Job Discussion Forums

[nathrodgers]

Hi there,

I have been offered a job teaching and a work permit has been granted. However, before I can get my Visa, apparently I have to have a medical in the UK. Speaking to the Dr, it's going to be about �200 or more.

Is there anyway around this? Could I fake the form, seeing as how I need ANOTHER medical in China? The university I will be working at says I have to do the medical before I come over..

Also, how much is a year long z visa? I have seen somewhere that it is �180? :O

Any advice would be good..

[johntpartee]

The Z visa is not for any length of time, it is so you can enter the country to apply for the necessary documentation (RP, FEC) to teach (ostensibly it is supposed to be within 30 days). I'm assuming it is the UK Chinese Embassy that is requiring the health exam and I'm also assuming you have the Medical Exam for Foreigner form (if you don't, I have it and I can e-mail it to you). Any way to "fake it"? I wouldn't recommend trying, it needs the examiner's (or hospital's) official stamp and signature. The price they quoted you does seem kind of high, though.

The Z visa cost was 130 USD as of last January, but you should be able to look up the rate easily online.

EDIT: I just looked up the cost of the Z visa. It's still 130 USD.

[roadwalker]

[johntpartee]

That's right, I forgot. US citizens are rich, they pay more. The cost is 30 USD for citizens of other countries (about 19 GBP).

[Denim-Maniac]

If they have sent you the paperwork for the visa, you can apply via a consular services company in London or Manchester WITHOUT a medical check. It isnt required to get the visa processed at the UK end, but rather required for paperwork to be issued in China.

If its already issued. And you have it in your hand, you can get your Z visa without the medical in the UK.

And the cost is around �90 I think. I applied last year, and asked the same question of the embassy here. They told me they dont require any paperwork other than the official invites and correctly completed forms to process a Z visa.

[nathrodgers]

Cheers guys, my university is still adamant I need the medical check. I have the form, but it's just a bummer to piss money down the drain...

Any places in the UK do it cheaper??

[Denim-Maniac]

Its a difficult one ... I know the test is likely to be expensive in the UK. I told my employer that it would cost around �200 and wouldnt include the X-ray and I would only be prepared to do it in the UK if they would re-imburse me. I also told them that the Chinese embassy had told me they didnt require it to issue the visa and they didnt push the issue any further.

I then had it done in Guilin and the whole thing, including X-ray was about �30 I think.

On a slightly related note, I did have a HIV test done in the UK, and had a letter from the sexual health clinic showing my results. I scanned a copy of the letter to my employer in China, and he said it needed to have a 'chop' on it to be considered legit. Ditto for my full CRB disclosure. Seeing as officials dont 'chop' documents here...I reckon pretty much anything you get wont be taken seriously and will need re-doing in China!

(A 'chop' is a red stamp with company / individual name on, that everyone applies to paperwork in China).

[dean_a_jones]

I did it a few years ago now (2009) so things might have changed. I went to the GP, got a very basic physical and they sent me to the local hospital for the blood tests. My doctor was then happy to stamp the form, just putting in ok in most places and N/A for the big tests (x-ray, ECG etc.) I think the real key is the blood tests (HIV in particular), as failing those will exclude you automatically when you take the test in China, and most likely the school doesn't want you to get all the way here (which costs them money and time) only for this to happen.

If you can explain all this to your GP, perhaps he will do the same as mine and basically give you a stamped form after a basic check-up and blood tests. As stated, this might be enough for the school to get the paperwork at their end, and you don't need it at the application centre for the visa itself.

It certainly shouldn't cost as much as you quoted if going via the NHS (or didn't used to), your price sounds more like a private travel clinic or something. In fact, I'm not really sure I paid anything at all (or if I did, just a nominal fee) but did need to pay for inoculations (again, pretty cheap via the NHS when I did it). The thing about doing it via that NHS is that it takes about 2 weeks by the time you book appointments, get to the hospital, get results back etc. etc. Where I lived in London, I was right next to both my GP and a major hospital (within about 10 minutes walk each from my house) so if you are not that close, it may be even slower.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Denim-Maniac]

HIV tests can be done at sexual health clinics. They aren't too keen on doing them for straight guys who have normal sexual habits (not enough risk apparently), but you can get the test done if you insist. (dont tell them you need it for a visa application, they'll refuse or try to charge! Not a bad idea to get one done in the UK though....although the chance of testing positive in miniscule, it would be horrendous to test positive in China upon arrival.

Agree though, the employer doesnt NEED the test ... but they dont want to run the risk of you failing it when you arrive, cos Im pretty sure you would need to have it done again.

@dean - I think NHS practices may have different approaches to any 'extra' work. My surgery offers a general health check for �80...but that hardly covered the things mentioned on the heath check form. My GP told me some of the things on there she couldnt/wouldnt do.

@James - Id also be tempted to fill in the form myself. The embassy and consulate dont even need to see the form. Its just peace of mind for the employer I think.

[choudoufu]

many of them blanks can be filled with "Normal" or
"Not Indicated," the icky diseases can be noted "Not Present."
Suggestion could be "Healthy."

[backtothefront]

I too am struggling with this strange form. I'm in the UK now I've been trying to sort it out for weeks. I seen my GP yesterday he referred me for the blood tests, fine. I had a referral for the x-ray but got turned away at the last minute and apparently now I need to go private for the chest x-ray �150 and the ECG �90.
The doctor has stamped the form I am half tempted to write no problem for the missing bits attach the blood tests and chance it. Otherwise I'm looking at �300.
Do we really need an ECG??

[choudoufu]

attach the blood test? why?

the embassy/consulate folks do not want to see any
of your medical papers other than that exam form.

[Denim-Maniac]

^^^ agree 100%.

The embassy / visa people in the UK DO NOT want to see this and do not need this to process your Z visa application. And regardless of what you do in the UK, expect to have to take the medical again in China, with the Chinese version trumping your expensive UK one.

[dean_a_jones]

I am guessing his school wants to see this to process their application for his papers. I would not pay more for the extra if the form is stamped. Fill in the blanks and scan the form and send it off--that should be fine. They probably won't want to see the blood test results, but if you are just sending it off to them it's not like it costs extra to scan and send that as well.

If not and it is an embassy request, just take it all along--they will check stuff when you hand it in and if they want it they will keep it--but as others say, anyone asking usually only wants the form with the stamp.

[PaulStevo]

Anyone any idea if they'll accept my Korean Health Check? I started a job in Korea last month, but having quit that and been accepted for a job in China, they want health forms.