work permits and the olympics

[bottledpoetry]

Hey guys!

So I'm pretty unfamiliar with how to get a longterm (year) work permit in China. I'm thinking of working part-time in Beijing or Shanghai, and then picking up language study at Tsinghua or BNU in September. Question: I've been reading that students are having issues getting their residency permits renewed for the olympic months--is there a similiar situation for people applying for work permits? If it is harder to get work permits in Beijing, would this apply for Shanghai?

Thanks much

[liuzhou]

The only way to get a work permit is to first be employed by an organisation which is authorised to employ foreign staff. You don't just apply for one then look for a job.

[cdn_in_bj]

I'm thinking of working part-time in Beijing or Shanghai

I don't think you'll be able to get a work permit for part-time work. There's a bit of cost and hassle involved for the sponsoring company, and I'm pretty sure there are rules about what kind of work qualifies for a work permit.

[bottledpoetry]

ahhh T_T so it's pretty much impossible to be a student and have a job at the same time then?

liuzhou, thanks for pointing out my error with the work permit. oopsies

[cdn_in_bj]

ahhh T_T so it's pretty much impossible to be a student and have a job at the same time then?

Well there's nothing stopping you from doing that. It depends on what kind of part-time work you're looking into. You should be able to get an X-visa through your school anyways, so at least you'll be allowed to stay in the country.

[bottledpoetry]

thanks!

[BrandeX]

But, yes, it is illegal working at all on a student visa, not that it stops anyone usually.