Part I. Before Arrival
Whether you book the flight ticket directly or you let your school know your date and they book it for you really depends on each host school’s international staff policy. Please make sure you inform ISAC and your host school about your itinerary before flying to China. So that we can arrange staff to pick you up at the airport.
(Tips: Book a flight ticket only when you have already obtained or you know a date of issuance of your work permit. We have seen cases where teachers book much in advance and their visa are yet to be issued. They have to re-schedule their flights.)
Prepare at least 4 passport sized photos with you. Your host school will use them to apply for your Health certificate (2 pictures) , and Foreigner’s Residence Permit (2 pictures). If you have family members to travel with you, preare at least 4 of their passport sized photos as well.
Part II. After Arrival
What to do within 24 hours
1. Residence Registration
After arriving in China, you will have a Chinese staff that help you sort out the documents you need to apply. The first thing to do is to do Residence Registration. Please go to the International Office with your and your accompanying family members’ passports to get your Residence Registration within 24 hours after your arrival at our school.
What to do within a week
1. Health Certificate (including your accompanying family members and they need to pay for themselves)
During your first week, you need to go to the Entry-Exit Inspection (出入境检验检疫局) of your city to do a medical examination and get a health certificate about 3-5 days later. It may be organized by the International office or your co-teacher will accompany you there. Go there in the morning without having breakfast and please don’t forget to bring your original passport and 2 passport-size photos with you. If you have accompanying family members, they also need to do the medical examination. Currently the health exam costs about 400-500 RMB for each person and your school may or may not cover that fare. If they do, you will have that amount reimbursed, so keep your receipt. If you have family members, they also need to get the certificate and they need to pay for themselves.
2. Health Insurance and Accident Injuries Insurance
During your first week at your school, the International Office will buy Health Insurance and accident injuries insurance for you. You only need to provide your passport information. The accompanying family members will have to buy the insurance by themselves, the insurance fee is about RMB 1200 to RMB 1500 for each person per year. If you have? accompanying family members, they also need to submit the necessary documents.
3. Foreign Experts’ Certificate
As soon as you get your health certificate, we will help you to apply for a Foreign Experts’ Certificate from the Jiangxi Provincial Administration Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs in Nanchang. Please give the following documents to the International office in the designated time:
- Original Passport
- Original Health Certificate
- Formal Contract (please go to the International office to sign it)
- Original Certificate of Work Experience or CELTA/TESOL/TEFL
- Original Certificate of no criminal record and local Certificate of no criminal record if you have worked in China before
- Health Insurance and accident injuries insurance
- Relevant certificates of accompanying families
The International office will help you to apply for the Foreign Experts’ Certificate and it takes at least one week to collect it from the authority.
4. Residence Permit for Foreigner
Within 30 days after your entry to China, you need to apply for a Residence Permit to the Municipal Exit & Entry Administration Bureau. Please give the following documents to the International office in the designated time:
- Original Passport and one photocopy of it
- Photocopy of Health Certificate2 photos(2-inch size, colored, no hat)
- Foreign Expert s’ Certificate and one photocopy of it
The International office will help you to apply for the Residence Permit and it takes at least 15 working days to get it back from the Exit & Entry Bureau. The International Office will pay for the application fee for you, but your accompanying family members will have to pay buy themselves.
The above documents are very important for your legal stay in China and they are only valid for at most one year. So if you renew your contract with your host school in the next academic year, you need to extend them before they expire. Please bring your (and your family members’) passport (with the Residence Permit), Foreign Experts Certificate, Health Certificate and 4 photos to the International office at least two months earlier than the expiration date. They will help you to apply for extension on a yearly basis. Sometimes the government may require a new valid Health Certificate and health insurance, and in that case you need to do the medical examination again.
5. Banking Card and Campus Card
- Open a bank account in a bank which your school recommend you to bank with. Take your passport and provide the card to the international office. They will transfer your salary to this account.
- Go to the Campus E-card Office to get your campus card, which you can use to buy meals on school Canteen and use in campus stores.
