Job Discussion Forums

[7969]

as i had been working on a 3 month L visa between october and december, i had to leave china prior to the end of the first term to secure a proper Z visa so that i would be fully legal upon returning to henan to work in the second term at our school.

however, misfortune befell me and my documents for the Z visa (and a few other items) went missing during my recent travels. as a result, i couldnt get the Z visa. as this is just a bad time (upcoming holiday) to request my school to do the paperwork again and forward it to me, i decided to do the next best thing while in HK and get a six month F visa. at least this will allow me to stay in china until my contract ends in july. i havent notified my school of what happened yet, but will do so today.

other than being an illegal worker, what are the major drawbacks to returning to my job with an F visa in my passport? my school had no problem with me hanging around for the first term on an L visa, so i dont see that they'll have any problem with it, and as we get along fine, i dont anticipate any problems with them in the future.

best wishes ~ 7969

[leyrtj]

st a reply to bump this thread.

I'm having a very similar problem at my school. I have just finshed my 1 year teaching contract, and I have been working under a Z visa. I go back to the UK next week and the school have renewed it with a 3 month single-entry F Visa. My questions are :-

- Will I be able to return to China? By this I mean legally. If I am stopped at chinese immigration, what should I say? If I say I am working as a teacher, presumably they can stop me entering the country?

- Am I right in assuming that it is illegal to work as a teacher under this Visa? If yes, what are the potential penalties for being caught, both for myself and the school?

- Upon returning to China in March, my school have informed me that they will renew my 3 month F Visa with a 6/12 month F Visa. Why can't the school get a new Z Visas. According to fellow teachers in Dalian, this is a problem being encountered at other school.

Many thanks for any replies.

[Roger]

I will try to answer leytrj's query.

You really have no reason to worry. Chinese Immigration never ask questions as to why you are coming to China, or whether you are going to work.
Of course, that's a n assumption, but this assumption is based on facts: no one I happen to know has ever had to furnish reasons for their coming here.
Then, there is the organisational angle: Immigration are not in the picture about the various complications a visitor to China experiences due to his status; all they know is that foreigners with a visa are allowed to land, foreigners without a visa cannot do so (with a few exceptions plus the fact that in some airports you can purchase a visa upon arrival).
Besides, they might be hampered by linguistic hurdles! Don't laugh - their English levels are falling just as they are anywhere else in China!

Lastly, your employer secured your visa, right? That means you are officially sponsored and known to the local PSB. In this case, you cannot be declared an II.
I suppose they have done that in order to speed up the obtention of your residence permit next time you come here!
They probably can't get you a residence permit at this moment in view of your intended protracted absence from China.

[7969]

well in my case, i emailed my school on 12 january to explain what happened. my bag with Z visa documents was stolen and i had to do the next best thing and got a 6 month F visa.

i emailed the school again last week. no replies.

got a reply last night. the dean of the english dept seemed to be more angry at me for losing the bag, and less concerned about my request to work on the F visa for the second term. in fact, she asked if i really ahd any desire to work at the school for the second term telling me "to tell the truth."

now i understand that email isnt the best way of communication and its easy to misinterpret, and i will probably phone her soon, but the facts are, i have no time to go back to HK and get a Z visa even if they could get me new Z visa paperwork delivered to me in shenzhen in time. every day left on this holiday is taken up and i have flights already paid for leaving tomorrow (for kunming).

either i will work at my school on an F visa, or i will be free between now andd summertime to scamper around china taking photos.... i do hope to work this out with the school tho.

on that note, you can see some of my photos here:

www.usefilm.com/photographer/24995.html

7969