Five illegal foreign teachers were tracked down by the Nanhai branch of the Foshan Public Security Bureau at an English training agency inside a mall near Qiandeng Lake on July 24. The five people, respectively from African, Eastern and Southern European countries, are all without work permits and work visas.

The teachers were fined 5,000 yuan each and their Chinese visas were canceled and the training agency was fined 50,000 yuan. The case is still under investigation.

[PhotoFoshan Public Security Bureau]

Speaking fluent English has increasingly become a compulsory task for Chinese students. Most parents are more than willing to pay higher prices for foreign English teachers, hoping their children could speak more fluently. However, the profile of teachers and the quality of their classes need to be more carefully inspected and guaranteed.

According to statistics from the State Administration of Foreign Expats Affairs, the number of expats working in China’s education sector reached 400,000 in 2017, but only one third of them are working with legal documents.

How to be a legal foreign teacher in China?

According to Chinese national law, a legal foreign teacher has to meet the following requirements:

1.Age over 18 and in good health condition

2. No criminal record

3. Holding a valid passport or other international travel document with the same validity

4. Holding a bachelor’s degree or above with two years of work experience (those with a bachelor’s degree or above in a teaching or language-related field, or a TEFL certificate are exempt from the requirement on work experience)

5. Teaching one’s native language in a country where the primary language is the native language

6. Employed by a company or institution in China

7. Holding a valid work permit and resident permit

Author:Jasmine

Editor:Olivia, Chris