Work VISA vs. AGE: Are You Too Old To Teach in China??

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HERE IS A LIST OF WHAT SCHOOLS HAVE TOLD US. IT IS BY NO MEANS ABSOLUTE, BUT IT DOES GIVE AN INDICATION OF DIFFERENT AGE LIMITS.

Disclaimer: All information has been provided by schools.  The number following the name of each country indicates the number of active schools registered from that country.  In some cases, schools in the same country listed conflicting information. This could be due to different laws/rules applied to different schools; varying interpretations of the question; different states within a country having different laws; out of date information, or; ignorance of the law.  In most cases, varying replies from schools in the same country closely grouped around a given point.

Variance within the region can best be explained by one school that wrote “Age restriction 59 yrs at the point of gaining initial entry visa at start of contract . . .”  Thus, some schools may move that back as it often takes time to get a visa, while other schools might have set an older age based on when a visa expires.  A few schools may have “connections” with their Ministry of Immigration that allows them to hire a few people (generally senior level administrators) who are older than the published age.  Thus, there can be exceptions.

This survey of the Search Associates database was conducted in 2016. All information in the following tables was submitted by ISR readers based on their personal experience.

(05/18/2020) 65
Teaching age limits were relaxed in China late 2019. Teachers who work in 2nd or 3rd tier cities are able to teach until 65.

(12/24/2018)
In China, if you meet the requirements for a class a work permit, there are no age restrictions. The class a work permit is for high end talent only.

(3/10/2017) Dulwich Shanghai, 60
China has begun to institute a new quite stringent regulation for expat teachers. It is based on points, one earns points for type of degree, at what university it came from, whether you can speak Chinese, and then age comes into play. The more points one has earned the better chance they have of staying in a contract and obtaining a work visa once they are 60.

(3/6/2017) 60
March 2017, new visa rule, 60 years. As I understand, the new visa rules – you are not entitled to finish out your school year and must leave once turned 60.  Other international schools in Shanghai are reporting similar difficulties.

(6/12/2015) Dalian Polytechnic University, 60
Taught at Dalian Polytechnic University for three years and in Changchun for two. I was over the official age limit from day one. Suddenly, when it came time to renew my visa this time (2015) i was accused of falsifying my data and the visa will not be renewed. I have a perfect employment record. Never sick one day–healthy and happy to be a teacher here. My students voted me best teacher ever three years running. Now–thanks to this silly rule–I’m out. I’ve seen the 25 year old kids come to China to teach. Right. Party every night and chasing Chinese girls. Go for it Chariman Xi–good luck with it

(6/5/2015) On Tuesday I was offered a Directors job in Beijing. On Thursday the offer was declined due to my age 64.

(6/1/2015) Guangxi Normal University
I worked in Guangxi for more than 4 years aged 61 – 65. (I finished in Jan 2015). In my last 18 months the PSB told me I was too old to renew, and when I pulled strings to get around that (the university liked me), my wife was declined visa renewal. I understand that since Xi Jinping took over, bureaucrats all around China are moving many older teachers out of China.

(2/12/2015) I have been researching this as I am 63 & have been offered 4 jobs in different provinces for the coming semester. I have taught 6 years in China & have never had a problem until now in my province. Some schools say the limit with the local provincial govt. is 60, some 62, some 65. However one can teach until 70 if there is a great need. It also depeends on if the school is a state run, private or language school.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Chinavisaworkpermit/?ref=share

(9/21/2014) China’s age limit varies from province to province; most provinces set 60 as the maximum age at which one may be issued a Foreign Expert visa, but some go up to 65. I am 62, soon to be 63, and employed full time in Zhejiang province. I was originally to teach in Szechuan, but the provincial authority changed the maximum limit from 65 to 60. An even bigger issue now is that foreigners working in China can work and live here for five years, but then must leave for one year to be granted another work visa. I have been told that this edict may be repealed, but for now it is in place. But that, like everything else here, is the rule until it isn’t.

(7/15/2014) Beijing National Day School, 55 women / 60 men
I am 57 & female. School arranged my visa. I know DuPont teachers at the school 64+. Older men are loved & respected while older women are treated opposite…..even if teaching and exam results are better than the men.

(4/20/2014) I was hired in 2013-14 at age 60. The college had to provide a written statement to some office somewhere that the college would accept full financial responsibility should I require medical services.

(4/1/2014) I am an Australian primary teacher with 38 years’ experience. At the age of 62 I applied to several schools and agencies in mid-2013 to teach in various cities in China, but I was mostly interested in the Guangdong province at that time. I got the same response from most of the places where I applied – they would love to employ me but the age limit was 60. Finally I got a job working in Zhengzhou. I came here initially on a 3 month business visa and appropriate paperwork, then went to Hong Kong and got my z-visa for 12 months. My school is confident they can renew that for another year at least.

(1/29/2014) Hua Zhong
I’m 62 teaching in China. If you’re over 60 you can get a ‘Certificate of Expertise”, usually through a university that’s associated with the school. It basically means ‘only you can do the job’. They even give you a passport-looking Certificate of Expertise. As this is the first year I’ve done this, I don’t know about the renewal process, but seeing how things work here, I assume one could be ‘grandfathered’ on.

(11/06/2013) I was 65 when hired by a university in China. There are people here in their 70s.

