Mike, you don't have to provide the name of your employer. It's better, for many reasons, if you don't.

I just arrived in China several days ago. Yes, I used International Teaching Advantage; I think they're reputable. But let me explain what they DON'T tell you: it's not about them, it's about the conditions where you teach--and I'm at a good university setting.

The students are great; they're eager to learn and very happy to see me. But there's virtually NO back-up once you arrive. (Well, there IS someone here in the teacher complex, but he's physically limited in what he can do because of mobility)--and that includes understanding everything from how to manage your living quarters (an apartment is provided, but I now find out I have to pay for heat and hot water--and watch out if you don't know how to operate the controls on a thermostat!). My "mentor" teacher is a great guy; he's loaned me money until the next paycheck so that I can keep the heat going and also get groceries. After flying for two days, I was told "class starts tomorrow," and I was just about thrown to the wolves in order to get it done.

It's not the company, like I said. I have spoken at length with their rep and I believe what they are offering. It's the CIRCUMSTANCES of the host country that have me absolutely floored. That's the toughest part to adjust to, along with the bare minimum of follow-up. THAT is what I will miss the most over the months ahead on this assignment: it's as though I was expected in advance to know information that needs a second set of eyes and a voice to explain what and how to do the basic daily things that count.

Hi John and everyone on this thread,

The previous post was not me as someone used my name to provide you with that information. Although, I am enjoying myself like you said there are a few problems I've had here as well. To be honest with you, I had no idea about anything about China and if I were to do it again; I probably would have done more research that is not an excuse haha. I would be happy to email you and talk about this further. I am currently in Yantai, China and I do like it here. I would say ITA is a start to get you here and it did provide a school, room, board and decent amount of money for China. I have made a lot of friends and grabbed a lot of opportunities that would make me work less than 20 hours a week for the next semester. I would say this program is good if you really don't know anything about China's dealing and business. Like I said, I would probably move on to another company after my term ends since I was able to get certification and met people who do want to learn English from me. I think everyone has a decision and a leap of faith to take and I didn't do enough research but nevertheless ITA did come through for me. But whoever pretended to me, I truly did not appreciate it if I was asked to be on this thread I would have done this myself.

Patrick

My name is Patrick and I clearly did not write this message. I just wanted everyone to know that and although what is said here is true, I do not like the fact that my name was used in this without my permission. Please delete the post as I clearly did not write it.

Hi, I see that many people are saying a recruiter is unnecessary. I know the alternative has probably already been put here by someone, but I don't have time to look through all the posts. Can someone tell me how to find a decent job teaching English at a university in China without using a paid recruiter? I live in America.

Errrmmm.. No. If I was subject to such discrimination as an Asian American, I’d tell them where to stick their job. Why accept that shit, when you can get treated better back home?

You are not, and you aren't, and would he? Maybe some Asian Americans are driven by a need to work in the country of origin. Sometimes profound and meaningful reasons can persuade us all that some humiliation must be endured to achieve something you really want. $350 dollars to an agency might have been a small price for him to pay to 'come home.'

You sir, are an idiot.

He's probably not an idiot but he has informed us that he's an Asian American. The idea of having to pay to get a job in China does seem abhorrent to me as a white man, and am tempted to say that you should never do that, but I'm sorry to say that life's decisions are not black&white for all of us. You should try and look for a job in China teaching English as as Asian American, and if you want something fairly acceptable 'and he's told us the position is' any time soon you may well have to pay to get it. We should be a little more sympathetic and try and put ourselves in others' shoes.

Hi Everyone,

I have seen this blog long ago and I was first skeptical about the ITA as well. Definitely, things did seem strange to me about the whole paying $325 and having them find a school for you. But, to be honest for me it all worked out in the end and I am currently teaching at Yantai University through this program called EIE/WECL. China is definitely a different place in the world even though they are on par with the superpowers in the world. I gave the ITA the benefit of the doubt and they really came through for me, this program is great to use only if you have no idea who to help you or no guidance through finding a teaching job in China. There are a lot of scams out here in China and companies that work you like dogs. ITA finds a company best suited to what they stand for such as 20 hours a week and free time. They have definitely came through for me as I do teach 20 hours a week and 2 hours of English corner every Tuesday night depending on the schedule of the program. Unfortunately, since I am Asian American I was not able to teach in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai which are definitely more fun and lively. But, I am happy where I am placed in Yantai and I am having a blast with all my students as well. Feel free to email me and I will gladly show you some pictures of my adventures so far. Will talk to you all soon, please stop bashing on this program as it did help me and I hope people can use it as well if they have no guidance or idea what programs to use for teaching.

