Job Discussion Forums

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

This is a tough one to call. It seems since Shenzhen is in Guangdong you should be ok if everything goes right.

But does anything ever go right in China?

I can understand LC's comments personally. A few years back I had an agreement with the school and recruiter to travel in Malaysia for a month and do my visa there. When I opened my email upon arrival in KL was an email that nonchalantly stated I would have to travel back to the States to do it.

I told them off and travelled Malaysia and then did the PI for a year and a half. Might be wise to hedge yourself with a back-up plan.

I think it will work, but there may be a delay due to errors at their end.

XiaoWren · Joined: 05 Aug 2016 Posts: 54 Location: Asia

Arriving 2 or 3 weeks late at your new school if it means you have the correct paperwork in hand should not be a problem.

isitts · Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 193 Location: Korea

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

If you've never worked in China be aware that Chinese won't 'commit' themselves to cover a foreigner.

I.e. they say come over on a tourist visa, lie in the email and say it's ok and you can get it from HK, IF you arrive and they get you an invitation letter from HK[they might not like the look of you, have find a Russian willing to work cheaper etc.] then you go to HK and get rejected do you think they'll bother to compensate you? Of course they won't.

With all the UK businesses I have helped if they mess up something immigration wise [a Russian guy got rejected because they hadn't processed something], he got paid his first month's salary AND had his flights paid for plus was given 3 extra days paid leave as a sorry because it delayed his daughters enrollment in school.

The Chinese are unscrupulous and will just do whatever to put themselves first, every cost is borne by you, even if THEY mess up and lie/don't tell the truth/things change it's all on you.

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

I'd have to agree 100% with Larsson Crew and others who express skepticism.

In order to get a Z visa, you need to get a physical in the country of your residence, present authenticated degrees, and a couple of extra pictures for the consulate plus your letter of invitation from your school.. Does anyone think that even a satellite consular office could possess the authority to issue a Z visa at an airport? I really doubt it.

There is supposedly a stipulation that allows people to obtain a short term, short notice visa for emergencies at designated ports of entry for things such as family funerals or for emergency rocket science technical assistance. I don't think that either of those situations will merit the issuance of a Z visa, considering the fact that you have already been invited to teach at the school.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

An immigration desk at an airport isn't going to have the time or human resources to verify your invitation/health documentation.
And it seems to me that consular fees are a very handy source of local funds to maintain China's overseas posts.
So I'm with OBPWAY on this.
I'm certainly not going to be the guinea pig to test this out. The downside is too huge.

isitts · Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 193 Location: Korea

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

Most schools don't really care so much, they'll accept if you wait.

Do you want to work for a school that refuses to hire you because they didn't want to wait for you to be legal?

Mostly the first 2 or 3 weeks of middle or primary or high school or even university is a bedding in process.

New students getting used to the school, the school analysing how they can bleed cash from students, getting schedules set up, getting used to new rules, certainly primary to middle is a a big jump in difficulty of education here so some students are getting over that shell shock.

You may therefore not worry about not arriving on the first week, or even second, so long as you arrive by say, the October holiday you'll be fine.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Why would you want to stay in some crappy room in HK waiting on the Consulate when you could be making relaxed final prep for your journey.
Many more Chinese cities every year have direct flights from Europe and the US.

isitts · Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 193 Location: Korea

isitts · Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 193 Location: Korea

Just bumping this to see if anyone tried the HK visa route since August 1st…

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Good info Jim.
NS

isitts · Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 193 Location: Korea

isitts · Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 193 Location: Korea

Just a follow-up. All the other teachers I met here in CIPTC did the HK route, so that does work. But neither CIPTC nor the school I work for cared that I didn't arrive before September 1st. As LC said earlier, getting here before the October holiday is really all that matters.

Also (perhaps, obviously from what I've written) those other teachers that took the HK route arrived the same time as me. Others continued to arrive after I'd already been placed with my school.

Going the HK route would have only gotten me here about a week earlier. Still wasn't worth the risk. So big thanks to those who suggested getting the Z in my home country.