts back home or low hour contracts that allow you to explore the country at your own pace.
- More info: Read TravelBud reviews
2. i-to-i TEFL
Teach in ESL hotspots like Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Teach at vetted schools including kindergartens, public schools, private schools, universities, and more. Teach young learners, teenagers, or adults. There are also many options to teach English online to Chinese students.
I-to-i TEFL also offers a Teach in China internship where you can spend 5 months teaching English in the country with TEFL training, accommodation, and a monthly spending allowance. In your free time, explore the vast country or learn Mandarin!
- More info: Read i-to-i TEFL reviews
EF employs over 2,000 teachers across China and you can be one of them! Teach at any of their schools (for kids and teens or for adults) or conduct online classes. There’s also a job rotation program that allows you to explore all of China!
All positions are visa-sponsored, full-time, and with great benefits that sometimes include paid flights. EF also offers free Chinese language classes. It’s also an official partner for language training services for the Tokyo Olympic Games so you can be assured it’s a professional organization.
- More info: Read EF reviews
4. International TEFL Academy (ITA)
ITA gives you the chance to teach in China, a country of more than 1.3 billion with an estimate 400 million English learners. Teach in top destinations like Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou to name a few. Prep for your China adventure with ITA’s online TEFL class before you go.
Schools hire year round. You can find yourself teaching at public schools (from elementary to high school), private language academies (all ages), or corporate training facilities (adults). Salaries are usually high in this part of Asia and some employers will even provide free flights and subsidized accommodation.
- More info: Read ITA reviews
5. GeoVisions
GeoVisions offers positions in local Chinese schools that pay between US $900-$1800 per month. This is more than enough to live comfortably and sock away cash for travel or debt repayment. The provider also offers furnished housing and airfare reimbursement depending on how long you stay in the job.
Program fees start at US$350. To be eligible for its programs, you must be a native English speaker from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, or the US and you need a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
- More info: Read GeoVisions reviews
6. Ameson Year in China (AYC)
If you’ve just graduated from university, become an Educational Ambassador with AYC. It’s administered by the Ameson Foundation, a non-profit NGO committed to cultural and educational exchange. Spend a year teaching, learning, and making a tangible difference in public schools across China.
In a typical week, you will spend 20 hours teaching and 10 hours in the office or supporting student activities. Use the rest of your time to learn the language, explore the country, or get involved in the local community. AYC will sponsor your visa, train you, pay you around US$900 a month, and more. There are also no program fees!
- More info: Read AYC reviews
7. Premier TEFL
Premier TEFL lets you take part in a government-sponsored cultural exchange program to teach in China for 15 hours per week. The four-month long placement includes visa sponsorship, living allowance, meals, completion bonus, free accommodation, and Mandarin lessons.
Teach in Guangyuan, Nanchong, Bazhong, Dazhou, Ya’an, Deyang, and more. To apply, you must be a fluent English speaker with a degree and some teaching experience. However, non-native English speakers can also apply.
- More info: Read Premier TEFL reviews
8. Aupairia
Live with a family in Beijing for three to 12 months (you decide how long). Perks include free round trip flights, food, and accommodation. In exchange, you’re expected to tutor your host family’s kids for 30 hours per week.
In addition, you will get over 40 hours of free Mandarin lesson for each three months you stay. If you stay even longer (6-12 months), Aupairia will throw in a three-day/ two-night tour of Xi’an as a reward! The application process usually takes within 8-12 weeks.
- More info: Read Aupairia reviews
9. Top Notch ESL
If you’re a native speaker from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland, take advantage of this opportunity to teach kids in Beijing! This is a one-year contract where you will teach English to students between the ages of 2 and 12.
A typical work week includes 35 hours of teaching time and office duties. You’ll also have a Chinese assistant so don’t worry too much about the language barrier. The job includes a great salary, free apartment/living allowance, paid holidays, and time off.
- More info: Read Top Notch ESL reviews
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Don’t get scammed as an ESL teacher in China—or anywhere
Getting scammed as a teacher in China doesn’t have to be YOUR story.
After reading all the above, you’re probably a little worried about even attempting to teach abroad in China. We don’t want to frighten you. We just want you to be well informed because making a life-changing decision to move house and set up shop in China is a big deal.
Follow these guidelines and you can avoid visa scams for teaching abroad in China or anywhere else in the world. Most importantly, use your noggin. Exercise that common sense and always remember, if something is too good to be true, it probably is.
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