Are you Ryan that worked for Cici in Changchun? Its amazing how all these posts about that school are negative, and all from independent people....who knows, maybe its a conspiracy? Nice try Ryan, but I think all these posts about that school speak for themselves, and there is no smoke without fire being involved.

i had a very positive and professional experience with international teaching advantage - who helped me and supported me throughout my entire teaching experience in Shaoxing, China at Yuexiu Univ

call me if you want details of their very good service and support Tom Payne 317-924-3132 the contact person i worked with was Keith Kincaid or something like that - tom payne

I have read through the thread and everyone that has used International Teaching Advantage is happy with the service. I also see that they have been operational for over 6 years with no complaints with the BBB. When I was in college I paid over $1000 a class. I paid more for my books that this service charges for their help. My friend who has taught in China for three years showed me the a contract that ITA got for him and it is better than any contracts that I have been offered on my own. When I contact a school personally the school is asking that I teach way too many hours a week. My friend only taught 16 hours a week and said he loved his job

I had a really great experience with ITA. It's true they charge a fee, but it was worth it for me because it was my first time teaching in China and I needed the guidance. Anyway, it's relatively cheap and you don't have to pay until they get you a contract. They were honest with me and I trust them.

Hey I used ITA from 2009-2010. I had similar feelings towards the company and if it wasn't for the time they spent with me on the phone to set everything up I would have never gone. Since i have recommended everybody I know who wants to see the world to go through this company. They were even nice enough to contact the college I was working for after a small misunderstanding and fight on my behalf. I STRONGLY support this company.
If you have any other questions feel free to contact me on FB (Christopher Opey Kent).

I had a very very positive experience with international teaching advantage and their contact in Michigan, - Keith oops can't remember his last name but he was great and everything went well and positive from beginning to end with him helping me secure a teaching position there from mar, 2011 to june 2011 at the yuexiu univ of foreign languages in shaoxing china

call me or email me if u need further info tom payne 317-924-3132 pontiffp57@aol.com

Parasites- don't have anything to do with them; you don't pay for a job in China; you don't pay for a job anywhere. I have a lot of time for self-employed recruiters who get a one-off fee from your future employer; I believe they work hard for their money-often students and the like..as long as I am not stupid enough to part with any cash, they are welcome to a slice of the cake.

Judy - I don't really understand the problem...

ITA has told you that, for $325, they ONLY contact the BEST schools in China, where your heritage would have NO relevance at all... So, presuming you've got the qualifications, they should already have the school ready for you!

(/sarcasm)

Good luck, but it does happen! Go for university positions, not private schools - they're less likely to have face issues (pun intended!). And, FTR, I've known a few CBA's working at universities, so you should be fine! :)

In China there is breaking the rules, and then there is guanxi.

Exactly! You can't assume that there is one rule for visas in China and that everyone, everywhere is following it. Nothing in this country works like that!

Hoooooo-ly Cats!!!!!

Turnoi, it is foolish to NOT debate with these people. ;-{)

These nice folks not only want to perform totally unnecessary recruiting functions for you, THEY WANT TO CHARGE YOU $325 AMERICAN TO DO SO!
If you think it's not possible to sink any lower than a regular recruiter, guess again...recruiters that charge you fall into that category. P.T. Barnum was right...a sucker is indeed born every minute.

I think the fact that we cooperate with the CEAIE http://www.ceaie.edu.cn/ and government universities reassures people that they are going to a great school.

