Working visa for China: Hong Kong or Bangkok

[lovelife]

Hey,

I got a student visa which is expiring in like 30 days. I started a teaching job at a kindergarden which promised to change my visa to a working one, but now it seems this can only be done if i leave the country. So, basically, they are now issuing my working permit and once that's done i should leave the country and go to Hong Kong (or Bangkok) and get my working visa issued there. These are my questions:

1. Does anyone know if I can get a working visa for China issued in Bangkok, or it must be Hong Kong (i'm on an English passport, if that makes any difference at all)

2. out of the two, which one is going to be cheaper- just checked the flights and they cost roughly the same, but i have the feeling that staying in Bangkok might be cheaper. I've not been to either, so i have no idea how much it would cost me to hang out there for 5-6 days until the visa is issued. Money is a bit of an issue at the moment, so the cheaper city wins.

Thanks a lot for the help. Don't be shy and share your experience, i need to buy the ticket asap as i'm really short on cash and prices are going up by the hour.

Thanks a lot

[liuzhou]

No idea about visa but for accommodation, Bangkok for sure. Loads of cheap places around Kao San Road. Go Google.

In HK you will bleed cash.

However, "... a kindergarden which promised to change my visa to a working one, but now..." is one of the oldest scams in China.

[abcdefg]

Deleted by OP. (It's a subject I don't really know much about, and I was just quoting prior post in a misguided effort to help out.)

Edited May 31, 2013 at 10:43 AM by abcdefg

[Lost in Mong Kok]

In HK you would use the consulate - it may be a bit easier for them to correspond with the relevant departments in the mainland regarding this kindergarden. The consulate is quite large, they're dealing with a lot of similar cases I'd imagine.

As has been mentioned though, HK isn't cheap. Or at least not as cheap as Bangkok. You can get a cheap room in HK for around $150HK in Chungking Manions (full of hostels), maybe a little cheaper, but it won't be nice.

[lovelife]

However, "... a kindergarden which promised to change my visa to a working one, but now..." is one of the oldest scams in China.

I hope you are wrong on this one, they've just taken all my documents to the whatever government office which is supposed to issue a work permit for me in the next 10 working days, then apparently i can apply for a working visa with this, but it has to be done outside the country because i'm on a student visa now. who knows- i agree that you can never fully trust these people and can expect anything from them. but if its really a scam, then they've put a lot of effort into crafting it.

Thanks for the replies thou, it seems Bangkok is the cheaper option, i hope they issue working visas there too

[jbradfor]

So, basically, they are now issuing my working permit and once that's done i should leave the country and go to Hong Kong (or Bangkok) and get my working visa issued there.

It's probably not relevant to your case, but I'm curious.

If they are already issuing your work permit, why do you need to go to Bangkok to get a work visa? The point of a work visa is to get you into China so that you can apply for your work permit. If your work permit is issued, aren't you done?

In HK you will bleed cash.

But it's worth it. If you have the cash to bleed, of course.

[sunroof]

As I check the visa application from China consulate in Thailand, it has an option to apply for work visa(Z visa).

If you need any info about Bangkok (except accommodation), you can let me know anytime. (I lives in BKK since I was born )

[lovelife]

If they are already issuing your work permit, why do you need to go to Bangkok to get a work visa? The point of a work visa is to get you into China so that you can apply for your work permit. If your work permit is issued, aren't you done?

I know, it doesn't make any sense, but i've already given up on seeking common sense in chinese peoples's actions-there simply isn't any. or, rather there is, but it doesnt follow our 'from A straight to B' pattern. It follows some twisted chinese pattern which always involves the long way around and passing the workload onto someone else. Things are never straightforward in this country, and when it comes to bureaurocratic obstacles- its even more so. but that's part of the reason why we love this crazy country isn't it. So back to your comment- apparently you can't change a student visa to a working visa, it has to be a tourist visa into a working one, or newly issued working visa altogether. Well, thats what i'm being told by my employers. Or... I'm on the wrong end of a scam that's gonna leave me short of about 6000 kuai. The thing is, sometimes things can be done the easy way, but that involves some people actually doing their jobs, which, following their communistic mindset they are not willing to do, so they just invent an obstacle and redirect you to someone else. i'm sure everyone has experienced this at least once. For example, my degree diploma is from a Bulgarian university. I only brought the translation which is certified by the ministry of education and it has about 5 stamps of authencity on it. These guys at the work permit office here, however, rejected it and wanted to see the original diploma (which i didnt bring to china cos its in bulgarian language and its useless if you cant read it, and cos i have the certified translation thats equally valid) Whats the common sense to that- i dont know.

