Student to working visa change

[orangutan]

Hi everyone,

I'm going to study in Beijing for a year from September and also hope to get a job teaching English part-time. I should be able to sort out a student visa before I arrive - but does anyone know how easy it is to change this to a working visa once I get there and how long it takes? Would love to here in particular from anyone who's done this.

Thanks in advance!

[Senzhi]

If it's under a Chinese contract: your employer will have to apply for a work permit, on which a Z-visa can be applied for. The Z-visa (employment visa) will have to be changed into a residence permit within 30 days. The residence permit is valid for one year, and is renewable inside the country.

If it's under a foreign contract: you'll have to apply for an F-Visa (business visa), which can be valid for 6 or 12 months, and can be renewed (although you may have to leave the country for the renewal).

Be aware that a lot of schools will issue a Chinese contract, but have the dodgy behaviour of only helping foreign teachers with F-visas ... which is cheaper, but also illegal.

The whole process for a residence permit (from start to finish) can take from one week up to one month, depending on the local bureaucracy (and its speediness).

An F-visa should take no longer than one day (or 2 days in the worst case scenario).

[simonlaing]

Hey

As a person whose been on all three visas, it is more tricky to change from a student visa to a Z working visa. You may have to leave the country (which actually just means going to Hong Kong).

Most Students doing part-time work just get the job and get paid in cash each week. The first few times you may worry about it, and feel guilty when the Head teacher reminds you not to work. But as long as you don't do any TV commertials or other silly things to bring attention to you it should be fine. Also it is possible to do some tutoring or other work.

Don't spend too much time worrying about the visa legality, there are a lot of places that jsut pay cash and it is fine. (though you should expect to be paid every week if they are going to do it this way.).

have fun,

Simon:)

[bigbear123]

Don't believe the hype!

You don't need to go anywhere to change any visa to any other visa.

I have been living in Beijing for 3 years (that's 5 visas, if you're counting) and all you have to do if you're in Beijing is hire a company to sponsor you.

If you go to a Uni, that's easy enough, as it's the uni. If you want a Z visa, you will need the company you are working for to issue a letter, etc. If you want an F visa (from a tourist visa) all you have to do is find the classifieds at That's Beijing and look for a visa company. It costs more to avoid travelling to Hong Kong, but after having done that once (expensive!) I avoided it twice more by simply paying a few hundred yuan more to the visa company for them to sponsor me.

Legal? Maybe.

The reason I did it the first time is that I went to the visa office with an incomplete application and the policewoman who served me told me to "get a friend who has a company" to sponsor me.

So I did the next best thing! I hired a friend who had a company. Never had any trouble, either. Registered with my local police station every time I got a new visa, no questions asked, badabing.

Hope this helps!