Teaching in China with an 18 year old spent conviction

[Bee]

Hello,

I am planning on teaching abroad in an international school. I was thinking China but have since learned you cannot do so if you have anything on your criminal record. I have a spent conviction from 2006 which shows on my enhanced visa and always will. It is for ABH. Will this be a definite no no?

[TheBigZaboon]

I would never forgive myself if I didn't ask what ABH means. And where the conviction took place?

 

I'll also have to be truthful in saying I've had people I employed and/or recommended who didn't tell me about previous convictions, and it cost me both monetarily and in terms of friendships when the issue came up later.

 

But I can't give you advice on the situation in China.

 

TBZ 

[Moshen]

Quote

I would never forgive myself if I didn't ask what ABH means. And where the conviction took place?

 

I also had to look it up.  Apparently ABH means Actual Bodily Harm, where the person caused physical injury to someone else, as in an assault.

 

I also had to look up "spent conviction."  It describes a conviction that got removed from someone's record after a certain period of time.  It seems this term is used in Australia and the UK.

 

A lesson here:  Don't assume your jargon and abbreviations are understood by others.  This is a global forum.

 

If I were a visa officer, I would not want to let in someone who had a conviction on their record for assault, even if many years ago.  Perhaps the Chinese are more forgiving.  And perhaps it would be better to teach in a country that didn't ask about criminal records that far back.

[Demonic_Duck]

2-year-old thread on tripadvisor that might be relevant? https://en.tripadvisor.com.hk/ShowTopic-g294211-i642-k13370334-Acquiring_a_z_visa_with_a_spent_criminal_record-China.html