Seriously....if you're really gullible enough to pay someone $325 to find you a teaching job in China- a feat that rivals falling off a log in its complexity- then instead send ME $300 and I'LL find a job for you. It'll take me about 10 minutes. The job may not be any more honest than any other in China, but at least I won't take advantage of your naïvete by claiming that it is...and I'll save you $25 that you can waste on something else that's really, really stupid.

Sheesh.

Saturday, 21 January 2012

Dear Kyle,

I am the owner of International Teaching Advantage. I have never tried to hide that fact when posting. It is easy to know that I am the owner of the business because it is listed right on the website. Also, if you go to the Better Business Bureau's website it will have all of our company's information. It clearly lists Joshua Krass as the owner. You will also see that we are accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an "A" rating.

http://www.bbb.org/eastern-michigan/business-reviews/educational-consultants/international-teaching-advantage-in-canton-mi-90015712/#bbbonlineclick

Of course, I am going to reply to comments when people are trying to say false things about International Teaching Advantage. We protect teacher's rights and make sure they are fully informed about every aspect concerning teaching in China. It has taken us many years to establish a great service. It is a shame that people can so freely post inaccurate comments on this site.

International Teaching Advantage is an American company founded to protect teacher's rights. All of the employees in the United States are American. The letter to Judy was a polite way of explaining that many schools in China have conflicting views of what a teacher should look like. Many schools won't hire Asian Americans. Most Chinese schools and Chinese parents want to clearly see that a "foreigner" is teaching their child English. This can make negotiating contracts for Asian Americans to teach English in China extremely difficult. This is just one of the many ironies when dealing with China and the culture.

International Teaching Advantage works to help all applicants regardless of race, gender or age.

Wednesday, 8 June 2011

Thanks for your post. I just thought I'd update the visa regs in Jinan for everyone's benefit. Those without bachelor's degrees can no longer get a foreign expert card. So, no Z visa province-wide. Those who want to convert L from outside PRC to Z in Jinan, PSB won't do. HK run necessary, but you'll need the foreign expoert card first. Student visas or business visas issued instead of Z visa by Jinan PSB to foreign teachers, you've not a hope in hell!

But I should say that doesn't take place in the whole of Shandong. Right now there are laowei teaching in Qingdao and Linyi with student visas or business visas. That's because the local PSB has decided to issue those visas to foreign teachers. Jinan PSB has no control over that, nor has the provincial education bureau in Jinan. I daresay there are also other places in Shandong who are bending the visa regs or breaking them.

Wednesday, 8 June 2011

Actually if you speak directly with the entry and exit bureau in Beijing they will tell you that in fact you can legally obtain a valid Z visa in China without leaving and if you call over to SAFEA they will confirm it too. Several areas of China are legally permitted to issue valid Z visas in China without leaving. There are variables as I said. With a green card though and after coming and going from China since 1988, I guess I still just don't know the score. I guess I am really without a clue because in 2009 I ran a corporate training firm legally and we had no trouble obtaining legal Z visas for our staff in our city and at that time, none of them were required to leave China. Just for kicks I called the HR manager over at a friend's firm in the CBD and none of their staff had to leave China or go to HK for a Z visa. Medicals were done at the Vista Clinic or the Beijing United Family Hospital and they were all good to go.
Having once been a FT myself I had no problem obtaining a Z visa from a 2-year multi entry F visa that was issued in Shanghai. But that was a few years ago.

In some places in China it is legal to teach on an L visa which is later upgraded to a Z visa. I cannot recall the province name but it starts with a G. It may be Guizhou.

You might also need to understand that in China there are vast differences in how government works from Autonomous regions
(自治区; zìzhìqū)

Direct-controlled municipalities
(直辖市; zhíxiáshì)

and....

Special administrative regions
(特别行政区; tèbiéxíngzhèngqū)
(not in mainland China)

Each of them tend to do as they please with regard to the issuance of visas and the types of visas that get the job done, and those that do not as a matter of convenience.

In China there is breaking the rules, and then there is guanxi.

My green card did not come easy but it is 100% legal and time tested.

