Job Discussion Forums

Mary Ann Davis · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 30 Location: Asia

I signed a contract & sent scans to the Chinese uni that hired me. They wrote back, thanking me, and said that because of the Olympics I'd have to return to my country of origin to get the visa done there!!! This really screws me up. Help. Is this gonna be the case w all China this year? Mary Ann Davis

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

Are you in China now between jobs? Provided you have a release from your old employer then you should be able to do it in country. If you are after a z visa then you could be up for a trip to another country. Korea is out plus Hong Kong last I heard!

jeffinflorida · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 1:56 am Post subject:

Mary Ann... I can tell you that i got a new visa from a new school in China before I went back to Florida...

The rules change? maybe, maybe not.

fitzgud · Joined: 24 Jan 2006 Posts: 148 Location: Henan province

I was faced with a similar problem, I emailed the visa office in Hong Kong. The reply I received the same day said, " Of course you can still get a Z visa in Hong Kong providing you have the letter of invitation". I was able to transfer and extend my residents permit to another province so did not need to visit Hong Kong.

You will find the email address on their website.

letchluther · Joined: 11 Jul 2008 Posts: 22

I was told the same thing, sent my passport to a us visa agent and had them do it. I got my residence permit with no problem, cost me $350 bucks though.

checkout pandavisa.com, mychinavisa.com
those are the ones i looked into.

good luck

Leon Purvis · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:35 am Post subject:

That's using your head!

It's strange, but I would never have though of that, even though while I was in the U.S., that was what I did. It makes sense. This should be put up as a sticky for people to consider this course of action.

I just wonder, though, what was your next step after you got the visa put in your passport?

eddy-cool · Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 1008

I may be new to this forum but I am not a newbie, so mya personal experiences may be of interest to some.

I am moving from one employer to another; the two terms of employment are two months and a couple of weeks apart. That poses a few tricky problems:

The old RP expired in June, and the new one is scheduled to go into effect in September. The interlude of two months and a half have to be covered by 3 visa extensions.
Normally - I was informed by my FAO - you can apply for TWO extensions. This year they are granted for 30 days maximum... a considerable challenge there.

I have already received my first one-month visa (others would call it 'visa extension' but I had no visa before, just an RP). The second will kick in sometime next week (if we apply on time). Luckily the extension isn't going to lapese on this weekend...

I will then have a 10 day gap to bridge, and I am worried about that.

But frantically made enquiries to 'knowledgeable' experts have produced the mollifying consent that a final ten-day extension is available for anyone staying until the last day of their last extension.

What is, perhaps, decisive is that my new employer is in the possession of my Foreign Expert Certificate. Having been cleared by my ex-employer for a new contract with another college, the new employer has been able to procure my FEC.

Bear in mind that if you have no FEC you will first have to satisfy the authorities that you are suitably qualified to occupy a teaching vacancy. WIthout an FEC you may very well have to go back to your home country to apply for a Z visa.

North China Laowei · Joined: 08 Apr 2008 Posts: 419

letchluther · Joined: 11 Jul 2008 Posts: 22

I got the z visa from the visa service in america, the school processed my residence with no problem.

North China Laowei · Joined: 08 Apr 2008 Posts: 419