Forums > Living in Kunming > Moving to Kunming - Logistics

Thanks Tigertiger!

I'll look for those companies. There are a few French companies which haven't replied yet so I'm waiting on those too.

I'm quite confident that I can teach, not TOEFL/IELTS training as I am neither a "true" native speaker nor a professional teacher, but I have tutored students in English before, even my own classmates ^^. I'll try to push for a skype demo class.

Actually, I'm not trying to get rich doing this. As long as it covers my living expenses and social security, it is enough. I want to do this for 4 reasons: living in China (a long-time dream), leaving the big cities behind (hate those), make sure I like being a full-time teacher (the career path I have always hesitated with) and get my professional qualification at last.

I'm definitely not going to work on a tourist or a student visa, there are enough stories around of foreigners being incarcerated and/or deported for visa issues, don't want to become one. And it would definitely compromise my career, whether as a teacher or an actuary...

Forums > Living in Kunming > Moving to Kunming - Logistics

Merci pour ces infos, Yankee!

Mon niveau d'anglais n'est pas trop le problème : j'ai donné des cours particuliers pendant plusieurs années et j'ai les résultat TOEFL et TOEIC pour le prouver... Je n'ai juste pas la nationalité d'un pays anglophone ni de diplome d'enseignement de l'anglais. Et avec une maitrise, ça passe pour le visa... Bon, j'ai pas les yeux clair ^^

J'ai quelques réponses qui arrivent sur mes candidatures (que je viens de faire ^^), ce qui m'inquiète c'est le visa. Tu conseillerais de venir avec un visa de tourisme et changer sur place ? Ou d'insister pour avoir le contrat à l'avance ?

Ok pour la sécu, je comptais de toute façon m'enregistrer à la CFE pour les cotisations retraite et l'assurance chomage.

Pas de contact à Pékin ni à Shanghai à priori, mais bon, avec les amis d'amis, je peux peut-être trouver. Après tout, c'est comme ça que ça fonctionne en Chine !

Forums > Living in Kunming > Opening a Chinese bank account

From what I gather from the BoC Paris, most banks in China are provinced based. Each province has its own "branch". My BoC account (Beijing branch) cannot be managed from Kunming. I can withdraw money with the passbook (my card expired long ago) without fee and it is easy to transfer my account, but if I want to renew my card, I have to inquire at the Beijing branch... They also cannot find my account using my name, not sure about passeport number...

Forums > Living in Kunming > Moving to Kunming - Logistics

Hi!

I'm moving to Kunming in August, hopefully somewhat permanently, and I'm trying to get my TODO list in order... and figure out how to do each part.

(1) Tying up lose ends here in France
(2) Getting a job here (teaching would be great)
(3) Getting a work visa
(4) Figuring out social security and retirement savings
(5) Sending my stuf from France to Kunming

The HOW-TO:

(1) should be easy or at least I can easily get information from the MOFA.

(2) & (3), as they go together, is a bit more difficult. I've applied for a several jobs, am starting to get replies, but most want a face to face interview and demo teaching, which can only be done after I arrive... Should I come on a tourist visa and see? Or insist on a Skype/QQ interview and get the work visa before I leave? Is that even possible? What about the medical examination?

(4) is more about choosing the right option. I can choose to keep paying into the French system (which has several options for expats) or look into the Chinese options or something else entirely. Is there a mandatory social security for foreigners in China? Basic health insurance? How do you deal with this?

(5) French companies seem to only provide services to Beijing or Shanghai. Postal services (Post, UPS, DHL) are much to fast (delivery within a week) and expensive for my needs. Any international company that can ship stuff from France (Paris) to Kunming cheaply (by ship + road/train)?

Anything else?

Thanks!

Ansi

Forums > Living in Kunming > Renting vs subletting a room

In 2006 in Beijing, if you were subletting, it was considered that you were being hosted by the person renting the apartment. Any payment you made was illegual (not that they cared). As such, your "host" had to go with you to the local police office to register you. If you were renting the apartment yourself, you had to provide the lease when registering...

Not sure how much of this is still valid and how much ever applied to Kunming... I'm really interested in the answer as I will have to consider which accomodation to choose shortly.