Help applying for a Z visa

[Billie]

Hi, wow, I'm a little overwhelmed and hoping someone can help.

I'm from New Zealand, currently living in Mianyang in the Sichuan Province on a visitors visa. I'm going to be employed as a Manager/Digital artist so I assume that means I would come under the skilled foreigner category.

Is it absolutely necessary to go to Hong Kong? I say this because a friend of mine went to Hong Kong and later found he didn't really need to and could apply for it in Shanghai, where he is. Although I'm not sure if the same service is available here in Sichuan.

Does anyone know if there is somewhere with a clear list of requirements and the process for how I can go about this?

Or even better, can I hire an agent to organise this for me? Can anyone recommend anyone?

Thanks in advance for your help - I really need it!

[roddy]

Has your company employed foreigners before? If so, they should know what to do. If not, they've got plenty of hoops to jump through before you even need to get out of bed.

[muirm]

My (American) company used an agency called Emigra. They were very professional, knowledgable, and detail oriented. The process was quite involved and I do not think I could have done it myself (even if I had been in China). I believe the total bill for everything was around $2000, which seemed pretty expensive to me.

Based on my understanding, you have to apply for the Z visa at a foreign Chinese consulate, of which there are none in China. Actually applying for the visa is near the end of the process, so there will be weeks of applying for various certificates, getting a health check, and mailing important documents around until you are actually ready to go to Hong Kong (or wherever).

I applied for my Z visa approximately 10 months ago, so it is possibly policies have changed since then.

[liuzhou]

I'm going to be employed as a Manager/Digital artist so I assume that means I would come under the skilled foreigner category.

Why? You think China doesn't have their own people to do that? Never assume anything in China!

But generally, what Roddy said.

The granting of a Z-visa is entirely dependent on the employer being authorised to employ foreigners in the first place. If they haven't got that together, then not only will it not be happening, but I suggest alarm bells should be ringing. You shouldn't need to use an agent. Any legitimate employer would do it for you.

[Billie]

Roddy - Thanks, yes, my Chinese friend has recently started a business and isn't completely sure where to start with the visa process himself. So I'm trying to help find what he needs to do as well, sorry I should have said this in the question.

Muirm - this is helpful, thank you, I'll check these guys out. Sounds like this will be taking some time...hopefully I can get it done on time.

Liuzhou - I use softwares that aren't taught in China nor are translated to Mandarin. It's very hard to find people who use them in China, hence my friend asking me to come here. This is why I assumed it, but thanks for implying I'm presumptuous silly westerner?

[liuzhou]

First of all a Z-visa is a visa to enter China to take up pre-arranged employment. You say you are already in China. Z-visa shouldn't apply. What you need is a residence permit. Z-visas are only valid for 30 days to allow time to apply for the residence permit.

Being granted "foreign expert status", without residence permits cannot be issued, depends on a number of conditions, but particularly that the skill in question is one that the relevant authorities have identified as beneficial to China in the absence of qualified native staff with the same skills.

It is not enough that the prospective employee uses some resource which China doesn't happen to have or which hasn't been translated to Mandarin (that could be easily arranged), or because a friend wants him/her. It is up to the foreign experts bureau to identify the need, not your friend. Also, the employer then has to satisfy certain other conditions before being licensed to employ foreigners.

Or a large bribe will do.

I politely and humbly suggest your friend needs to do a considerable amount of research, which is what Roddy said. Any inferences you make are beyond my control.