Tuesday, 7 June 2011

Odd. The company that I work for gets most of their Z visas done in Beijing for the foreign staff and none of them need to leave. 5 of our vendors get their Z visas done in Beijing and again, no one is leaving for those. Many schools in Beijing get Z visas done for their teaching staff. To the north of China in places like Harbin it is also common. It is not common in Qingdao or Guangzhou. It depends entirely on the province and the company and a few variables. I have also seen this in the south of China where people can get Z visas without leaving China. It is done on a routine and regular basis in some areas of China. The company I work for has over 2000 employees, and I would say that at least 300 of them all had Z's done in Beijing along with a medical exam done in Beijing as well. To date, none of them left and they are all in good standing.

7 June 2011

Its always best to enter on a Z visa if you need one of course.

Not at all, not if you've a Chinese spouse, and you wanna teach. C'se it's illegal, but in my experience, you can get away with it. I've been doin so for ages and ages. And no medicals either, and no RP's. Take the mickey out o' your spouse's hometown PSB. Then apply to Chinese recruiters, specifying your unique requirements visa-wise, There are always schools and colleges in a jam come a week before the students arrive. So long as you're white, and have a degree, your new Chinese employer will be complicit in your deceit. Regulations will be ignored, as needs must be met. That is the way to stick it up the govt here and it doesn't depend on your financial situation! That's MY WAY....LOL!

6 June 2011

It is true that in places like Beijing you can get many official documents completed. Traveling to Hong Kong is always an option but you have to leave the Mainland. Many people would agree that going through customs and leaving mainland China is like leaving the country. For most people that have single entry visa into China: "it is really leaving the country" because they can't get back into mainland China until they have their new visa. I would safely say that there are more areas of China that can't issue "Z" working class visas, than there are areas that can. Even Zhejiang University in Hangzhou can not have a "Z" visa arranged in the mainland. If you want to teach in China it is usually the most intelligent option to enter the country with a "Z" visa.

5 June 2011

If you enter the country as a tourist and then want to be a teacher or find a job while you are in China you still have to leave the country to get your "Z" visa which makes it legal for you to teach there. Also, many people who have taught in China will agree that many schools try to offer the least possible amount of money and ask you to teach the most possible hours per week. For instance, if a school says they will pay 5000RMB to 8000RMB for 16-25 hours of teaching a week. That really means that they will pay you 5000RMB for 25 hours. Many people that have found their own positions in China will also agree that the communication with the school can be quite difficult. You will not hear back from your future employer for weeks at a time. This causes an extreme amount of anxiety and a feeling of uncertainty. When people are making a brave move to teach in China it is important to know that you are going to be safe and everything about your position is going to be fair.

A company like "International Teaching Advantage" really cares about their clients. They actually care if the people going to teach in China enjoy themselves and have a good experience. Many other companies have no problem treating people like "Cattle". Most of them work on commission from schools in China so they don't really care where they send you. "International Teaching Advantage" works closely with their clients to help them find a position that suits them. Most of the contracts they arrange are to teach for government Universities. University positions are considered to be some of the best positions in China because of the low working hours and the freedom in the classroom.

Sunday, 20 March 2011

Has anyone used International Teaching Advantage for placement in China? Are they legitimate or a scam? I am just beginning to research jobs teaching english overseas, so don't know much about the process and how to find a legitimate recruitment service. Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
The requirements listed on their website are as follows:

- Good health

- B.A. Degree or higher (no teaching experience necessary but it is a plus)

(If you don't have a B.A. Degree, jobs are still available)

- Color copy of a recent photo

- Copy of your Resume or C.V.

- Copy of your degree or degrees

- Copy of your current passport

- Your current mailing address

**** All of these things must be scanned and emailed to our contact information ****

**** Our fee of $325.00 must be addressed to International Teaching Advantage in the form of a check or money order. Mailing address: 18150 Swiss Dr. Spring Lake, Mi 49456. No payment is required until you have found a teaching position and contract that is suitable for you. ****

**** Due to inconvenience we are no longer accepting Checks or Money Orders directly. All of our payment services will be conducted through www.paypal.com. Please inquire about the simple process. Credit Card service is available. ****