Job Discussion Forums

[baltomatt]

Help! It looks like I will be offered a job in China, and I would have to be there next month. Do I have to wait for my visa to buy my ticket? That would be so last minute it would cost me a bloody fortune. Or can I just buy it now and present my visa when I check in for departure? Thanks in advance.

[Miles Smiles]

You don't HAVE to wait, but it's a good idea to wait until you get your letter of invitation in-hand. Unless you have that letter of invitation, you can't get your z-visa, and without that z- visa you can't get a residence permit, and without the residence permit, you can't work.

It may "look like" you'll get a job, but until you get that letter of invitation, you don't really HAVE a job.

[hot_water_hillbilly]

Unless you're willing to pay for a fully refundable ticket, it's moronic to buy a ticket until you have an actual visa in your hand.

And I'm sure the refundable ticket will well, well exceed air allowances from any Chinese employer.

[thessy]

For my first job here a one-way ticket purchased 3 weeks ahead of time cost around $600. That same ticket purchased 4 days out from my departure date (which is when I had visa in hand) would have cost over $3000. As I *needed* to be in China at that specific time with no flexibility (not for job reasons), buying the ticket before having the visa certainly came with attached risk but the "moronic" thing to do would have been to wait for the visa.

Depending on your airline you won't need to use the visa for anything until you either try to board the plane for your flight to China, or at your point of entry in China. There is some risk if you buy the ticket before you have the visa in hand, but if you need to arrive next month you're likely to pay more for the ticket if you wait.

Is the school reputable? Have they told you that they've mailed the documents? Did they give you any kind of tracking number for the package? What is the airline's policy on refunds or rescheduling? Those are the questions you need to get answers to, but even after that point it's still a decision based on how much risk you're willing to take.

[Teatime of Soul]

I know of a teacher who bought his ticket in advance, only to have the US Postal Service (Express service) completely lose his passport with his new visa.

Ouch!

[Miles Smiles]

It's possible to obtain an economy class seat on a transoceanic flight a few days before departure that hasn't been marked up 1000% by calling the airline. The brokers are the ones who jack the prices up for those who book late.

Yes, the airlines themselves raise prices as the departure date nears, but as near as four days before departure, airlines prefer a bird in the hand and will often--- not always--- sell a seat at the same price as one sold thirty days out. I've done it. **

You have to keep trying.

If you're worried about ticket prices look at CheapoAir.com. Their prices to China were pretty high when I checked last week, but if you call them, the over-the-phone prices are usually lower than the advertised prices.

If you must shop online, dump your cookies when you visit a new website to check prices. That'll help you to avoid seeing the prices for each subsequent website rise.**


** Results may vary

[roadwalker]

OP, if the school is sending you a work permit and visa notification (invitation letter), don't put any undue burden on yourself regarding a deadline to arrive. It may take much longer for the documents to arrive than you have been told, or they may change their minds. So I wouldn't buy a ticket yet. Once you have the documents needed to get the visa you still have at least a two day turnaround for your visa, assuming everything goes smoothly. I would make sure at the very least that you have the documents in hand before buying an airline ticket. Ask the school in writing if they will pay a full price ticket, otherwise book the next affordable flight once you are eligible to travel to China.

If they bothered to go through all of the steps to get you the visa, they want you there. If that means that you must arrive a bit late, they will live with that. And they will understand. Really.

[Miles Smiles]

[struelle]

Back in the day, actually a mere 5 years ago, most people just showed up on a tourist visa and had the employer do all the paperwork to change visas and obtain a residence permit. In a case like this, that's exactly what I would recommend - just book a flight in advance, get the L visa, and come on over.

But nowadays it may be more difficult, and the rules certainly have gotten stricter. It seems the majority of the posts now talk about getting an invitation and Z visa first in the passport, then transfering to a res. permit on arrival. That's not really questioned much anymore, whereas about 5-6 years ago it was one of several options you could pursue. In fact, the Z-visa route was my experience last year. But 1.5 years ago, I still succeeded on the tourist visa route, and may in fact have to do it again next year (long story).

So to my knowledge it is still possible to show up on a tourist visa. It takes more work and hoops to jump through than before, but the process is similar.

You'd need to book a return ticket and do so well in advance. You'd need to show this proof of airline ticket at the Embassy before applying for the visa, and I'm quite sure hotel bookings too. The hotels are easy to deal with, you can log onto the Motel 168 site at http://www.motel168.com, make reservations at various cities, type up an itinerary, show the flight tickets, and you're good to go.

I'm assuming it still works this way, as a carry-over from the change in policy due to Beijing Olympics. They were insisting on these requirements from the Embassy in Malaysia, but it might be easier if you apply from your home country.

At any rate, if you want to be in China and take the job, you'll find a way to get here.

[Teatime of Soul]

The stricter enforcement Z visa requirements over the last three years have served at least one purpose, it makes it a lot easier to spot rogue employers.

Before, when everybody arrived on an L visa, it was not so easy to spot unlicensed, back alley, fly-by-night outfits that would never hope to be licensed from licensed schools.

Now, when I see an employer suggest flying over on an L visa, red flags go up. I ask myself, "Why would a licensed school ask a teacher to forgo all the protections that go with being sponsored, lie about his purpose coming to China, and leave the school with zero responsibility for the teacher?"

I don't buy the, "But it's an Emergency." excuse. I suspect that such an outfit probably also has an "emergency" on paydays when the payroll is short, or altogether missing.

In my home country, illegal workers who complain to the authorities about an abusive employer face deportation. Does anyone think it is different in China?

But, folks have to decide what level of risk is right for them.

Choose well, and cheers.

[dean_a_jones]

OP

If your question is simply can you buy a ticket without the visa, the answer is yes. If it is should you, the above posts give a pretty good argument as to why you should not. At the end of the day you just have to trust your gut instinct on these matters, but as you can see, it is a risk.

[baltomatt]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!