Teachers in Shanghai will be able to work in kindergartens and primary schools in the United States, as some US pre-school and primary educational institutions are seeking educators in the city, today's Youth Daily reported.

The US is short of around 200,000 teachers for kindergartens and primary schools.

Candidates recruited by the US educational institutions will be offered a three-year H1B visa and get paid around US$9 an hour, according to an official surnamed Lei with China International Intellect Corp, a job recruitment firm.

Lei is in charge of the US teacher recruitment project.

He said the teachers recruited will teach kids of about five years old in kindergartens and schools in or near the state of Maryland in the eastern US. They will be able to apply for green cards on arrival in the US.

Spouses and children of the teachers will be able to go to the US with the H4 visas, Lei said.

Spouses will be allowed to take a job in the US and their children will receive compulsory education.

However, US requirements on local candidates are higher than most local schools, Lei noted.

Candidates must have a four-year university education, preferably as an English major or at a normal university.

They must speak fluent English and have at least two years of teaching experience in kindergartens or primary schools.