Anyway, will let you guys know more when i know more. my diploma is on the way via dhl and on tuesday i should've applied for the work permit. then we'll see

[doczeesh]

Hi,

I have landed into a very similar situation except i hold an Indian passport (I hope that doesn't make any difference), so lovelife whats your status on the situation, can a student visa be converted to work visa with proper documentation in Hong Kong? and if yes then any suggestions on where to stay, dos and don'ts etc... would appreciate a quick reply, thanks!

[lovelife]

hi Doczeesh, sorry man, just checked the post now. sure its too late, but if you still want info i can go into more detail. i changed my visa into a tourist one in the end cos i didnt want to commit to the school. let me know if you need to know more.

[Eezageeza]

For those who are reading this and are currently deciding whether to go to Hong Kong or Bangkok for a visa:-

I was in China and had found a new job. I had been working in China for three years and decided to take a break. My residency permit was running out so I got a tourist visa in Hong Kong.

After a bit of time, I found a new job and did the medical and the school applied for my Foreign Expert Certificate (FEC). Unfortunately, my tourist visa was going to run out before I received my FEC, which I needed for the work Z visa.

Due to funds beginning to run low, I decided to go to Bangkok instead of Hong Kong as it would be cheaper to get yet another tourist visa there so I could return to China and wait for my FEC (which would take over three weeks (far too long to risk overstaying and possibly ruining my future Z visa application...).

So, I left China and flew to Bangkok...

BIG MISTAKE!

Just like others are saying, the visa office's rules differ from Hong Kong, the visa office's website is nonsense and not applicable to the actual visa office rules.

To get the L Tourist Visa I required a bank statement with over $2000 US in the account! DoubleUTF!!! HolyDigestedFood!!

This was not required from me in Hong Kong before...

I ended up (in fact I STILL AM at the time of writing) stuck in Bangkok for over 5 weeks!! I had a Bank of China Bank Account, but the Bank of China, Bangkok bank couldn't access my account. I ended up having to borrow money off a range of friends and working a couple of classes in Bangkok just to get by and get the $2000 together.

Once I got the money together, I went to open an account and discovered that they needed my driving license...

I got up early and went to the visa office. They told me that I needed to turn the money into Traveller's Cheques instead. So, I did this and the next time they told me that I needed the outgoing flight and RETURN FLIGHT ticket from Bangkok to China and return FROM CHINA BACK TO BANGKOK!!

D'oh!

When I got back I got an email saying my FEC had arrived in the school in China. So they sent these to me. I applied for the Z visa with my CHINESE Medical Certificate, FEC, Employment Letter, A flight ticket, and all the photocopies and Traveller's Cheques and stuff. They told me that I needed to do the Medical Check at the hospital AND I STILL NEEDED TO HAVE THE $2000 US!!!...

I've decided to get the Z visa in Hong Kong, so I booked a flight to Hong Kong.

DON"T GO TO BANGKOK TO GET A CHINESE VISA UNLESS YOU HAVE $2000 US in a Bank Account or in Traveller's Cheques!!!!

Hong Kong can be done very cheaply if you stay in CHUNG KING MANSIONs. It is the cheapest place to stay unless you couch surf. The Hong Kong visa office is FABULOUS compared to the Bangkok office.

GO TO HONG KONG!!!!!!!!!!

[abcdefg]

Sorry for the trouble you had to go through, but appreciate your taking the time to write up your experience so it can help others in the future.

[roddy]

Good luck in Hong Kong!

[laowang]

Sorry to hear the story in BKK. It is better to ask the person behind the desk in Chinese embassy to write down all the papers you need so as not to leave something. They don't like to tell you from A straight to B. They need more work of yours, not theirs, to control you. That's what they used to do in China. Anyhow Hongkong is a good story.

[roddy]

Eezageeza, we can't sleep for worrying about you. What happened?