Job Discussion Forums

[jimpellow]

I have to agree with Deats that your school is a mess. Your FAO/school is thinking only of themselves. Is there a valid reason why it can not be turned sooner? And if they give you one, is that really valid?

You would be amazed how many FAOs know less about the requirements and procedures than half of the people on this board. Not to mention they are Mainland Chinese, and hence pretty much self centered, who could care less about your vacation being destroyed.

This is why I suggested you should keep on them and have a willingness to walk. If you have any value to them, and every indication of your background and demeanor strikes me that you do, then they will not be willing to lose you over this.

It's sad that one has to be this way, but it is the key to survival and happiness teaching there.

[Shanghai Noon]

[Deats]

Have YOU ever applied for a Schengen or UK visa? I can 100% assure you they take your passport when you submit your application. They have your passport for WEEKS, if not months. They have rush services. The UK rush (a few days) costs several HUNDRED dollars more. The normal service takes up to 2 months.

I have experienced it a couple of times where they let you keep your passport and then when your visa is ready you return with your passport and you get the visa. But this is not normal, it is in fact very rare.

I have travelled to nearly 90 countries and on many occasions I have had my passport kept for a week or longer.

Nobody is making you apply for a visa. They tell you it will take a set amount of time and it is up to you if you want to WILLINGLY give over your passport. My current Russian visa took 7 days to process, so this 5 day rule is utter BS.

[ghost]

[jimpellow]

[dean_a_jones]

Here are a few thoughts based on my own experience etc.:

1) In terms of getting to travel in China, once your documents are in you will get something from the office processing your documents which will allow you to travel. Would also carry a copy of passport page and previous RP just in case, but not had a problem getting on trains/booking hotels with this form.

2) The bigger issue then is getting your documents sorted. As others have stated, when they will actually process documents ahead of their expiration may vary, but here anyway they seem to do it at least a month in advance. So you might explore this option. If you have already booked tickets, if you show proof of need to travel in advance they will usually process things faster (I have done so before).

The second issue here is the school being willing to actually do it early. As others have said, it is probably more about the FAO wanting to do everything at once rather than having to make multiple trips and do their job properly. One option is to fight with the school over this and insist on what you need. Another is perhaps to offer to do it yourself--get the FAO to prepare everything you need in terms of paperwork and show up to the office yourself with your photos, payment, tickets proving when you will need it back for the summer etc. You will then get said receipt and should be able to travel as needed before picking up your passport when it is ready and taking your flight in July. It is obviously annoying to have to do all this yourself, but might just be easier in the long run to do this rather than fight it out with the school (especially if you have already signed a new contract and have little leverage in that regard). I know you can turn up yourself and get this kind of thing processed, at least where I am, as other teachers have done this before.

Anyway good luck, hope it all works out.

[ghost]

[7969]