Three ways to get into China: on a tourist visa, business visa or on a working visa. Working visa allows you to leagally earn money, as a foriegner you won't pay tax on mony earned and with this visa and a copy of your contract with your employer, you can open a bank account. You need a bank account so you can send money home!

I am from Canada and this is what i did/needed:

You will need to first secure a job in China. Then that potential employer must send you official documents.
This is what I needed:

1. An invitation letter - formally inviting you to work at the school signed and with official school seal (stamp) - English and Chinese versions

2. A Canadian passport - 2 crystal clear legible photocopies of your passport

3. Photos - 2 (minimum) legal passport size colour photos

4. A copy of your contract - signed and dated and stamped with official school seal - English and Chinese versions

5. Contact info of school representatives- School name and address and contacts names - names, positions, emails, phone numbers, etc...

6. Foreign Experts Work Permit - applied for and obtained by your future employers - with a copy of your TESL certificate they get a permit stating you are a "Foreign Expert" (English teacher)

A quick Ehow search got me this: How to Get a Work Visa to China | eHow.com
http://www.ehow.com/how_2365046_get-work-visa-china.html#ixzz1lrR1rHIh

EVERYTHING MUST BE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS - must be minimum 2 original copies of everything! Invitation letter and contract must be 2 copies in English and 2 copies in Chinese of each. You can't print out the contract from your email and take that to the visa embassy. Must be originals.

In my case, the company I took the TESL course through secured me the job. The school emailed me the contract I printed it out signed it then scanned it and emailed it back to them. They reprinted another copy for the visa embassy, took care of the invitation letter and translating the documents; packaged everything together and Fed-Ex'd it to me. I took that package, with everything I needed on my end, to the embassy. I got to the embassy at 7:30am, it opened at 9am and there was a line already down the block. You can go online to their site to see exactly what you need and the prices for 3 day service, 2 day service, same day service... things may have changed in the time since I did it.

If you can secure these documents and get your "class z" visa you're on your way. Once here (in China) it gets easier. Your working visa will permit you to legally earn money (and you won't pay taxes on your RMB earnings) and a visa accompanied with a copy of your contract you can do almost anything. You need the visa and contract to open a bank account or get a drivers licence and many other things. But you don't need to return to your counrty of citizenship every year to renew your visa. Once here and you have an established job with residency, your employer may apply on your behalf for a "Residency Permit". This permit is valid for a year and is renewable, (by your employer) and with this bad boy you are free to come and go from China as though you wish. I have a Residency Permit in my passport and I can leave/re-enter China as many times a year as I wish. Visa are limited to a ncertain number of enties and exits. If you go to Hong Kong, that counts as leaving China! If you maintain an address in your country of citizenship and complete you countries taxes each year then you are also entitled to hold on to your country of citizenship residency. This double residency (one in China and one in your country of citizenship) is worth it and it makes the airport lines a hell of a lot shorter! Keep a bank account open in your country of citizenship, so you can send money home, oh and keep a valid drivers licence too.

That's all I can think of for now...

If you got any other questions, email me and I'll try my best to answer them all!

darekmitchell@ymail.com