Z visa renewal

[Ashriel]

Hello.

I found a new agent a week before my visa expired. It expired on August 31. Agent said that with all the needed letters like ,,Cancellation letter,, and others he can renew it or make a new one. Z visa, I mean. So for now, I've started working in their company, while they were told me to wait something around the month for a new one. Like not to travel between cities and do not catch an eye of the police.

So, I know me staying here after visa expiration is illegal, but can they actually make a new one so I could stay here after that without a problems?

I mean, are they actually doing it or just stalling time to make me work for free and then toss to the police? This place in which I work now is actually seems to be in need of a teacher, with a nice people and workers told me that they can arrange everything with visa, but still.... While there is a chance being scammed it is always not a comfortable feeling. What should I do? Maybe ask them to pay me every week, so if it is a fraud i would actually have money to pay a fine?

Thanks.

[Ashriel]

But also, if you think about making me work for free - it doesn't make sense. This company will have to pay a lot of money as a fine for hiring me illegally, right?

[Tianjin42]

It's never a good sign if your employer/ agent tells you to keep your head down and avoid the police. 

 

But you are in a bit of a predicament now so it's best to plot your path out. It's difficult to judge the specifics without further information. I think for a start it might be a good idea and try to build a time-frame here. Check when they expect the visa to be sorted and if you have leverage, try to place a time limit on this yourself. Remember that if you are registered with this company then out-stay the visa, it can also mean some trouble for them which presumably they would like to avoid. 

 

I would try to check how far along the visa process has progressed, the expected time of arrival and perhaps gather a little more information on your employer - have people worked there before, etc?

 

Were you working on a full Z visa previously? It can be difficult for a non English-native to obtain a Z-visa for an English teaching role if that is what it is. 

 

You can raise the issue of pay if you wish but do so carefully and tactfully. Ideally you'd just clear this up but the situation is now sensitive and they have pay that they owe you by the sound of this. I think it would be fair to ask for some of the pay at this stage given the situation.

[Ashriel]

Well they've said that they extend it for a month as another type, tourist or business. So I can't work, but can stay. And by the end of this month they will finish to make Z visa, cause it takes almost a month.

I just wonder if they can extend or make a new kind of visa for one month, as they said, without my original documents, just with the copies. It seems that they are actually making  it.

[roddy]

It's kind of impossible to say - we don't know where you are and how legitimate the company is. It's possible, yes, but it's a situation that'd make me nervous. Do you know anybody else working for the company that has gone through a similar process? 

[Ashriel]

I don't know anyone else, but the company seems solid. People seems nice, both in company and school. I guess I'll just wait for one month and see if they were honest.

By the way, they said they made for this month some visa so I could stay until Z visa will be made. Something like Business or Tourist visa. But I gave them only a copy of my passport, so in the original one I have no stamps about this. Does it work that way? In my opinion if you get any kind of visa it must be stamped in your passport... Thanks for your replies.

[roddy]

Hang on, they haven't even taken your passport off you? There's no way they've got you a new visa, or even started the process of getting you a new visa, without your passport going to the PSB. I'd be standing up and walking right out to throw myself on the mercy of the PSB, stopping only to pack an overnight bag and phone my consulate. 

 

Any other thoughts? This now looks utterly dodgy to me. 

[Ashriel]

Well, they took the copies.... Maybe they need originals only in the end? Well, tomorrow they will come to this town, So I will be able to ask them everything directly.

[roddy]

I have never heard of anyone getting a visa based on copies of their passport. You give your passport to the PSB, they give it back with a new visa in. This might still work out, but I'm extremely dubious about whoever it is you're working for.

[Ashriel]

Today I've found out that they trying to make another kind of visa. So basically they trying to tell me that I can legally work on Business visa. I know it's illegal. Anyway I will have to work for some time to get money for tickets. At least now i know that I get some visa, even if it's not Z one. I would be able to stay in China legally.

And about passport - they said they will need originals only in the end, for now copies are enough. Thanks for all your help.

[roddy]

Ashriel, any update on this?

[Ashriel]

After me complaining about this situation and telling them that maybe I should go to PSB, they decided to make Z visa. Now they are gathering all of my documents for applying.

Well, it doesn't mean I trust them on this, but if they would make Z visa it would be great. For now I can just hope everything would be ok.

[roddy]

Do you have anything in your passport yet? Seriously, I think you have a problem here. 

[Ashriel]

Nah. For now, the only thing stopping me from going to SPB is that I don't have money for a fine and even if they catch me later it would not be bigger.

On the other hand, they seem trustworthy. And school makes plans for me for half a year at least. Not easy to stay here in this situation, though.

[roddy]

The fine might be the least of your worries, it's the prison I'd be concerned about. 

[Ashriel]

I've decided to post here a result of this situation. So in March I went to a police station, paid a fine for overstay and they made me a new visa so I could leave. No jail time, letters of apology, statements on camera and other stuff that they make you do sometimes. As a result, left to my country with no deportation or anything, so I guess I can go back without problems.

Also, I have a question about Z visa. What about training centers? Do they provide legal work visas? And what problems or scams can there be if you come to China on Z visa issued by your embassy, with work permit and invitational letter and signed contract(all how it should be). Can they scam you somehow after all of this?