What's included

Program Highlights

In order to make our program a safe, hassle-proof, personalized and rewarding one, we provide three packages for you to choose from, which include Basic, Standard and Premium. You may join the program based on your individual needs and financial situation.

Program Benefits Basic Standard Premium
Internship Placement
Monthly Allowance Depends Depends Depends
Visa Assistance
Airport Pick-up & Drop-off
Accommodation Shared Independent
orientation & Induction Meeting
Welcome Package
    ❈ Business Card
    ❈ City Map
    ❈ Transportation Card
    ❈ SIM Card
    ❈ Mobile
Welcome Dinner
Reference Letter from Host
Accidental Insurance
Social & Culture Activity
Business & Networking Events
24/7 Support
Chinese Language Tutoring
Completion Bonus
Farewell Drinks

Placement with the agreed company or organization

The internship search and arrangement process are to be based upon your interests and academic & professional backgrounds. Placements of such will be pre-guaranteed.

Monthly Stipend or Allowance

Paid or unpaid, it varies from host to host. Depending on employers and your qualifications, some positions provide a monthly stipend or allowance to cover daily travelling and food expenses. For participants choosing the Premium Package, we make sure that they are compensated either by host companies or by us, ICI Recruiting.

Visa Assistance

An Invitation Letter to be issued by the host company will be sent to you well ahead of your planned arrival time so that you will have enough time to process and obtain a Business Visa (F) in your home country where you apply for the visa. Please be noted that all the visa related fees are not included in the program fees.

Airport Pick-up upon arrival and drop-off upon leaving China

As per your flight schedule, our Program Coordinator will meet you at the airport and escort you to your apartment. Likewise, we will send you off upon leaving.

Accommodation Support

You will stay in a standard two or three room (Standard Package) furnished apartment shared with other interns, including bedding and water, gas and electricity and internet costs. The ICI Recruiting team has carefully selected housing that is comfortable, centrally located and within walking distance to public transportation. Premium Package provides independent apartments.

Accommodation

Depending on your budget, Nanjing has a variety of accommodation options from high end villas in the suburbs, dingy dorm rooms and everything in the middle.

What should I keep in mind when getting a place in NJ?

Who you decide to rent from is important, if your budget allows it we recommend you rent from a developer. Most private landlords are notoriously unreliable and it is generally much easier to negotiate with a developer who normally tries to have international best practices in place. Do remember that this is China, even if you're working with a high budget, your expectations should be realistic. If you're from the US, UK or Australia, the housing you'll find here will often not be of the quality you're used to.

We recommend you finalize your permanent accommodation two months before relocating. This way you can make sure you get the property that you had actually viewed instead of a substitute unit within the same compound. Most landlords are not willing to wait more than two months before the actual lease start date; they'd rather rent out to another tenant who can start their lease ASAP. Be smart about the whole thing, before signing the lease, ensure that all the agreed-upon additional requirements (including accurate furniture list) have been accounted for. It's next to impossible to ask for anything after lease has been signed. Sometimes, you may find yourself in a situation where the landlord of the unit you are interested in will turn around in the midst of your negotiation and go with another party/tenant who has offered to pay a higher rent. Though not often, it happens.

What are the most popular neighborhoods in Nanjing for expats?

Nanjing is divided into nine districts (Gu Lou, Xuan Wu, Bai Xia, Yu Hua Tai, Jiang Ning, Qing Huai, Jian Ye, Qi Xia, and Xia Guan). Most families with children favor Jiangning district because it’s close to the "British School of Nanjing", or Xuanwu because of "Nanjing International School (NIS)". Jiangning is located approximately 30-40 minutes from the city center. This new and vibrant community is home to the Jiangning Economic & Technological Development Zone which houses many multinational companies and their families, boasting a cleaner environment and large, secure, gated, family homes/villas. Many of these villa compounds provide state-of-the art facilities such as gyms/saunas, supermarkets, and restaurants.

Xuanwu is close to the city centre. It is home to the majestic XuanWu Lake and is close to a whole array of shopping & food streets. It has vast amounts of villa compounds and High-end apartment complexes. These compounds provide indoor/outdoor swimming pools, restaurants and are close to international supermarkets and a popular nightclub district for foreigners. The district also has easy access to the metro (subway) and the Nanjing train stations.

If you’re single and in the prime of your life then BaiXia, which is right in the city centre, is the place for you. Baixia is vibrant, energy filled and is scattered with high-rise apartment buildings, serviced apartments, international department stores and supermarkets such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, and a restaurant and bar district that cater to everyone’s pallet, all of which are within walking distance.

Another great place to live is the Shanghai Lu area. The street, with it's many restaurants and venues targeted at Nanjing's expat community, makes it the most international surrounding in Nanjing. Shanghai Lu is between Nanjing Normal University and Nanjing University and as such it attracts a lot of expats who either work or study in the nearby universities. Living on Shanghai Lu is a little pricey but well worth it.

