Job Discussion Forums

[shamblaram]

Hi,

I’ve been living and teaching in Vietnam for the last four years, and am now interviewing for a job at a university in China.

If I got the job, the university would assist me as much as they can with the z-visa process, I assume. But I’m concerned, from what I’ve read/heard, that I'd need to fly back to my home country (UK) and wait there for however long it takes to process the Z-visa (drop off docs and passport; pick up the visa weeks/months later)… I ccould’t afford to do this.

I wouldn’t want to accept a job that I might not able to make. I don’t want to waste the University’s time. The DOS seems like a good person; it is late in the day for recruiting for September term starts.

From your collective knowledge/experience, Is there ANY way around this? Have you heard of it being possible to liaise with a Chinese embassy outside of one’s home country? Is it possible to remain outside the UK while my z-visa is processed through the Chinese Embassy in London? Would the z-visa process require my passport through the entire processing time? Could I send my docs to the Chinese Embassy in London, and then pick up the z-visa from a Chinese embassy elsewhere?

(Sorry for the machine gun round of questions: I thought it best to ask them all now rather than further back n forth correspondence)

I suspect my situation/concern has come up a lot (a lot!) with traveling teachers, and there might be no definitive answers but any advice (or experience shared) would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[Non Sequitur]

Using a visa expediter is something I've heard of but never used personally. I mean a company in your home country, which has experience of dealing with Chinese Embassy visa section UK.
As to China rules generally there seems to be a shifting sand situation based on time and location so you would have to find a kindred soul who has recently obtained a Z from Vietnam.
Best

[shamblaram]

Thanks for getting back to me, NS.

I've posted on the Vietnam forum, and hopefully someone who's making/made the move from Vietnam to China, without having to go home, will get back to me.

Fingers crossed.

[Deats]

Call the Chinese embassy in Vietnam.

I am in Russia at the minute (a Brit, too) and I will get my Z visa here. The embassy said as long as I can prove I live in Russia (i.e. 1 year work permit) then they will issue the visa.

You need 3 things:

1) Your DOS to tell the bureau that you will collect your visa in Vietnam
2) The bureau to put on your invitation that you will get it in Vietnam
3) The embassy in Vietnam to agree

None of these things should be a problem. SHOULD being the operative word.

If you have all your documents ready, the process takes 25 working days in China, then a few days to FedEx, a week (max) to apply for the visa. You'll just make it in time.

[shamblaram]

Thanks for this info, Deats.
Good luck with your move.
Cheers.

[Brunouno]

I'm currently in Vietnam, and I'm moving to China in August to work. I asked my employer if I could get a Chinese visa here, but he said that I need to have a Vietnamese work permit. I also asked about Hong Kong, and he said it wasn't an option either. The good news is that you can do the health check here. Even if you need to go back to the UK, I would recommend doing the health check in Vietnam. It cost me $140 USD to have all the tests done at a private hospital. I've read a few threads where guys pay around 500 pounds in your country.


I've given all my documents to my company, and I'm just waiting for the invitation letter to arrive. As soon as I receive it, I'll fly back to my home country, wait a few days for the visa to be processed and then head off to China. Yeah, it's annoying, but it would have been a hell of a lot more annoying and expensive if I had to return to my home country and wait weeks for all the rigmarole to be completed.

[Deats]

The problem with the health check is if the embassy need it, they may insist that you have it taken in that country. Each embassy has their own particular recognised health check centres.

[jimpellow]

There's quite a bit about this. I wish the mods would sticky this and people would research the threads that keep popping up ever other day about this. I am not being hard on you personally, but these recent issues are eating up the board.

I will use part of Deat's good post to illuminate my belief that it is going down the right path but incorrect in one vital point. His point about what is acceptable on the health check is excellent.

"1) Your DOS to tell the bureau that you will collect your visa in Vietnam
2) The bureau to put on your invitation that you will get it in Vietnam
3) The embassy in Vietnam to agree "

This is all correct. However, the jurisdiction in China must be willing to agree that it is acceptable to do it outside of your home country. Some will insist that you return to your home county. Others will allow it in a third country. Seems others will allow it in a third country if the applicant has some level of residency status there.

It is really up to you to pin down hard from the university which of these three is acceptable. If it is the option that it can be from a third country and the Chinese embassy will not do it, explore Hong Kong which wavers but does seem to process applications for certain jurisdictions on the Mainland.

You could share where you intend to teach which will help. I would also google on it with the jurisdiction included, and set a time limit on the results for the last six months, to see what comes up.

Good luck!

[shamblaram]

Apologies for clogging up your board with mundane visa questions. I'll look into it myself from here on in, and weigh up whether the randomness of the whole process (from outside my home country) is worth the effort of moving.

Thank you all for the advice.

[Non Sequitur]

I think jimpellow that we all know there is no one answer and it requires a thread to get to the nitty.
Russia would be a special case given historical ties and not necessarily what can be done in other countries.
Again (if you can be without your passport for a few days), look at a UK visa expediter or visit your local (Vietnam) British Consul.

[jimpellow]

Like I mentioned I am not upset with you personally. It is important. I did due diligence a few years ago (or so I thought) and the other side did not and it cost me a plane ticket to Asia. I am glad you are doing your part to try to mitigate this randomness.

I am frustrated at the amount of talk on this board about this wavering and uneven ridiculous requirement. We need a good informational posted as a sticky that describes this all out as accurately as possible.

Each case is different, but with proper information and a course of action for an applicant to follow the applicant and this little community will be better served.

But to the poster, I would suggest all things considered China is not really worth it at this time.

[Angel.Ro]

[Brunouno]

[jimpellow]

"By the way, I see no harm in the OP's post. He's described his unique situation, and I'm sure it'd be difficult to find specifics to his situation using the search tool. No need to apologise, Shamblaram"

Fair enough. Apologies if it was construed as an attack on the poster or post.

As for hotbed about China being the hotbed of ESL, it is most definitely in terms of job opportunities, in fact it is skyrocketing. But why is it skyrocketing? Because fewer teachers are coming and more are leaving. The reasons why are why I suggested to the poster that digging a little deeper in another country may be more rewarding.

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]