Job Discussion Forums

valismp · Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 7

I've been reading this forum for a while now, but I only registered a little while ago.

Back in June, I applied to teach English at a University in Beijing. A friend of mine had previously taught there without any problems (he had no prior experience teaching English). According to what I've heard, this year the PRC introduced a new rule for foreign English teachers: They must have at least two years of prior experience. I don't have that, but I have worked with Taiwanese students for nine months in a capacity similar to what I will be doing at this University.

My would-be boss at the University told me not to worry. My friend who had previously taught there also told me not to worry. My general impression was this was one of those Chinese "rules" that had been promulgated, but that no one really cared about.

About two days ago, I found out that I was wrong.

I spoke with my would-be boss via phone, and he told me that the Foreign Experts Affairs office had rejected my application for a Z-Visa, because I didn't have two years of prior teaching experience. My would-be boss told me that he is going to apply for an F-Visa. I've read the various threads in this forum about teaching on an F-Visa, so I know that it's kind of shady, but my contract is only for six months, which is as long as the F-Visa lasts. A few questions:

Can I use my F-Visa to get a resident permit?
Can an F-Visa be turned into a Z-Visa, without having to leave China?

Has anyone else heard of anything else like this happening? Part of me is worried that my would-be boss is just giving me some kind of run-around, but I got his contact info through a friend of mine that I'm inclined to trust. Also, if he wanted to screw me (why he would do this is beyond me; I haven't given him any money or anything), why would he tell me that he would try to get an F-Visa? I think he might be in a worse spot than I am actually: I might be unemployed, but if he doesn't get any English teachers, he will be in a lot of hot water!

Thanks for any thoughts.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

therock · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 1266 Location: China

u24tc · Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 125 Location: Dalian, China

What qualifications do you hold?

upchuckles · Joined: 11 Jan 2007 Posts: 111

Your FAO did not apply for a Z-visa, he applied for an invitation document which would have allowed for you to obtain your z-visa. Most provinces are moving to a 2-year teaching requirement. Beijing and Hunan have had this requirement for several years already.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

HunanForeignGuy · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 989 Location: Shanghai, PRC

To the OP,

Read carefully what the previous posters have written. They are very on-the-mark...read with particular care the valuable post by 7979 on L visas, F visas, Hong Kong, etc.

I smell something here however...yes, as TW writes, this rule is on the books for sure. Here in Guangzhou, some of the universities Foreign Affairs Officers go by the rule literally as it requires less paperwork of them; others do not and still process teachers with less-than-two-years work experience. I have seen this again and again. It can often depend upon the mood of the FAO in the university on any given day.

Read carefully, as suggested the stickies. Working on an "F" can be done but it is surely an invitation to trouble if you are caught. There is this possibility -- you are only coming here for six months and your wonderful Beijing boss does not want to spend all that money on processing your papers, so he takes the quick-and-easy way out -- some story, valid in some reality -- about the lack of teaching experience and encourages you at your expense to secure an "F" visa.

I cannot believe for the life of me that an FAO at a "respectable" university in Beijing is actually encouraging you to do something like this. Is this really a university? Might it not be a language mill?

All the best,

HFG

MikeMick · Joined: 25 Feb 2007 Posts: 26

Just lie and invent 2 years of experience somewhere and put it on your CV. Who's going to check anyway?

Leon Purvis · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 9:45 am Post subject:

HFG,

There's a guy who worked at my public university on an F visa. He said that he got it at a consulate in the states. I didn't know that he had an F visa until just before he left when I looked at his passport. How in heck he managed to stay in China is beyond me.

u24tc · Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 125 Location: Dalian, China

brsmith15 · Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1142 Location: New Hampshire USA

maybe your face isn't pure white.

valismp · Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 7

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I started teaching on an L visa and had to wait six weeks for the letter from my employer. When I went to another school in late 2004, they told me that they would get me my Z visa.

Then they said becasue I only had six months, they couldn't get me a Z visa. Even though I had already started working for the school. They also told me about the two year rule. Their simple solution? They simply invented two years worth of teaching, then after the medical, I got my Z visa and all the books, green and red that came with it.

I would rather teach on an L visa, than an F visa, because if you on an L visa, then you have consulatant status, which basically means that you can work, however, the F visa is a whole different story.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

valismp · Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 7

tw Do you think he can just find someone who CAN get the visa? From what I've read on this board, if it was just a matter of lying and saying that I have the experience- he would just lie and say I have the experience.

Who knows. Very stressful to have this dropped on me a month before I was supposed to go over. What do you think my odds are of finding another place to work in Beijing, that provides housing, for the upcoming semester?