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jimoin
Joined: 21 Oct 2004
Posts: 455
Location: Dalian
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 Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 1:40 am Post subject: Changing to a Z visa in Hong Kong |
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| I have read a lot of conflicting evidence and posts about whether or not it is still possible to get a Z visa in Hong Kong. So I want to try to use this thread to set the record straight - please post your experiences here, if you have had a Z visa granted or if you have been rejected or otherwise shortchanged. |
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southern blue-fin
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 8:11 am Post subject: |
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| I just got back home (from China) - and the reason I came back is that I could not get my L visa converted to a Z visa from inside China, neither in the city where I had been working, nor in Hong Kong. I was told by a number of people that no more L visas are being converted to Z visas at present, due to the Olympics. I will be applying for my Z visa from here, then going back. I'd already done a demo class, done a medical, signed a contract, and obtained medical insurance through the employer. But due to the change in policy they got me in before the contract was due to start, and told me they couldn't hire me because no more L visas are being converted to Z visas right now. |
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Teatime of Soul
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 905
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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Could you please state the city and province in which you worked?
Thanks for taking time to post your experiences. |
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jimoin
Joined: 21 Oct 2004
Posts: 455
Location: Dalian
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 9:05 pm Post subject: Going back to...? |
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| Southern blue fin - you mean you'll be going back to HK or to your home country? |
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North China Laowei
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 419
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 10:55 pm Post subject: Visa |
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| southern blue-fin wrote: |
| I just got back home (from China) - and the reason I came back is that I could not get my L visa converted to a Z visa from inside China, neither in the city where I had been working, nor in Hong Kong. I was told by a number of people that no more L visas are being converted to Z visas at present, due to the Olympics. I will be applying for my Z visa from here, then going back. I'd already done a demo class, done a medical, signed a contract, and obtained medical insurance through the employer. But due to the change in policy they got me in before the contract was due to start, and told me they couldn't hire me because no more L visas are being converted to Z visas right now. |
Again, what province where you in?
What passport do you hold?
Are you from one of the 33 countries that have been visaed out until after the Olympics are over?
As for the statement that no more L visas are being converted to Z visas right now, perhaps they told you that, I don't deny it, but it simply isn't true. Hong Kong is still open for Z visa business, as a matter of fact, if you are from the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
And I don't understand this "they got me in", etc., etc.
Please provide us with at least enough precise information that we can try to either help you or provide you with some good information. |
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southern blue-fin
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 12:28 am Post subject: |
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Hi all
I had initially applied to the Chongqing branch of one of the big chain language schools. The HR person said they could not hire me because no more L visas are being converted into Z visas right now. I did inquire whether this is a China-wide thing or just specific to Chongqing (thinking that I could merely relocate to another of their branches within China) - and they definately gave me the impression it was China wide.
I did also check with the HR person of at another big chain school in Chongqing - and they said the same thing. I also checked with an agent in Hong Kong - referred to me by another expat. The agent told me he could only get me 1 month L visa extensions (up to three) - he could not help me with a Z visa. I have a New Zealand passport.
Anyway, I'm home now. |
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North China Laowei
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 419
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 12:34 am Post subject: Thank You |
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| southern blue-fin wrote: |
Hi all
I had initially applied to the Chongqing branch of one of the big chain language schools. The HR person said they could not hire me because no more L visas are being converted into Z visas right now. I did inquire whether this is a China-wide thing or just specific to Chongqing (thinking that I could merely relocate to another of their branches within China) - and they definately gave me the impression it was China wide.
I did also check with the HR person of at another big chain school in Chongqing - and they said the same thing. I also checked with an agent in Hong Kong - referred to me by another expat. The agent told me he could only get me 1 month L visa extensions (up to three) - he could not help me with a Z visa. I have a New Zealand passport.
Anyway, I'm home now. |
Dear OP,
First, Hong Kong visa agents, in the best of the old days, did not handle Z visas none too willingly. With the right papers-in-hand, one only had to present them to the Visa Office and then wait. That is nothing new. You asked a specific question, as happens here in China, and they answered the question, as they do, without telling you that they never or usually very rarely handle Z visas.
Your language mill decidedly mislead you. If you are still interested in mills, then check out Aston, EF, Shane, and all the others.
What CJ probably meant was that no more in-country conversions are being done. That is correct but they are still being handled in HK and MC.
These kind of statements by a company are often used when they do not wish to hire an individual for whatever reason after the process has begun. I had EF in a large city pull a similar kind of a stunt on me several years ago.
Take care.
NCL
Last edited by North China Laowei on Sat May 03, 2008 5:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
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jimoin
Joined: 21 Oct 2004
Posts: 455
Location: Dalian
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 2:10 am Post subject: |
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| North China Laowai - so how do you know that Hong Kong is still doing Z visas? Have you just been back and got one? |
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southern blue-fin
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 2:34 am Post subject: |
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Thanks NCL - I was in HK only last Wednesday, passing through. It sounds like I could have stayed a few days, organized another job on the mainland, got a 1 month L visa extension, relocated to the new job, then gone through HK again for the Z visa.
