Regulations in China for non-native English speakers for elementary positions

[burthers]

Dear colleagues, hope you all are safe and healthy in this difficult times. I wanted to ask about the regulations in China for non-native English speakers for elementary English/homeroom teaching positions. My wife and I are a teaching couple and my wife isn't a native English speaker nor has a passport from US/UK/Canada. I teach physics and my wife is currently a KG PYP teacher.

I have been looking at teaching posts on Search Associates and I see that most posts from China emphasize that the regulations there allow them to hire only native speakers for English and homeroom teaching positions. Would there any exceptions to that? Is this the case only for some parts of China or for the whole country? Since I teach physics, I guess there is no requirement for me to be a native speaker. (I'm not a native speaker as well)

Thanks for your help in advance.

[PsyGuy]

You would have to find an IS that offers its language of instruction in whatever language you are a native (or possibly a fluent speaker in). Western ISs that provide instruction in English want native English speakers, the only exception to this is for FL (Foreign Language), in which case you need to have enough proficiency in English to communicate with staff, etc. Lower tier ISs may accept an IT whose English is less than fluent (native) out of desperation but that usually isnt the case for primary ITs.

[shadowjack]

@PG not true. I have friends in China whose spouse in a NN speaker and working. It will depend on the school and their willingness to accommodate your spouse. In China, anything is possible, but some things need to be asked for and approved 'specially' :-)

[BM12]

As a non native speaker myself, I got denied a work visa after having signed a contract with a school in Guangzhou two years ago (to start in August 2018). This was after having all my degrees certified and legalized by the Chinese embassy in my home country and after getting a medical and all. The HOS of the school I was supposed to go to told me mid April that the visa application was denied (he did not know of these rules and neither did the school). It was actually something I was afraid of, because I had heard that about six months before that, China had tightened up the regulations. They just said, either be a native speaker or have a degree obtained in a native speaking country.

I also had a job offer from a school in Beijing and they rescinded their offer. Apparently immigration in Beijing said no non native speakers unless they have four years of international experience (I had two at the time).

As far as i know, these are the rules, but as you can see it also depends on the local immigration department on how to interpret it. I do believe that some schools with sufficient influence might be able to get around these rules. Also, the less desirable the location is, the easier the local government will be.

In any case, official visa rules (tightened somewhere in 2018), say no non native speakers allowed in English speaking positions. Obviously there are plenty in China currently teaching, but for incoming teachers it is likely to be a problem.

If you can, I would look elsewhere.

[PsyGuy]

@burthers

I disagree with @SJ, but there are always exceptions. I dont want to tell you that theres a way, and then you end up losing contract, offer, and job one after another, because thats the far more likely outcome, than finding an exception, which is very possible just not very probable. Someone wins the jackpot in the lottery, that doesnt make it a smart decision.