Visa difficultiesfor teachers

[mckn4980]

My Partner and I are applying to teach in China and we both have been accepted for a teaching post in Beijing.

The only problem is getting the correct paperwork from the college in order for us to get a Z visa.

According to the agent there has been a change in policy this January that the old style documentation is no longer issued. The problem we are experiencing is that the Embassies are not recognising these changes and require the old style documents.

We have been advised by the college to travel out on a tourist visa and they will change it to a Z visa when we get there. I contacted the Chinese Embassy in Dublin and they said that under no circumstances should we travel out on a tourist visa as they can no longer be changed to a Z visa.

What I really want to know is has anyone one else experienced difficulties in the last 6 months getting a Z visa or have heard of these changes?

I am concerned that the college may not be giving me the correct information and I don’t want to enter China under false pretences.

If anyone knows anything about this it would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards

[Dave]

I myself am waiting for an invitation letter from a Public Univ. where I am supposed to go work for a whole year and with it apply for my Z visa at the local embassy.

On several forums on the internet I have found some good advice!

Dont go without a Z visa as you will be working illegaly, and we already know what that means (no pay, blackmail etc...).

Try other schools, forget about the recruiter, but DONT GO WITHOUT A Z VISA.!

Its my piece of advice.

Good luck

Dave

[gato]

What kind of documents did you get from your school? I just got a Z visa from the San Francisco Chinese consulate two weeks ago.

The Chinese embassy states that to apply for the Z, you need (1) a visa notification and (2) a foreign expert license. I did receive these in addition to an invitation letter from the university where I will be teaching. I gave copies of all three to the consulate, and they processed the application without any complaints.

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84245.htm

A visa notification issued by the authorized Chinese unit, and a Work Permit for Aliens issued by the Chinese Labor Ministry/ Foreign Expert's License issued by the Chinese Foreign Expert Bureau.

[phbriggs]

From what I have heard, it is still possible to change a L-visa to Z-visa in China. The school should be able to do this after you have arrived. What every you do, don't sign the contract until they have at least changed the visa to a z-visa. If you think things are dodgy, don't sign the contract until the residency application is under way and don't let the school hold you passport for safe keeing. You will need to give the school/PSB your passport to get the resodency permits and foreign experts certificate. This takes about 3 days, but make sure your passport is returned afterwards.

The only concern that I would have is if the school has not been able to issue the letter of invitation to you, it means that they may be having trouble getting permission from the local education bureau. This is only a concern if you are leaving in the next week or two.

Also check that the agency you have used in SAFEA licensed/approved.If they are, then the issues raised by Dave are probably unfounded.

If you think the agency is dodgy because it is not SAFEA registered/approved, send me an email on phbriggs2000@yahoo.com.au and I can send you the details of an agency which is.

Also, the school should send you a questionarie (summary of conditions) before you leave which should outline what will be provided to you at you arrival.

[roddy]

Yeah, it is possible to change an L to a Z - the issue is sorting out the schools who can't do it, and just say they will, from the schools who can do it and prefer to do that than process a load of paperwork for a teacher who hasn't yet arrived and might decide not to come.

I wouldn't automatically discard a school who asks you to arrive on an L visa - but I would want to be put in touch with a former teacher who has their L visa changed to a Z visa. That way you can be sure the school is at least capable of doing it, and won't fob you off with L visa extensions.

If there's an agency telling you nonsense in the middle, I'd be inclined to look elsewhere though.

Roddy

[mckn4980]

Thanks an million to you all for getting back to me!

I have received my Visa Notification Form (white form) and a letter from the Foreign Affairs Office explaining the new visa arrangement. These are both in Chinese so I obviously can't read them! I have also received a letter of invitation from the college in English.

The agent explained that this was the new procedure, and that up until the 3rd of August Chinese Embassies in England, Canada and USA are not issuing work visas with these documents. Apparently the Chinese government has made changes to visa procedure and not informed the Embassies.

The school has warned us not to apply for a Z visa as this may affect our chances of getting a tourist visa if we are unsuccessful.

The college is Beijing-USA College of English. Has anyone had any experience with this college?