If you're new to China and looking to slowly submerge yourself into the local culture, Shanghai Lu is a great place to live, it's distinct Chinese yet international feel serves as a great buffer for those who are worried about culture shock and transitioning into life in China.

Typically, will I be required to pay additional money up front (security deposits and such) before moving into leased housing? If so, how much is common? The standard practice is to pay a deposit equivalent to two months’ rent in addition to your first month’s rent before you move in. Depending on your landlord, this may be as soon as the lease is signed. On the whole, accommodation in China is pretty affordable compared to most other countries.

Are utilities generally included in the price of rent, or are they extra?

Normally these are not included. However, it is possible to negotiate inclusion of some in the rental. Once again still cheaper to what you’d expect to pay if you were living in another developed country.

Are there special security concerns I should be aware of in regards to my home or choice of neighborhood?

Nanjing is a safe city! You are unlikely to hear about or experience violent crime. However, just to be safe, most housing compounds that expats tend to live at are guarded. The most common but rare form of crime in Nanjing is pick pocketing in crowded places. That friend who told you the horror story about her two iPhones being stolen probably lost them in a drunken stupor.

I’m not sure if I should bring my appliances?

The simple answer is NO. Appliances are inexpensive and are usually included as part of your lease agreement.

If you absolutely insist on bringing your own juicer, or whatever you can't possibly live without, here is what you should know. The electric current in China is 220 volts. The electrical Hertz (Hz) is 50. The "official" plug type is like Type A, but slightly shorter and without holes in blades. Type "A" and "I" outlets are common and Type "G" might also be found.

Below are examples of the types of plugs that are used in China:

What else should I know about living in NJ?

Nanjing is a city undergoing a lot of construction. It's best to see if your new home is close to constructions site or is likely to be affected by a new construction site. Construction will be 24/7, creating an “uncomfortable living situation”. This is temporary though as building here go up fast.

Orientation and Induction meeting with ICI staff and the employer representative

Upon your arrival, our Program Coordinator will show you around the place where you will be staying, help you get familiar with its surrounding environment and facilities such as restaurants and supermarket, and show you how to use the public transport system etc. We will also take you to meet the host company for an induction before you formally start your work.

Welcome Package

To help you settle down more comfortably and efficiently, you will be provided with a ready-prepared convenience package, which includes: a) a map of the city; b) a prepaid transportation card with Rmb30 inside; c) a mobile (Premium Package) with a local SIM card with Rmb50 inside; d)Business Card; and f) others.

Welcome Dinner

On the day of your arrival, you will be further welcomed with a banquet in a traditional Chinese restaurant, where you will have a chance to really get to know all the other interns, along with ICI staff and of course you will be able to try authentic local food.

Reference Letter on departure from ICI and the Employer

At your request, your host company will issue a reference letter summarizing your performances, the contributions that you have made and your qualifications from the employer’s perspective, which will surely add value to your CV and benefit for your future job application. ICI will always serve as a professional referee whenever needed.

Accidental Insurance

Accidental Insurance will be effected, covering maximum RMB100,000 for personal fatal casualty or maximum RMB20,000 for medical treatment attributed by the accidents in the mainland of China.

Social & Culture Activity

Our Program Coordinator will make sure you get the most out of your time in one of the world's most exciting cities. During weekends, we often organize students to do sightseeing to places like Great Wall, Summer Palace and other historic spots and try and enjoy traditional Chinese food, for instance learn how to eat Peking Duck and learn all about Chinese eating etiquette. We also encourage our students to visit Hope Schools, homes for aged people, and neighborhood communities doing volunteer work and making donations to people in needs. Our staff will also assist in making travel arrangements to other parts of China, like Terra Cotta in Xi’an.

Business & Networking Events

Networking is a crucial part of conducting business in China and the business-networking scene is very active. We will help maximize networking opportunities by keeping you informed of all the relevant events.

24/7 Personal Support

We make sure that our staff is always reachable whenever you need any assistance and all questions are properly answered.

Mandarin Tutoring

4 to 6 hours Mandarin tutoring classes are conducted to help you master some basic and survival Chinese to add your fun in your adventure and make your life much enjoyable. It also creates opportunities for our staff to meet you and provide assistance on the spot.

Placement Completion Bonus

Upon completion of your internship, ICI will appraise your internship performance by working closely with your company. A Placement Completion Bonus will be granted to those who have successfully completed their internship placement, which you may like to spend to buy presents and gifts for your family and friends at home. The amount of the bonus will be at ICI’s discretion.

Farewell Drinks

On the day of your departure, our Managing Director will see you off in person and invite you for a farewell drink in the hope that we will be seeing you soon wherever you are in the world.