The Process and Formalities for Employing Foreign Teachers Already Working in China

1. When an employer needs to employ a foreign teacher already working in China, he can get information about the foreign teacher from his or her former employer, so as to decide whether to employ or not. Based on comments and advice provided by his or her employer, the foreign affairs department may issue the standardized Reference Letter for Foreign Cultural and Educational Experts (hereinafter referred to as the Reference Letter) required by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. The Reference Letter must bear the new employer's letterhead, and reference without letterhead will not be accepted lest the foreign experts should work in several places at the same time.

2. No employer shall reject issuing Reference Letter to foreign experts who are friendly and fairly efficient on the job but have some common defects.

3. As for those unfriendly foreign experts who have violated the laws or regulations of China, behaved obscenely, or spread religion purposefully, and those who are too old or too sick to work regularly or have flagrantly violated working disciplines or neglected their duties, the former employers shall report the situation to the higher responsible departments and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs rather than issue Reference Letter for them, so that all the employers in China will be informed of their performance and new loss will be avoided.

4. For those foreigners who have not committed any offences but are difficult to work with, former employers can issue a certificate with only the length of their service but no other comments.

5. The employer shall not employ foreigners without the standardized Reference Letter, and the superior administrative departments shall not approve the employment without it.

6. The employer shall employ foreign experts who can bring in new knowledge, new information, and new science and technology rather than those who have already worked in China for five years.

Source: english.gz.gov.cn

Editor: Jessie Hwang