Kind Regards

[fenlan]

I have never heard of anyone being turned down for a tourist visa to China!

[gato]

The agent explained that this was the new procedure, and that up until the 3rd of August Chinese Embassies in England, Canada and USA are not issuing work visas with these documents. Apparently the Chinese government has made changes to visa procedure and not informed the Embassies.

By agent, do you mean someone working at the consulate? I assume you have already been to the consulate with your application?

Did the procedure change on Aug 3? I just got my Z with the documents mentioned in my earlier post around July 25.

[mckn4980]

I should have made it a bit clearer.

We have received the documents but have not yet brought them to the Embassy because our recruiting agent has warned against it. She said that if they refuse us a work visa - then we apply for a tourist visa - we might be refused this as well. In other words she wants us to go straight for an L visa.

Basically I want to know has anyone else been told of these changes in procedure i.e. that the FAOs are not giving out the yellow form anymore.

Thanks again

[gato]

Could you use the official terminology? I'm not sure what the yellow form is. Do you mean the "foreign expert certificate"? I received one from my school. They issue it at the end of June.

I would recommend going to the consulate to ask them yourself. They should be able to tell you right away whether you have the right docuements.

[mckn4980]

Yes. Sorry. The Foreign Expert Certificate is the one we don't have. Apparently it was yellow?? Anyway, according to the recruiter the Beijing Municipal FAO is no longer issuing these.

Has anyone out there tried for a Z visa and been refused, and then applied for an L visa? If the Embassy is aware that we intend to travel to China to work, are they not likely to refuse us a tourist visa?

[fenlan]

Why would they refuse you a Z visa? With the right documentation, anyone can get a Z visa to teach English in China. Even people with no TEFL, no degree and no experience can do so. The embassy is not going to refuse you a Z visa or an L visa. Go to another school - there are plenty to choose from.

[liuzhou]

The required documents can be seen here .

If any employer says that they can't supply either of these before you arrive, they are probably lying and are not authorised to employ you.

Nearly all government travel advisories carry warnings abou this. Here is the British one.

[wushijiao]

Basically I want to know has anyone else been told of these changes in procedure i.e. that the FAOs are not giving out the yellow form anymore.

The FAO may be lazy. Getting all the paper work for a Z and mailing it can be a pain.

I would not come on an L, expecting a Z once in country if you are going to work for a private company. That's too risky. They may not have the pull to issue you a Z. The quality of baijiu wasn't good enough to bribe the ten person staff that issues the red stamp. I once shot an ad for a hotel, so that my school could get a Z from the corrupt local SOB!

I did come on an L once because I was going to work for a huge public university, and there were no problems getting a visa.

[roddy]

Difficult to know here what's going on.

One question - do you have degree certificates, and have you sent copies to the school / recruiter? If not then it's plausible that the Foreign Experts Bureau might not issue the Employment Permit in this case. But I find it hard to believe that they are not being issued at all. Perhaps not to you, if you don't have a degree or in some other way found lacking. Perhaps not to your school if they haven't met whatever standards they should meet. But a whole scale ceasing to issue the things sounds very unusual, and I'd be surprised if that was true. (so it probably is )

Roddy

[Varmint]

I would refuse to accept the position(s) if you are not provided with the proper paperwork needed to process your Z-visa. If you end up in China on a tourist, you may not be able to even get a Z without exiting the country.

[mckn4980]

Thanks a million to everyone who responded to my posting.

We have sorted everything out and we leave in just under 2 weeks.

Thanks again for all you advice.

[roddy]

For the sake of others in the same position, could you give a bit more detail on the 'sorting out' . . .

Roddy

[magores]

A school has contacted me regarding a position, and has offered to assist me in obtaining an F visa.

Can I safely go to China a teach English under the F visa, or should I search for someplace that can provide a Z visa?

Thanks

[roddy]

Same story as the tourist visa - you shouldn't be working on it. People do, and they get away with it most of the time, but it's a risk. It also indicates that the school concerned is cutting legal corners which doesn't bode well.

Also, F visas tend to be longer term - I'd think they are planning to get you working on an F visa long term, rather than getting you into the country on a short term L visa and then changing it.

Roddy