Switch mandarin language school on first day

[CaliGirl]

I am curious about this... if a language student is accepted to two universities in China for mandarin learning only and applies for a visa using admissions package from school #1. Once in China, can the student choose to go to school #2 instead? Can they do this on the first day of class? 

[ZhangKaiRong]

In theory it is possible - you will have a visa, but you will need to convert your visa to a residence permit once you are in China. I'm not fully sure whether the immigration office crosschecks the information supporting your visa, because that could reveal that you used another school's JW201 form. It might not be recorded at all, without raising any issue. But you should notify the school that you will not attend their course because you were provided with another opportunity, you can't cherrypick and make your mind once you're in China.

[CaliGirl]

Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, you are saying that if I have admission to two schools in the same city and I get a visa using school #1 and travel to China... if for some reason I land in China and decide that school #2 is a better fit, I cannot enroll with school #2 and inform school #1 that I am not joining their class?

This is for a 1 semester language training. No degree program or scholarship.

[ZhangKaiRong]

If you know that school #2 is a much better fit, why would you use the admission package from school #1? I don't think that it would be fair to school #1 if they expect you as one of their paying student.

[vellocet]

I get the idea that school #2 isn't offering a visa for whatever reason.  

[ZhangKaiRong]

17 hours ago, vellocet said:

I get the idea that school #2 isn't offering a visa for whatever reason.  

 

If that's the case, then it's not about the level of education fits the individual or not, but rather a problem of OP can't be legally enrolled as a student of school #2, so she plans to use another entity that can offer a visa, and use that visa to attend the "shady" school #2. It sounds like a borderline illegal abusement of the system, and I would advise the OP against it. A proper school can offer you a student visa.