Going home country to apply for Z Visa

[elranchero41]

Hi,

I have found a job and got my foreign experts certificate. And the company tells me i must go back to my home country to apply for work visa as its the "rule". When i asked her if they would bear the burden or me as in flight ticket,she hastily replied it should be me.

I would like to know what is the common way of doing this. Does the applicant pay or the company? If its the company,I am going to pursue this by asking the GM about it.

Please let me know what happened in your experience. Or what do you think should happen in common sense.

Thanks!

[Cat Jones]

Check that you can't get it done in Hong Kong.

In my case my company agreed to reimburse the cost of my flight home, but only after I'd passed my probation period after 3 months.

[elranchero41]

I checked with an agency aswell now. They also say I must go back.

The secretary on the other hand says she has already talked to the GM and they cant take responsibility for fees that are incurred before i enter the job which is pretty silly because there arent any other fees left after i start the job...

[Cat Jones]

Hmmm I had to return home too. Very annoying isn't it.

I suspect the reason you cannot do it in HK is because your foreign experts cert and other paperwork states that it is for issuing of a visa in your home country. You can get this paperwork made out for the visa to be issued in HK instead. Can you check with an agency in HK to see what they say?

I don't know if your company has a responsibility to pay for your travel costs. Also make sure you check whether they are going to pay you while you are away. It would be a double slap in the face if they didn't pay you while you made the visa trip.

[elranchero41]

Would be swell if they paid for it. Not looking forward to spending my 1st month salary on my plane ticket. It feels like they will get a 1 month free work out of me.

And nope, they will definitely not pay anything until i come back and start working. That's fine though i think.

The agency i talked to was from HK if i remember right. They mentioned the new rules that were announced yesterday and hence authorities being very firm about the regulations for awhile. Overall, he says its a very bad time for Hk visa runners.

This is gonna stink not just for me but many other people if true.

[Cat Jones]

Oh yes, the new visa regulations. Do you have to provide the new criminal check certificate also?