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Voyeur
Joined: 03 Jul 2012
Posts: 431
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 Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 7:57 am Post subject: How quickly can a Z Visa be processed |
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I'm in no rush, but I could also get on a plane tomorrow if I felt everything was on the up and up.
From start to finish, what is the fastest you have heard of someone getting over to China and working on a proper Z-Visa? A month? 2 months? |
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Voldermort
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 597
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| Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 9:29 am Post subject: |
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| In my case it was about 10 days. But I didn't do my research first and ended up deep in the S#$% |
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Voyeur
Joined: 03 Jul 2012
Posts: 431
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| Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 10:30 am Post subject: |
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The embassy is pretty far away. Did you have to go to it twice (to drop off and pick-up), and those visits were 10 days apart?
I'm a veteran of Korea, but even compared to Korea 10 years ago (when I was a newbie), China seems like the wild west. There are a lot of moving pieces and you can really get screwed.
The one thing I am thinking is that if you are low(ish) on cash, you really want your first job in China to provide the apartment. You don't want to have to try to navigate the rental process before you know anything about China, nor deal with deposits. In particular, if your job doesn't work out you don't want to be tied into a lease with a deposit. If your first school fires you/mistreats you, you want them to have to deal with the apartment.
But of course nothing is set in stone. |
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roadwalker
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 1750
Location: Ch
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| Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 11:45 am Post subject: |
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| Voyeur wrote: |
The embassy is pretty far away. Did you have to go to it twice (to drop off and pick-up), and those visits were 10 days apart?
I'm a veteran of Korea, but even compared to Korea 10 years ago (when I was a newbie), China seems like the wild west. There are a lot of moving pieces and you can really get screwed.
The one thing I am thinking is that if you are low(ish) on cash, you really want your first job in China to provide the apartment. You don't want to have to try to navigate the rental process before you know anything about China, nor deal with deposits. In particular, if your job doesn't work out you don't want to be tied into a lease with a deposit. If your first school fires you/mistreats you, you want them to have to deal with the apartment.
But of course nothing is set in stone. |
OP, are you referring to the time at the consulate to apply for and collect your visa? If that is the case, I've done it same day in the US. It costs more of course but I always feel nervous about getting it done and want to know as soon as possible if there is a problem. Also my "local" consulate is in San Francisco which is a lovely and expensive place to stay.
If you are referring to the entire period from agreeing to work for the school (and signing the pro-forma contract) until you have your visa, a lot of posters have mentioned much shorter times than I have. For me, it's generally more like a month. Perhaps I've been unlucky with incompetent schools but that has been my experience in four provinces.
It's not that complicated. Assuming you meet the various governmental criteria for a z-visa, your school must apply for a Working Permit and a Visa Notification on your behalf. They express mail these two items to you. You may or may not need a medical check form printed from the Chinese embassy website. You take these to the consulate (or hire a courier company to do it for you) and bingo, you have your z-visa. Then on arrival in China, your school must get you to sign the real contract, register you with the local police, get another medical check, get you a Foreign Expert Certificate and then finally a Residence Permit stamped into your passport which supersedes the expired z-visa.
I agree with your reasoning about housing. Generally speaking the places more likely to offer you a housing stipend instead of providing a rent-free apartment are Shanghai and Beijing. Some other, particularly large cities will also grant a stipend in lieu of housing. Universities will usually provide housing but there are some exceptions, which will be mentioned in the advertising. Some schools will give you options, but really if you are set on living outside, many schools will negotiate with you on that. |
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Voyeur
Joined: 03 Jul 2012
Posts: 431
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| Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm about 12 hours from the nearest consulate, so I was worried I might have to travel to it with papers, then return again ten days later. I have no problem with an overnight stay, though. |
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choudoufu
Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 3325
Location: Mao-berry, PRC
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| Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Voyeur wrote: |
| I'm about 12 hours from the nearest consulate, so I was worried I might have to travel to it with papers, then return again ten days later. I have no problem with an overnight stay, though. |
save yourself the hassle, use a visa agent. they may charge $20-50
plus fedex fees. they can submit your application at any consulate.
which means......if one consulate, houston ferzample, doesn't require the
health exam, but one, maybe in new york, does.....you can save big
bucks if the medical is not required for the work permit.
you don't pick up....the agent picks up from the embassy/consulate and
will fedex back to you. |
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Voldermort
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 597
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| Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Voyeur wrote: |
The embassy is pretty far away. Did you have to go to it twice (to drop off and pick-up), and those visits were 10 days apart?
I'm a veteran of Korea, but even compared to Korea 10 years ago (when I was a newbie), China seems like the wild west. There are a lot of moving pieces and you can really get screwed.
