Well it is hard to say since it hasn't been put into effect yet. However looking at the language of the law, the most significant impacts are taxing your kids tuition as salary, and also your housing and travel bonus. So currently I pay around 20% taxes, so I can expect to pay at least that on these benefits even though I don't really receive them as salary. However, I expect my tax rate will increase even further. Bottom line: If my school isnt able to maintain my net pay after taxes, I am GONE! The current exchange rate is also lowering our salaries (since contracts are written in dollars), and this additional tax would be the nail in the coffin. Why stay in a restrictive country, unable to visit family with an ever decreasing salary all while cost of living is greatly increasing. Anyways, this is my two cents.

I would also recommend Zhuhai or Guangzhou. Currently living in Zhuhai and moving to GZ. I have a family here and don't find the pollution to be that terrible, gets a little heavy in the winter, but doesn't last long. In fact, we were much more bothered by the allergy season in Japan. As for traffic, we have a private driver and don't really see traffic as an issue. Sure you need to be careful crossing the street, but generally traffic is going quite a bit slower here than the US, so haven't seen as many horrific accidents here as compared to the states. Also because everyone drives like a bunch of jerks here, drivers tend to be more alert.

Most are very entitled, especially those at international schools. So if you were going to get a ridiculous amount of money and a job working for dad regardless of grades, why work hard.

@Doctor, So did you ever receive your signed contract?? I am kinda in the same situation. I was offered the position at the interview, the director seemed excited to have me join, and then they sent me the contract a few days later to look over with my family. Anyways, I signed a contract a week and a half ago, and still waiting for a signed and stamped contract. Now I know they were checking out my references, which should be on the up and up, but wondering how long this process takes for most people. Also of note, my position (same posting date) is still advertised on their site. Perhaps they haven't had the time to take it down, but they have added more to their list of jobs since my interview.

Just an update. Unfortunately the LQA wasn't approved so we turned down the position. Working for DoDEA is a lot less appealing without housing. Not a total loss though, I made some good contacts, got great recommendations from the admin and can reapply next year and the year after that. Since we will be living in China and I have a position that provides housing, I will then qualify for LQA if offered a job. We are moving to a nice area in China and have no issue waiting it out there while we try to get back in, all while accumulating experience. Plenty of travel opportunities too. Anyways, thanks to all for the advice/support!

Yea, apparently local hires don't get to sponsor their family members. HR just requested to get my marriage certificate and children's birth certificates, so perhaps this is a good sign. Haven't completely dismissed me yet.

@wrldtrvlr123, Thanks much, I really appreciate your supportive comments, and everyone else on this forum. Thats right, I think China will be an interesting place to be for a little while. I will also have a contract with housing and yearlyreturn flights, so that should satisfy DODEA when the time comes. Cheers!

Yea it is a really tough choice. However, I have spent nearly 8 years in Japan so kinda getting the itch to go somewhere else anyways. Also with a family and no LQA, that would also make Japan a financial hardship location.

Now I've lived in Vietnam for 2 years, and loved my time there, so I see China similar to that experience with a wide range of travel opportunities. The school is also good, staff very friendly, and a very nice place for my kids. Also China is more developed than Vn and the city I'm going to is much less polluted than where I was in Vietnam. So I don't really see it as a hardship.

Yea, I have two principals who really love me in DODEA, and they will write recommendations on my behalf for sure. So I definitely think I have a way back in eventually. In the mean time, we will have a bit of an adventure.

Thanks much PsyGuy and everyone else. Very helpful.

In China, I will have just over $40K/year after taxes, plus 3 bedroom apartment, utilities, and flights back to the US every year. Especially with cost of living differences, it would be a better quality of life. It is also a nice area and not too polluted. Anyways, I will see what our principal can do, but if not I will most likely turn it down with out LQA. I would be too bitter about not getting it while everyone else did. I also have a family so don't want to put them in a small place. Then I will just keep trying to get back. I have a 5-point veterans preference, so I don't feel it is a long shot. Anyways, I will update on whatever happens.

Yes, I was a franchise owner as well as a teacher for a two classroom school. So how would that help my situation? My current visa is Specialist in Humanities/International Service which is only valid for the job I quit, so definitely no Sofa or other sponsorship. We gotta go in Feb unless I find a job.

Yea, tough choice. DODEA only seems like a golden ticket when the housing is included. As for commenting area, we are 20km away, and about an hour and a half commute, so we would also have to move. Furthermore, I heard you have to work around 8 years before getting enough status for a transfer, and LQA is not a sure thing. Seems like a long time to just be scraping by, while all my other colleagues are getting paid a whole lot more. Now for the China job, they do provide housing and flights back to the US my home of record. I know it hasn't started yet but do you think that contract would work? Maybe a long shot.

Yea, I know my school really really wants me. And they will be going to bat for me, the principal said she is really going to fight it. Right now my visa is set to expire in February of 2018, and it was based on my job as an english teacher (the job I quit). My wife is Vietnamese and my dependent, and children are American/Vietnamese. So yes, we can't stay in country as a local. I tried to explain that to HR, but the woman I spoke with was quite nasty so hopefully my admin can have some sway. As for my home of record, I did put my US address, but I did say I was currently residing in Japan for the next few weeks while I complete my student teaching at DODEA. There was a spot for home of record (US), and current address (I used both the US and annotated Japan for the next 4 weeks). They said it was an issue of where I accepted the offer, i.e., I was in Japan at the time of acceptance. The woman told me I could be Sofa, and Local Hire, but no housing. Which doesn't really make sense, but it is the government. As for my application, I did put it in as an overseas hire, not local. So hopefully this is just a big mixup.

Thanks for your reply,

Yea unfortunately I was self employed while in Japan as a franchise owner of an english school. So there is no way I can prove housing was provided. So right now I am jobless and just finishing up my visa while student teaching, and on my way back to the US in July. So it looks like I accepted things a month too soon, or I would have been in the states to be hired. Yea my current DODEA school really wants to hire me, so perhaps they can work something out. And yes, I am a newly qualified teacher. I have been offered a job in China that does provide housing and yearly trips back to the states, so perhaps I could just wait it out in this position and eventually get back into the system. So how did you prove they recruited you from the states?

Cheers.

Well I was offered a position at a DODEA school and sent in the acceptance letter. However, they had a problem with me still living in Japan (completing my student teaching at a DODEA School). Now they are saying I may not qualify for the housing benefit. Apparently this is only for US hires. I tried to explain I quit my job in Japan, then decided to finish out my student teaching at DODEA before I returned to the US this this summer. However, since I accepted the offer while in Japan, I guess it doesn't matter, they still want to hire me as a "Local Hire" without housing. Any advice for such a strange situation?? It seems I may have screwed myself by deciding to do my student teaching at DODEA, instead of stateside.