Whilst many people do teach on an F visa, it is not legal. To be legal you need a Z visa and an experts certificate.

That said, I don't know of anyone who has ever had a problem because of working on an F visa. However, usually they can only be renewed 3 times in a row.

If the school can't get you a z visa, then likely it isn't allowed to employ you either, which leads to a higher chance of them ripping you off or otherwise being a dodgy outfit.

Be careful!

> Interesting topic. I've actually been offered a job in Huludao next
> semister to teach english. I won't mention any names of the school,
> for the sake of being civil, and for privacy reasons. However, it
> seems that most laws in china are bent with a little extra money.
> I've been told that i can work with a business visa (F-visa), but
> it's only good for 8 months.
> I've heard a lot of people say it's for short term business trips.
> Which the Embasy's website says so also. I'm just curious what the
> fuss is all about. If it's for business purposes, and the school
> writes you the invitation letter, it would seem legal, at least for
> the duration of the visa's validity.
> From what i've noticed though, most schools can get a z visa, but you
> can only get it if you have a bachelors degree or higher.