The one thing I am thinking is that if you are low(ish) on cash, you really want your first job in China to provide the apartment. You don't want to have to try to navigate the rental process before you know anything about China, nor deal with deposits. In particular, if your job doesn't work out you don't want to be tied into a lease with a deposit. If your first school fires you/mistreats you, you want them to have to deal with the apartment.
But of course nothing is set in stone. |
You asked "from start to finish" "getting into China". My Z visa was same day, went in the morning and collected in the afternoon. The whole process from accepting job to arriving in China took me 10 days. |
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Voyeur
Joined: 03 Jul 2012
Posts: 431
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| Posted: Sat Jun 01, 2013 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks. I appreciate the info. I was curious about the length of the whole process, as well as how quickly it took the embassy to process it. |
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kungfuman
Joined: 31 May 2012
Posts: 1749
Location: In My Own Private Idaho
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 2:37 am Post subject: |
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You aren't specific enough in your question.
Do you mean processed at the Chinese consulate - embassy or the whole process start to finish including the school's part?
Most consulates - embassy's have next day service. Check the WWW site for the one closest to you for a more specific answer.
There is no visa office close to where I live in the US so I used an agent. It was worth the cost vs driving and a hotel. Their fee was like $30usd plus the Fedex |
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Voyeur
Joined: 03 Jul 2012
Posts: 431
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:14 am Post subject: |
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I was looking for information on the overall time, from the moment the school accepted me until I landed in China and started making money.
But as the thread progressed, I also became interested in how long it would take the specific consulate/embassy to process my documents. I didn't want to have to stay in town for very long.
I am a Canadian who is currently in Ukraine and Moldova. So I'm aware that there may be further complications--I'm not even 100% sure the embassies in Kyiv and Chisinau will process the visa for me, or if I will need to go to Canada first--or even come on the dreaded tourist visa. We shall see once I start working with a school. |
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Javelin of Radiance
Joined: 01 Jul 2009
Posts: 1187
Location: The West
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 10:48 am Post subject: |
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| There are several steps in the process, anticipate a few minor delays along the way, from the moment you accept a job to the time you arrive ready for work is normally 4-5 weeks. Maybe longer in your case. |
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Voldermort
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 597
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| Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Voyeur wrote: |
I was looking for information on the overall time, from the moment the school accepted me until I landed in China and started making money.
But as the thread progressed, I also became interested in how long it would take the specific consulate/embassy to process my documents. I didn't want to have to stay in town for very long.
I am a Canadian who is currently in Ukraine and Moldova. So I'm aware that there may be further complications--I'm not even 100% sure the embassies in Kyiv and Chisinau will process the visa for me, or if I will need to go to Canada first--or even come on the dreaded tourist visa. We shall see once I start working with a school. |
If you want to apply for the visa in a country other than your own, make sure you notify the school before they send you invitation letter. This letter is what you take to the consulate and it has a countries name printed on it. |
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Voyeur
Joined: 03 Jul 2012
Posts: 431
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| Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 2:32 am Post subject: |
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The school I am working with is investigating possibilities. Their province allows third country Visas, but they might have problems working through the embassy in Ukraine. They are working on that angle, but also suggested going through Hong Kong.
If I got my visa through Hong Kong, would that mean coming to China on the dreaded tourist visa (roundly panned as a bad idea on these forums), or is there some other possibility? |
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Mr. Leafy
Joined: 24 Apr 2012
Posts: 246
Location: North of the Wall
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| Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 2:58 am Post subject: |
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You will probably have options on the timing, at varying costs.
I was doing a third country Z visa application. As has been said, be sure your school understands this. My school wrote the wrong country on my form (in Chinese) and I didn't realise it until I was at the visa centre, 5 hours from home.
While I was waiting in line (for the repeat visit) I talked to another man also making a repeat visit whose school had written the wrong gender. So check everything before you go to avoid delays.
When I applied I had three choices, normal was I think about a week-10 days and the fastest was maybe overnight, but that was very expnsive. I was planning to pick it up myself but because I had to make two trips to the city for the application I choose to have it couriered to me. |
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roadwalker
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 1750
Location: Ch
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| Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 3:34 am Post subject: |
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| Voyeur wrote: |
The school I am working with is investigating possibilities. Their province allows third country Visas, but they might have problems working through the embassy in Ukraine. They are working on that angle, but also suggested going through Hong Kong.
If I got my visa through Hong Kong, would that mean coming to China on the dreaded tourist visa (roundly panned as a bad idea on these forums), or is there some other possibility? |
As a Canadian, you should be able to land in Hong Kong with only your passport. Whether your airline agrees to board you without a further/return trip is another matter. In Hong Kong, IF THE INVITATION LETTER SPECIFIES HONG KONG, you can go to the (mainland) China visa office on Hong Kong Island with your documents to apply for and pick up a z-visa. No need for a tourist visa, if this is the plan. You enter China on a proper work visa. |
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