(8/16/2013) United International College
I’m 62 and just received another foreign expert certificate. I’ve been here since 59. Age limit was 60 when I arrived. If they like you & you do well at the job it can be extended. I was told I can stay until 65. I told them I need to be here until 66 in order to collect Social Security back in the US.

(7/26/2013) 60 – 65
Special Economic Zones generally allow 65-year-olds, while a majority of other city governments limit the age at 60.

(5/7/2013) Anhui University of Finance & Economics, Limit is 70
I didn’t even come to China to teach until age 63.

(4/14/2013) Dulwich College, Limit is 65
A number of staff moved on at 65, the upper limit for visa issue to teach at an IS. I met a teacher with expert status who was able to negotiate a couple of extra years to 67 but she seems to be the exception and that in Shanghai the limit is 65.

(2/26/13) Yesterday I just found out that if one holds an expert certificate (some esl teachers) that they are ok to age 62. Still much lower than before, but worth a note.

(2/18/13) I recently finished a year in China. I am 71 and there is restrictions on age in China.Men must retire at 60 unless you are in the government and women 50-55. Now I lucked out and taught for a year on a business visa.It was provided by the school. That is rare though. At 69 I taught on a foreign expert visa. I see all the age limits and I think what a waste. The young go without degrees and party all the time. Sometime life is just not fair.

(2/15/2013) 55/men 60/women
2013: lowered age limit for work visas to 55 for women & 60 for men. Business visa will now be issued once with a restriction of renewing only twice. It will be good for 3 months instead of 6 months.

(2/1/2013) I taught for a year (2011-2012) in Chengdu,China,age 70-71 on a business visa. Before that I taught in Yuyao China (2010) at age 69 with a foreign expert certificate. I think it is who the owner knows.

(10/30/2012) Taizhou Teacher’s College Jiangsu / Nanjing Normal University, 69
There have been teachers here up to 69 years of age and I suspect once here if you are good they will keep you beyond this age.

(9/6/2012) I have worked in China from age 66 to 69. This year my school was not able to get me another Z visa as the new retirement age for foreign teachers has been set at 70. i understand that Kazhkstan has not age limitations.

(7/9/2012) Over 60 is difficult for large towns or cities. However, teachers are most needed in out of the way regions and places like Inner Mongolia and so have no age limits.

(10/9/2011) Fooyin University, Kaohsiung, 65 – 70
Mandatory age 65 retirement for university professors, but special year-by-year permission at lower status/ pay may sometimes be possible until 70

(10/1/2011) The 60 age limit in China is an advisory, not a law or regulation. Some provinces follow it, some don’t. I know 2 teachers over 65 here.

• Beijing School, 60
  No to 60 year-old but new law says 70 age max.

(9/5/2011) Although I am not a teacher, but electronic engineer, I got Z-visum with 63 years last year. (2010) This year, the 60 years retirement law was applied to me for not obtaining the Z-visum again. The z-visum is the official visum allowing to work in china, connected to a temporary residence permit.

(6/30/2011) Dipont International School, I’ve heard rumors 60 is a limit.
I was hired at age 55 and turned 56 while in China. No mention was made of any age problems.

(6/18/2011) The situation varies from city to city and between state and private schools . State school teachers retire at 60 ( in most places ) and teaching in a state school you would expect the same .Private schools can get work permits for a few years more, particularly for senior teachers. In Special Economic Zones ( eg. Shanghai ) the work permit rules are different again and there shouldn’t be any problem going on to 65 if both you and the school want you to.

(6/6/09) The latest update on age and work visas for expat teachers is as follows (verbatim): “By Chinese regulations, local national man should retires at age of 60 no matter it is for educated man or not educated man. Woman retires at 50 if she is not educated (no BA degree) and educated woman retires at 55. For foreign experts, the age limit is 60 to 62 for teachers and 62 to 65 for senior managers.”

In 2005 I was hired by a college in North Eastern China on a year’s contract to teach ESL. I was 65 at the time. A similar school near to the one I taught at had several “senior” teachers, including a husband and wife team, over 70. I was never aware of any official age limit in China; hiring policy simply appeared to be at the discretion of each school’s hiring bodies! (Another teacher reports “age limits apply only to Chinese and not to expat experts/professionals. This concurs with info from Chinese embassies as well…”

In China, Z visas are no longer issued to teachers 65 years or older. Some teachers get around this by applying for an F visa, but strictly speaking, it is illegal to teach with an F visa. F visas are also expensive and very inconvenient to get, so I don’t know why anyone would even bother with this kind of visa.

I am 64 and worked as a subject teacher in China. I was told by the Chinese Consulate in Chicago that Z visas aren’t being issued to people over 60. This confirms what I have heard from friends and potential employers. Several schools wanted to hire me but said they couldn’t for that reason. I can get an F (business) visa but it’s illegal to teach on that. I think the only way around it is to pay a bribe. But I think that’s much more difficult now.

I am 60 years of age, in excellent health, have a wealth of teaching experience with continuing high motivation and was recently in touch with an International School in China. My response from the Principal is as follows: “Presently I am in discussions with the foreign expert’s bureau in Shanghai with regard to the maximum permissible age for initial employment in China. The ruling is that no work permits are given to those 60+ unless there are extenuating circumstances.” Even with a ‘rich reservoir of experience’ the age of 60 appears to be the cut-off point. I am unsure what the ‘extenuating circumstances’ could be.

Age Limits for Visas/Work Permits, By Country

Source: https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com,

https://www.searchassociates.com/Job-Fair

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