Budget-Friendly Student Visa Options in Shanghai

[Fart in the Wind]

For the past few years, I've been studying at Jiaotong University and other schools in Shanghai in order to acquire visas, and I've been working as a tutor and document translator during this period to support myself. I'd like to continue with this relatively free lifestyle, so I'm once again looking for a school at which I can register to obtain a visa. Here I run into two problems.

One problem is that I don't really feel like sitting through classes for 20 hours per week for another semester and would like to spend that time doing other things. Unfortunately, new rules have recently been passed (at Jiaotong University, at least) that stipulate that students must attend at least 2/3 of their classes or have their visa canceled.

The other problem is that if I register at the one semi-private, university-affiliated school that I know of that is able to provide me with a six-month student visa, the cost after tuition and other fees is over 50% higher than studying at most universities. If it weren't for the cost, it would be ideal. They don't care about my attendance, and I can take a small number of one-on-one lessons instead of group lessons (have to register for group lessons but then can privately make alternative arrangements).

Does anyone know of any schools that meet my criteria: (1) can take a small number of one-on-one lessons or not attend lessons at all and (2) don't have to pay any more than the tuition at Jiaotong University (9,100 RMB last semester)?

(This visa stuff used to be so simple and cheap before the 2008 Olympics. All I had to do then was hand over 1,000 RMB or so to a "visa consulting" company, and a week later I'd have a new six-month F-visa.)

[abcdefg]

You may have come to the wrong website. Most of us here actually want to learn Chinese, not just get a visa so we can do other things.

[Fart in the Wind]

I can already speak Chinese fluently and I'm still interested in improving my Chinese; however, I'm not interested in taking group lessons and don't want to spend 20 hours per week in lessons unless I can arrange my lesson times so that they don't interfere with my other activities. Also, I've already gone through all the available courses at Jiaotong University, so at this stage, continuing to take lessons there or take similar lessons at another university would simply be an impediment to further progress.

Even if I weren't interested in studying Chinese, however, I don't really see how your point is relevant. Why would my goals have to be the same as the goals of the others on the forum in order to be able to get advice about inexpensive Chinese courses from them?

[陳德聰]

Wouldn't it make way more sense to just get hired as an ESL teacher for the Z-visa instead? Why are you wasting money on courses just for a visa when you can get one for free and get paid to do it too?

[Fart in the Wind]

No, it wouldn't make any sense because then I'd be spending a lot of time each week doing my least favorite activity, and it would be at the expense of time that I want to spend doing other things.

I'm not wasting money on courses just for a visa. If I got a free visa, I'd still take a few lessons per week, just not group lessons.

I appreciate all the lifestyle advice I keep getting from everyone, but I already know how I want to spend my time. I'm just looking for information about budget-friendly student visa options in Shanghai.

[liuzhou]

I'm just looking for information about budget-friendly student visa options in Shanghai.

No. You are looking for ways to buck the system.

[Fart in the Wind]

I never imagined my simple request for information about where to get cheap one-on-one Chinese lessons and a student visa would attract so many intelligent responses.

I assume you're referring to the egregious crime of working as a tutor and document translator while on an X-visa, since the level of irrationality required to permit you to construe merely searching for a good deal as bucking any system would also preclude you from being able to operate a computer. It's true that working while on an X-visa is "bucking the system," but you forgot about a more important point, which is that no one cares. Finding a way to buck the system is pretty much the only real system in China, anyway.

If anyone has information that actually pertains to the original topic (i.e., finding budget-friendly student visa options in Shanghai), please let me know.

[roddy]

While I'd recommend caution about working on anything that isn't a work visa, fair enough to anyone who's done the research and decided it's their best option. Wasn't that long ago half of Beijing seemed to be freelancing on F visas, myself included.

[陳德聰]

I don't know anything about Jiaotong's 2/3 rule, but if it's anything like Fudan's, then you may have it a little bit wrong.

At Fudan (slightly more expensive at 10500rmb a semester), you must attend 2/3 of your each of your classes in order to take that particular class's exam. If you miss 2 weeks in a row of classes, then you run into visa problems. My friend attended a total of 2 days of class this entire semester because one of our instructors didn't know how to use the electronic attendance system so she had 1 day every week where the system showed her as "in class", meaning no violation of the 2 weeks in a row, but she just wasn't allowed to take any of her finals. She spent the entire time just doing "internships", and going back and forth between her home country and Shanghai.

