I find that very difficult to believe. I mean, I believe you but its just mindboggling that China would introduce this at a time when foreign teachers are leaving China at what seems to be a greater rate than arriving.

This would definitely screw up people like me. I did not bring any documents when I came here and the best I could do was have a family member locate a copy of my original diploma (the original long gone after sitting in a mildewy cardboard box in a damp basement). So the copy was scanned and email then I passed on to PSB via online application.

I'm sure I know a dozen foreigners in China with similar situations. Some chose to take only copies of their diploma. I don't blame them because I wouldnt want to risk 1.losing it in transport 2.it getting physically damaged 3. stolen and more. So instead they took a professional printed colour copy.

but anyways, as of a 2 weeks ago no such requests were made here in Guangxi province. I don't know of any such rules mentioned by my guys here but im sure that its coming.

But i have no idea why they'd look for that at a time when foreign teachers are simply leaving one after the other. Of the 20 foreign teachers here there are now only 10 left and 4 of them are confirmed to be leaving at the end of the next semester. So far only 1 new foreigner has come in for an interview and he seemed totally disinterested and never came back. I can confirm this is my last year.

But are you in Bejing or Shanghai or a popular Tier 1 location?