Lesson: never take what you are told at face value I guess. |
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North China Laowei
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 419
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 5:50 am Post subject: Misleading |
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| southern blue-fin wrote: |
Thanks NCL - I was in HK only last Wednesday, passing through. It sounds like I could have stayed a few days, organized another job on the mainland, got a 1 month L visa extension, relocated to the new job, then gone through HK again for the Z visa.
Lesson: never take what you are told at face value I guess. |
OK, so you actually never tried to get a new visa of any kind in Hong Kong -- which is quite different from what you wrote in your original post. Yes, you could have gotten a new one-month L visa in Hong Kong, for 30-days, flown to Shanghai, temporarily registered yourself as a temporary Shanghai resident, and then had the 30-day limit removed and the visa turned into a 90-day term visa. That would have cost you some money but nothing like the plane ticket home. And jobs here, well, they are still quite abundant.
Additionally, you were only told by another mill in CJ that there were no more conversions -- you were not actually hired by another mill and did not go through the process. I am inclined to believe one of two things in respect of the first mill. First, either something turned up on your medical that caused them angst, and Chinese-style, they didn't want to deal with the medical so they dealt with it laterally, or else in the end the Foreign Experts' Bureau did not approve your credentials and again they dealt with it laterally.
Indeed you just undertook a great trip for almost no reason. Had you done some research you might have learned the work-around for all of this.
Last edited by North China Laowei on Sat May 03, 2008 8:46 am; edited 1 time in total |
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arioch36
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 3589
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 6:01 am Post subject: |
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North China
| Quote: |
| am inclined to believe one of two things in respect of the first mill. First, either something turned up on your medical that caused them angst, and Chinese-style, they didn't want to deal with the medical so they dealt with it laterally, or else in the end the Foreign Experts' Bureau did not approve your credentials and again they dealt with it laterally. |
Option 3) They found a cheaper laowai who would agree to lousier terms
Option4) fewer students enrolled then expected, and they didn't have the hours (happens all the time) and they felt it would be a lack of face to tell you
Option 5) Which country are you from? If you are not white and or/not from the US, UK Oz, Canada ... they were stringing you along from the beginning, just in case they didn't have enough "real laowai"
Option 6) they never had the legal right to hire you, or they screwed up by not getting you the invitation letter before hand. Getting an invitation letter before the laowai leaves his home country is no big deal. getting an invitation letter after the FT has arrived in country can be a big deal, yeah, that guanxi stuff |
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southern blue-fin
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 6:26 am Post subject: |
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Hi all
NCL - if that agent in HK had've been on to it and told me what you just told me (which he should know), he could have made HK650 out of me for a one month L visa - because I'd have been going to Shanghai alright.
arioch36, I don't think any of 3) - 6) came into it. The invitation letter issue never came up as a topic of conversation. Both schools needed more staff - I know one is opening a bigger branch in Chongqing due to more enrolments. And the other one was under pressure with the staff roster as well - according to another FT who worked there.
Cheers |
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North China Laowei
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 419
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| Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 8:48 am Post subject: Dear Friend |
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| southern blue-fin wrote: |
Hi all
NCL - if that agent in HK had've been on to it and told me what you just told me (which he should know), he could have made HK650 out of me for a one month L visa - because I'd have been going to Shanghai alright.
arioch36, I don't think any of 3) - 6) came into it. The invitation letter issue never came up as a topic of conversation. Both schools needed more staff - I know one is opening a bigger branch in Chongqing due to more enrolments. And the other one was under pressure with the staff roster as well - according to another FT who worked there.
Cheers |
Regardless, dear OP, please stay in touch. If you need more info at any point and decide to return with the 30-day L visa and want to do the Shanghai run to get it changed, please PM me.
All the best.
NCL |
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jimoin
Joined: 21 Oct 2004
Posts: 455
Location: Dalian
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Does the invitation letter you get have to say you should apply for the visa in Hong Kong? |
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North China Laowei
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 419
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| Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 1:34 am Post subject: Under the Previous Rules |
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| jimoin wrote: |
| Does the invitation letter you get have to say you should apply for the visa in Hong Kong? |
Now again please bear in mind that as of April 14, 2008, many of the rules have changed completely.
Next, you need to check this one out with your school -- if they can provide you with an answer.
However, it used to be, and I still believe that it is the case, that when a school is processing your papers for a "Z" visa, the question usually arises of "where" you want the visa to be issued. When the school forwards the requisite request to the PSB and to the FEB for processing of the FEC for a candidate outside of China (and as Arioch36 wrote somewhere, Macau and HK are considered outside of China for Z visa purposes), then the cross-information and authorization for your visa is forwarded to the Chinese Consulate and/or Visa Office in the location that you indicated and this is so marked on your papers.
Whatever you do, please avoid Seoul at the present time. You may be sorry if you make it your choice for a Z Chinese visa.
Hong Kong is still open for business as is Macau in terms of Z visas only. |
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