Essentially, students here can attend one day a week and retain the visa. If you're looking at improving your "already fluent" Chinese, consider the slightly more expensive Chinese Economics and Business or the Chinese Culture programs that are something like 500rmb more a semester. These two aren't so much for teaching you Chinese so much as they are just courses taught in Chinese to foreigners. Culture class typically has about 2-5 students in total.

PS. Coming to a forum and having a spastic reaction to people not welcoming your attitude but still expecting people to dispense advice may work against your overall goal.

[leen89]

Hey!!

im in the exact same situation! My current student visa expires at the end of the month and i dont want to continue at my current school because i dont like the groups and dont go every morning for 3 hours, would much rather learn mandarin at more flexible times or something, and other options ive come across are too expensive.

did you find a solution?? let me know pls!

[roddy]

Was wondering if either of you found solutions to your visa dilemmas?

[ChTTay]

I have just seen this due to Roddy's request for an update. Add my 2 cents on the University rules...

 

At Tsinghua in Beijing the rule was similar to that described at Fudan University. You could miss up to 40 hours of classes and still get a certificate at the end of the course. If you missed over 40 hours then no certificate. If you missed over 60 hours then they wouldn't let you sign on for another semester. The certificate "motivation" only worked if you had one semester there or were on your last semester... as you only got a cert. for your last/highest class level. I knew someone who went to around 1 or 2 classes a week and never had any threat of cancelling his visa. He didn't apply for the next semester either.

 

There are private schools in Beijing who used to be able to get their students into China on an X visa. Not sure if this is still possible. They were a lot cheaper than Universities and also the well know private schools that market themselves to foreigners abroad (like the adverts seen on this forum). Maybe Shanghai has similar places you just don't know about.

 

I also enjoyed reading the "attitude" in this thread. Especially the OP's forth post where they pulled out all the fancy words. Good stuff.

[biterdi]

First of all, hello to everybody!

 

How did this turn out?

 

Thanks for answering!

[hydrandt]

I have a similar issue. Came to Shanghai as an unpaid intern, however, magically, the Chinese embassy I have applied at (in Kuala Lumpur) gave me a 60 days X2 visa. When I tried to extend this visa at Exit-Entry bureau in Pudong with exactly the same documents that I applied for it with, the clerks looked rather confused, and said that there is no way one can get X2 visa without the JW202 form and letter of admission.

 

Understandably, I am trying to find a way to extend the visa here without leaving China. Has anyone found a way to get the JW202 and admission notice for a reasonable price? 

[martin-parker]

Hello,

 

I have exactly the same problem. I'm keen to resume my studies after half a year at Jiao Tong -- but I want to study by myself and with a private teacher instead of staying at the university. Isn't there any reasonable, budget-friendly way?

[陳德聰]

I find this very amusing. In what country is there a "just stick around and not study or work"-visa?

[OneEye]

In Taiwan, they call that a spousal visa. That's the one I have, but I study and work. It's a flexible visa.

[roddy]

He wants to study, he just wants to do it privately and is looking for a visa solution. I don't see what's amusing. Unfortunately I don't see what the visa solution is, either, unless he can find a visa-issuing private school he likes. 

 

There are plenty of places where, with the right passport, you can quite happily string chains of 3 month stays together. Not so long ago China used to be one. It's hardly surprising if people ask for advice on this. 

 

If you want to laugh at people you could perhaps do it quietly. 

[陳德聰]

Yes, but it's completely unsurprising that "private teacher" doesn't qualify as a recognized institution.

Visa rules exist for a reason multiple reasons, and if it's hard to get your way in China, that's life. Undoubtedly if there were some sort of insider information that could be so easily exploited, it would only last so long anyway. Maybe this should be the "list of cheap recognized institutions" thread.

[martin-parker]

As far as I know, they have just stick around and not study or work"-visas in most countries. They are called tourist visas. Unfortunately, the duration of stay doesn't suit my needs - I want to stay for half a year. If that's possible by getting an tourist visa in HK and extending it twice in Pudong, than get another visa in HK and extend it twice again -- fine for me; could that work? I already have an expired F visa and a residence permit in my passport.

 

I am, of course, thankful for all advice. I'm new to this forum and I stick to the rules. I ask politely. But, as the thread opener with the unfortunate name put it: I'm not here for lifestyle advice. If anyone would rename the thread to cheap regognized institutions, it wouldn't be a problem for me - although I'm open for other ways, e. g. tourist visas if there is a chance of approval.

 

Thank you, roddy.