Foreign experts certificate denied?

I recently got a job offer to teach English in Qingdao and everything seemed to be moving along smoothly until my potential employer informed me that my application for a foreign experts certificate was denied. He explained that as of 2012, due to an increase in foreigners wanting to work in China, the government now requires that you need a minimum of 3 years working experience after you graduate college. I only graduated college 2 years ago, and was told that I could have the job next year. I have a friend working in China who said that he had never heard of this and it was possible that for whatever reason my potential employer was simply lying to me for whatever reason. Does anyone know anything about this new regulation on receiving a foreign experts certificate?