Job Discussion Forums

cfaulkner · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 42

Hello all. My first time posting here. I have a question about working in China. I was offered a job at a school about 2 months ago, and I was assured over and over during the next 2 months that all was well and I'd be going there at the start of the new academic year, which begins there on September 3rd, I do believe. Well, guess what? All was not well. I just heard I won't be going to the job, after all that time waiting and all those assurances. The reason? Visa quotas have supposedly been exceeded in the province where I was going to be teaching. So I got shot down. Or did I? I've never heard of visa quotas in China, and neither the school nor the recruiter I was dealing with told me there was a possibility I'd get held back or delayed. They're telling me now I can come aboard in January, but the visa application for that wouldn't go in until at least September. This means more waiting, of course. Is this something that happens in China? Or was this job some kind of sham? I know there are places out there in the world that will advertise jobs that don't exist, only to sucker people into sending them their passport information and such. This could have happened to me. Did it? Opinions? Thanks, guys.

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

Never heard of them in all my years. Probably an excuse. Most likely scenario is that they found a better teacher in the 2 months you gave them to keep looking.

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

GeminiTiger · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 2:35 pm Post subject:

of course it's bullshit. it would be a good idea to post the details of the school so that others can be saved the hassle in the future.

The Edge · Joined: 04 Sep 2010 Posts: 455 Location: China

Good luck.

Miajiayou · Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 283 Location: Nanjing

kungfuman · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:35 pm Post subject:

Understand many things Mr Op - nothing is definite in China except that the chance of getting ripped off or lied to is very high.

I'm sure that you were on the top of the list but all it takes is someone similarly qualified to walk in the door or email a resume who is in China already and the workload to process them has just become cheaper and easier for the school. Both are important for them.

So don't take it personal but keep trying hard.

Not sure what you are looking for but if you need help send me a pm and maybe I can steer you towards someone who can help you.

Lobster · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:50 pm Post subject:

I third that. Lies.

RED

TexasHighway · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 779

What province were you going to be teaching in whose visa quotas is supposedly filled up?

cfaulkner · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 42

Thanks for all that information. I suspected from the day I got the offer it could be some kind of scam. So what was really going on? Were they trying to get my passport information? Or were they stringing me along, knowing they'd probably eventually cut me, as sort of a 'backup' in case somebody among the new crew reneged?

After I get enough posts, I'll send some of you PMs with the school's name and the name of all those I was in contact with.

I'll probably call up the state department here in the USA and cancel my passport, just to be safe. Would you consider this rash? It's a new one with a chip, but still.

Thanks again.

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

I think it's unlikely they wanted your passport info. I'm assuming you're concerned about identity theft. There are hotels and schools all over the world with scans of my passport info page. You don't need to cancel your passport.

You were probably a back up; in any case, you're better off.

Why not post the name of the school on here? Let everybody know.

cfaulkner · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 42

Another red flag was the visa process itself. But understand I've never dealt with working in China, so I don't know how long the visa process normally takes there. About 2 weeks into my 2 1/2 months of waiting for naught, I was told my visa paperwork had been submitted and was being processed. I was told to 'not worry, all would be fine'. A few days ago, I was told the paperwork never made it to the processing stage, and this was after I had asked about my status. If I hadn't asked, who knows how much longer I would have been strung along, thinking I had a job come the end of August. Does it take 2 months to process visa materials in China?

From the beginning, I felt there was something not quite right about the job, about my interactions with the rep and recruiter, with the fact that I asked to speak with teachers there (I believe there are about 30 westerners at the school), yet was given contact with only one of those teachers. I started to suspect it was some kind of identity-theft scam or a bait-and-switch game. But you guys believe I was being strung along because I was a 'back up', which I also believe could have been the case, and probably was.

cfaulkner · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 42

Laoshi1950 · Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 198 Location: Australia

I've been working in China for 11 years - like other posters have stated, I have never heard of such a thing as a 'quota' for issuing 'Z' (Work) Visas by province, or nationally.

In country, the process of renewing the Foreign Expert's Certificate (FEC) and renewing the Foreigner Residence Permit (FRP) usually takes about two weeks.

If you are going through the process from abroad, the processing time is obviously longer - but usually not two months. Once you have 'signed' a Contract to indicate your firm commitment to the employer (school, university, private training centre), they will courier to your home address the necessary documents to allow you to obtain a 'Z' (Work) Visa from your local Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General. That Visa allows you to enter China to work. After arrival in China, your school then has 30 days to get you a Foreigner Residence Permit to stay in China for the length of your work Contract.

A formal Contract (usually in both Chinese and English versions) is signed by you and the employer after arriving in China. This Contract (in its Chinese language version) is the legal and 'binding' one.

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

It is very common for there to be an addendum to a contract, especially if the contract is a standard one. Many of the details pertinent to your particular job will be in the addendum. It becomes a binding part of the main contract.

Get busy applying for other jobs. There's still time to find a job and get the right (Z) visa in time for a September 3 start. But, if they say they can't do it in time, tell them won't go without the Z. Freshmen at unis usually don't begin classes until the 4th or 5th week because they do military training first. Tell the school to assign you freshman classes if they can't get the paperwork done quickly enough.

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