I am now in Kunming on a student visa learning Chinese. Will I be able to work on a z visa as an English teacher from next semester (without going back to my home country)?

I'm a non-native western European with excellent English and a certified TEFL certificate. I don't have teaching experience, but do have a bachelor degree.

I read you need to have 2 years teaching experience to qualify for a z visa?

I believe that you should have 2 years of work experience, of some kind, but it does not specify you have to have experience in teaching.

2 years teaching experience can be easily managed.

@tigertiger, I was worried about that. Thanks!

@Napoleon, can you please elaborate?

As of at least 2 months ago, Kunming will no longer issue Z-visas to non-native speakers for teaching English. They will renew existing Z-visas to non-native speakers.

As of at least 2 months ago, Kunming will no longer issue Z-visas to non-native speakers for teaching English. They will renew existing Z-visas to non-native speakers.
They have decided to enforce what has been official policy across China for some time.

Are you White? That's the only relevant requirement that you need. All the rest is just to pretend that there are formalities. Nationalities, qualifications and experience will be manufactured and provided by your school.
I know an English guy with no genuine degree who was a garbageman in England and is now teaching at a private school in Beijing with good salary and free accomodation. A Russian who pretended to be American and who would make you believe a Newcastle accent is super easy to understand. An Italian who didn't know his past tense from his future tense.
This is just to name a few. Tons of illegals teaching all over China with fake documents. So, no worries.

Thanks yankee.

Coope's post still left me quite deflated. I would have liked secure and legal employment. Now it seems that is no longer possible and I'll have to resort to shameful methods and always be on the lookout for the authorities and worry that in a little while enforcement of the rules will force me out of China entirely, even though I am qualified and potentially a good, enthusiastic and committed teacher.

@i_go_to_sleep unfortunately @coope is correct, no more Z-visas for non-native speakers (as far as I know, those holding a passport from an English-speaking country, regardless of what your native tongue is). You can still be hired to teach other languages, eg. French if you hold a French passport, or German if you have a German passport, etc. But you will also need a teaching certificate for that specific language (an equivalent of the tefl/tesol).