Job Discussion Forums

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

sorry i can't give you a reply on that one, but once you apply for the RP i can give a suggestion. make sure your RP covers your whole contractual agreement, not only 11 months or so. if you come from outside china you might not come have to deal with this but if you stay for the second year and withou leaving, it's becoming a trend with some employers. call it a cost effective measure since 11 months RP is 400 yuan and full 12 month one is 800 yuan. here's a link where we've discussed the topic
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=72438&start=15

cheers and beers to all fts

Sugar Magnolia · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 233

What duration of time is the "Letter of Invitation" valid for, if any?

Basically, I was given a "Letter of Invitation" dated 6/10/09 and told to go to Macau to apply for a Z visa. I am a new employee in Guangdong.

My current Residence Permit expires in August. Can I apply for the Z visa in August, 2 days before my current visa expires?

My school said I must apply at least 7 days before my current visa expires and that I should go now, but, since the summer vacation will soon be upon us and I have plans for July, as well as a few other issues, I do not trust their ability to handle the situation in a timely manner. I'd rather wait until August and let the new FAO handle it, rather than the lady who will be leaving this school shortly.

What do you know? Is there a time limit on when "letters of invitation" can be used?

Thanks

Molson · Joined: 01 May 2009 Posts: 137 Location: China

I have a question: As a Canadian how much is the Z visa going to cost me?

I am in Korea atm and the medical cost 140,000 won ($130US or so). I am just curious how much to budget for that expense, thanks.

MMMatens · Joined: 14 Sep 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Thailand

So we just got our z visas for a Univ job in China in Hong Kong and I thought I would post about it so others might be more informed. It can be confusing, so here is my experience:

1. We received our papers from the school. We have heard that it is much easier and cheaper to do all this in Macau, but our papers said Hong Kong, so we went there.

2. We went to the Central CTS (Chinese Travel Service) office. We started filling out paper work and the guy told us that you could only get Z visas at the consulate. So we left.

3. We found out this was wrong. It is way wrong. We tried again.

4. We went to the Wan Chai CTS office. They knew what was up. This was on a Monday. She explained that next day would cost about $316 USD and that 2-day (ready on that Wednesday) was $248. We are US citizens, so it is apparently twice as expensive for us and the Brits. For other countries it should be cheaper.

5. We filled out paper work. Mostly it was standard fare: name, passport number, and the like. I wish I had know that I needed the information for my previous employer. The nice lady let us use her internet to find out the info we lacked. We also needed the contact information for the inviting party/school. I had assumed this was on the invitation letter, but we also had to look this up. She also asked for our hotel phone and room number in case there was an issue.

6. We gave her our invitation letters. She copied them for us as the embassy keeps them. She also collected our passports and a standard passport photo. We retained our arrival card copy and a receipt.

7. We paid. It must be cash, just so you know. $1870 HKD. She let us run to the ATM before hand.

8. We returned on Wed. and picked up our passports with the visa slip glued in.

9. Now we are heading to China. The visa we got at CTS is only good for one month. We must have the school help us register on the local level upon arrival. Then you get the 12 mo. multiple entry visa.

Hope this helps anyone in a similar situation!

LongShiKong · Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China

I'm here on an 'L'. By sheer luck, I did get through to the HK Consular Office (+85234132424) after 20+ attempts via Skype. (They only pick up their phone from 9-10am and 3-4pm) Unfortunately my wireless connection cut off as the woman was telling me which documents I needed to get my 'Z' visa. At least that's confirmation I don't have to return to Canada.

mrwslee003 · Joined: 14 Nov 2009 Posts: 190

Z visa.
I am new here but this is what happened to us:
We, wife and 2 kids, went to my place of employment in Aug 2007 with
visitors visas, L visas. Then the school where I teach went to the security
bureau and got me the FEC and work visa. It was not a problem, however, the security bureau threw me a curve ball by asking for copies of the birth certificates for my children. Well, I had to be lucky because
I stored them in a bank vault. And I know the bank manager, so I called him to allow my relative to open the safety deposit box and get a copy of
the certificates for me.
After that I wrote the security bureau and gave them a piece of my mind. Their defence was they had to be more strict because of the olympics. Do you believe that?

mrwslee003 · Joined: 14 Nov 2009 Posts: 190

Molson,

The Z visa cost should be covered by your employer in China.

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

Maybe it SHOULD be covered by the employer, but that doesn't mean that it WILL be paid by the employer. I've worked at two universities in China and I've had to pay for visas and residence permits at both. Maybe it would be a good item to negotiate for if it's not included in the contract.

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Chris_Crossley

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

Institutions can legally sponsor a teacher without actually paying for the documents. Our contract reads that they will 'assist' us in getting the necessary papers. They do the paperwork/legwork and take us to the PSB or wherever else we have to go. Just like some schools will assist you in finding an apartment, but you have to pay for it yourself. Some schools pay for the physical, some don't. Hey, this is China, remember?

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Chris_Crossley

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

Yes, I have had to pay for visas and residence permits at both universities I've worked for. Both have a fairly large number of foreign teachers. All the teachers had to pay and no one was reimbursed. My accommodations have been included at both schools, but at both schools the teachers were responsible for the utilities. The schools both paid a decent air fare reimbursement at the end of the contract. The pay where I work is fairly good (for China) and there are yearly increases. Pay is per month for 10 months. Holidays and weekends off. I'm happy where I am.

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dreamingofhk7 · Joined: 23 Sep 2009 Posts: 9 Location: ny ny

Hi all,

I will be arriving in china in January. I wanted to ask if my work residence permit will allow me to enter hong kong and re enter china. I have a US passport.

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

Assuming you will be arriving on a Z visa, it will take a week or three to get your FEC and residence permit. Once you have the residence permit in your passport you can go in and out of China as often as you wish. Don't exit China until it's in there. Going to Hong Kong is considered an exit.

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