Although this violates Upwork's terms of service. This contact, as you did, should be blocked. I recommend he also be reported directly to contractor support because this is a major infraction.
That said, what would motivate this contractor to break the rules so severely? Now consider his life. This freelancer knows he is screened from some majority, if not perhaps almost all U.S.-only posted jobs. He believes he is qualified. He knows he can deliver excellent work. He has himself to feed, perhaps his family to feed. Yet by sheer location of residence, his capability to do so is vastly limited over ours.
Agency membership will not help. As an international, even Agency feed-through would be blocked. The best he could do is subcontract through a Upwork contract established by a U.S. resource that physically hires him as a subcontractor.
He has broken the rules. The block was correct, reporting major infractions is probably a good idea. "Rules are rules" and they exist for a reason.
I think a moment or two for empathy. Perhaps a quiet tear a fellow contractor might be driven to points of desparation. A joyous, humble thank you, that most work is not posted in China and we are blocked from even seeing it.
Is the balanced response to doing what must be doing.
For the record, I hire only internationally. To date, Bucharest, Kyev, Lagos, three cities in India, and Argentina. I mentor only internationally. That is not to be intentionally discriminatory. That is to help individuals who are fellow freelancers and who work at a massive disadvantage to us.
Following the rules. Compassion, and humble thanks is my response to this situation.
