help moving to shanghai

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wineguy

Newbie

Joined: Feb 01, 2009
Posts: 2

Status: Offline

Posted: Feb 05, 2009 - 11:36 PM
Post subject: help moving to shanghai

hello, im currently living in bordeaux france and thinking of moving to shanghai to live for 6 months maybe less maybe longer, i want to live in china for the experience, work and have a good time. im an english carpenter by trade and ive studied wine, i was wondering if you nice people could point me in the correct direction and maybe answer some of my questions.

1. am i choosing the correct place ? is there other places in china you maybe recommend ? im looking to maybe work in the wine industry but if not carpentry or teaching english is fine, or anything that pays ok and keeps me.

2. can i get by not knowing much chinese ?

3. if i arrive with €2500 is this going to be enough ?

4. how much will it cost to rent a half decent sized room fairly close to where its all happening ? deposit ? month up front ?

5. if all goes pete tong (wrong) am i going to atleast be able to find work in a bar and how much will they pay roughly ?

6. ive heard that without a qualification i can teach english to private clients, is this true and how much can u charge ?

7. do i need a visa for 6 months ?

8. will i need any special injections before i go ?

any information or recommendations would be great and much appreciated.

Shangstar

Fire-eater

Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2772
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline

Posted: Feb 06, 2009 - 12:08 AM

1. For a wine buff, Shanghai is probably a good choice, but the Chinese haven't taken up wine as well as producers would have liked. You're not going to be able to do carpentry in China full stop. Teaching English is in demand, but there are tens of thousands of them in China now. These days, in order to work in China, you need two years relevant work experience to get an employment license - therefore you need two years English teaching experience. Working without the correct documentation in China is illegal.

2. Not knowing much Chinese is not a problem. But it will affect your chances of employment, particularly in the current economic climate.

3. 2,500 Euros for 6 months should cover your rent only. Prices are high in Shanghai, especially if you're going to be drinking wine.

4. Renting a room in downtown Shanghai (i.e. Luwan / Jing An) won't cost too much, but you're still talking about 150-200 Euros per month. It can vary enormously depending on where and what.

5. You won't be able to work in a bar. To work here you need an employment license. The employment license is limited to one job and is specific to a particular employer. An employer will not be able to get an employment license for you unless your skills are in much demand. Bar staff are not in demand here. Neither are carpenters. Or sommelliers for that matter. The process of obtaining an employment license, the subsequent governmental letter of invitation, the subsequent work visa, the subsequent employment permit, and then the residence permit takes a long time and large amount of paper work between you, your employer and government officials.

6. As a freelancer, you will need to be under a business visa. To do this, you will need a local organisation to sponsor you. Without that sponsorship, you cannot get the official invitation letter that is required to get a business visa. Freelancing is generally not permitted in China unless you officially set up your own business here through the correct business law procedures, and obtain a business license. You cannot simply turn up and set up whatever business / consultancy you please.

7. To stay here for 6 months, you need a visa with a period of stay of 6 months (which you probably won't get) or a 6 month residence permit.

8. Usual travel vaccinations would suffice e.g. typhoid, Hep A/B/C, tetanus, polio.

You've come to the right place for advice, but I do not think you will be able to come to China to perform your stated activities. Basically, to legally work in China you need to be either an experienced English teacher, or have substantial skills in a professional or technical area such as international finance, engineering, foreign law etc. Employment in China is tightly controlled. It's the mirror opposite of the EU. Teaching English through a school or university is probably the best you can do. Coming out on your own with 2,500 Euros and expecting to make money with no support from a Chinese institution is a big no no.

If you don't have the English teaching experience, then you're really limited to backpacking in China on a tourist visa.

_________________
Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind

wineguy

Newbie

Joined: Feb 01, 2009
Posts: 2

Status: Offline

Posted: Feb 06, 2009 - 09:26 PM

Thank you for taking the time to reply. My sole intension is not really to make money but to learn some of the chinese language and enjoy the country and its people. so if i stayed in shanghai for say 3 months and didnt work with a few nights out a week how much do u think i would be comfortable with ? and also is there some other parts of china you would recommend if i wanted to maybe then spend another month or two in another part ?
Again thank you for taking time to reply