Z Visa for Shenzhen - 2 years work experience question

[Sme90]

I have been researching this 'requirement' for a while and have been unable to find a solid answer about it, so I am wondering if anyone has a definitive answer.

 

1) Does Shenzhen have this requirement? It seems Shanghai and Beijing certainly do, but what about Shenzhen?

2) Will it count if the work experience is relevent, in a field related to my major, but done before graduation?

 

I ask because I am graduating in December with a bachelors in Computer Science, and am wanting to work in Shenzhen as a software engineer/web developer (I already have been offered a position from a company, however they have never hired a foreigner before). By the time I graduate, I will actually have 2 years experience as a web developer. But of course this is not post-graduate experience. So does anyone know how my chances of getting the Z Visa would be?  (Technically I guess my application would get denied after the company tries to get the Invitation Letter, not at the Z Visa step)

 

Also, if indeed I am unqualified to work in Shenzhen, are there any cities, such as Chongqing, that do not have a 2 year post-grad work experience requirement?

 

Thank you

[vellocet]

If the company has never hired a foreigner before, then they have no idea what is going on.  It's going to be more difficult to work with them because there is a ton of specific paperwork to employ a foreigner.  There is no answer to your question because the law is interpreted differently depending on which officer is on duty.  You should use an agent to get your visa paperwork, and the company should pay for this.  But, they won't want to pay because they have no idea what is going on.  It was just someone's bright idea to get a laowai and they haven't thought the idea through.

[roddy]

Keep looking for work. The one in Shenzhen might work out, but as vellocet says, the procedures at their end to hire ANY foreigner, before they even look at hiring you specificially, can be time-consuming and difficult. Find other options and pursue them in parallel until someone actually gets you a visa. 

[Sme90]

Thanks. That sounds like its a good idea, given the uncertainty of the situation. Nonetheless, the opportunity is great so I don't want to give up completely on it.

 

Another slightly related question, like I said I will be graduating in December. However, for some reason it takes my school 3 months to mail out diplomas, so I won't actually have my degree in my hand until March. I'm assuming this means I can't even begin the process until then? Will college transcripts suffice in lieu of the physical degree?

[Huina]

Hi Sme,

 

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! Rumors abound, visas are weird and laws seem arcane...but one consistent thing that I've found is that employers want a scan or the physical copy of your diploma. My company required my real diploma and others I interviewed with wanted scans (since my diploma is entirely in Latin, it's still incomprehensible anyway, not like it helps...) Maybe ask the school to send you a facsimile?

 

From what I've seen...it seems like in some places, if a company wants you bad enough, they'll manage to get the visa somehow.

[ouyangjun]

I went through the work visa/permit process in Shanghaj, Suzhou, and Shenzhen. I can tell you they are all different, and Shenzhen is the weirdest. Foreigners have to go for a face to face interview. I work for a large company and have sufficient background for what I do, so it wasn't going to be a problem anyway, but when I went to the interview, as soon as the officer found I can speak Chinese the whole interview was him asking about what I do with my life in China (spare time, married, friends, food, etc)... He didn't look at any papers, just asked what I do and stamped everything.

[Sme90]

ouyangjun, was the interview done at the PSB?

[catherineak]

Hi Sme90,Gonganjun is chinese Pinyin ,in english means PSB Police station ,during processing working visa ,there will have interview with local PSB ,they will ask some questions about your working or life in china ,and what is your life in china ,something like that .