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sandylion
Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:57 pm Post subject: tourist and Z visa again |
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I am interested in working for Pacican at a private school outside of Shanghai. I have been told to come on a tourist visa and that Pacican will arrange a working visa after I have had a medical examination in Shanghai. I have read all the posts again from 2005 about visas's for working as an English teacher in China and I am still confused. This is the fourth job teaching English in China this year that has asked for me to come to China on a tourist visa with assurances that a working visa will be organised when I get to China. I have refused all of the others but I am interested in this one.
A representative from Pacican interviewed me by phone and seemed very nice but I am still wary of the tourist visa part of the arrangement. |
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HigherEdJoe
Joined: 10 Oct 2010
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:29 pm Post subject: My Two Sense |
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Well I'm no expert but there are a few things to consider:
1. If you do enter on a tourist Visa I don't see a problem as long as you are not teaching until you have your Z Visa. It is apparently illegal. And many have had issues doing it this way, ie your school taking an unreasonable ammount of time gettin it for you.
2. You will need to do a run to HK or some other country to get the Z visa after they process the paperwork. They might also make you pay to do the visa run.
3. This is all assuming that you pass the physical exam. If you don't then you have just wasted your time going over. But then again you save a bundle of money doing it over there.
4. If they issue you the Z visa docs before, they would have had to submit a contract, which you should have signed off on. This way you know which is on file. And they cant "change"it when you get there. (Not that in China changing anything on a contract has any effect).
Otherwise do what you think is the best thing, just make sure to have a way out and a return ticket or other plans. And whatever you do protect your Passport.
My Two Sense
Sorry for the spelling. |
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DixieCat
Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Posts: 263
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| Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 12:46 am Post subject: |
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| If they issue you the Z visa docs before, they would have had to submit a contract, which you should have signed off on. This way you know which is on file. And they cant "change"it when you get there. (Not that in China changing anything on a contract has any effect). |
Like those immortal words from Porgy and Bess, "it aint necessarily so" |
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dingostorm
Joined: 28 Oct 2009
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:05 am Post subject: Re: My Two Sense |
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Late to the party but---
| HigherEdJoe wrote: |
Well I'm no expert but there are a few things to consider:
2. You will need to do a run to HK or some other country to get the Z visa after they process the paperwork. They might also make you pay to do the . |
Incorrect. The company processes over 100 visas every year, converting all of them to regulation, legal visas here. The company also invites officers from the Visa office in Pudong to come and answer questions during Orientation sessions so teachers can feel secure. I've been here 8 years and I've never had to go out of the country or do anything other than hand in my passport with photos, and get it back 3 weeks later with my shiny new visa inside and my FE Certificate available upon request (usually for banking purposes). Medical tests are paid for by the company.
Company has its issues in other areas, no doubt, but everything re: visas is on the level and legal.
I suspect other companies in the area who resort to other methods don't have the right 'guanxi' to get it done properly. Could be wrong but... *shrugs* |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:07 am Post subject: |
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| So you hand in your passport to get a visa for a country you are already in. Interesting |
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nickpellatt
Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 1522
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 9:44 am Post subject: |
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| I always thought Shanghai was the one place where visas could be changed, all legit and above board? Used to read a few posts about this here and in other places. |
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LanGuTou
Joined: 23 Mar 2009
Posts: 621
Location: Shandong
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| wangdaning wrote: |
| So you hand in your passport to get a visa for a country you are already in. Interesting |
No you don't!
What you get is a RP which allows you to work "legally".
If you then stay in Shanghai, you should be able to renew the RP year on year no problem. An issue may arise if the FT wants to change provinces. Some provinces will not issue a new RP without seeing the original "z" visa. Thus, the applicant will then have to do a visa run.
The other issue that could arise is a sudden change of policy in Shanghai. As this is not technically a legitimate way to obtain a RP, it does not take much to change things again. But that would still only result in a further visa run. |
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cormac
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Xi'an (XTU)
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| Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 10:40 am Post subject: |
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Personally I can't see why anyone would want the hassles (Definite or possible) in doing a Visa run or the uncertainty that comes with such a situation. Its not as if we're talking about the US or Britain here. Any layer of legality which protects you in this country should be sought, especially considering the thousands of posts here about dodgy schools...
| HigherEdJoe wrote: |
| 3. This is all assuming that you pass the physical exam. If you don't then you have just wasted your time going over. But then again you save a bundle of money doing it over there. |
I can't see this bundle of money... I got the medical exam in my home country. Cost me a grand total of �40. Hardly a huge amount of money to be saved... considering the worth of having it done before you go. |
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askiptochina
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Posts: 488
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:09 am Post subject: |
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| Personally I can't see why anyone would want the hassles (Definite or possible) in doing a Visa run or the uncertainty that comes with such a situation |
You would rather commit to a year with a school that you haven't visited? I dodged a few schools in China and Korea because I didn't come to the country with a work visa. I was able to scope out the area and decide if I really wanted to work there.
Like shopping, you don't have to buy the first item you see when you arrive at a store. |
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cormac
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 768
Location: Xi'an (XTU)
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| Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2011 10:34 am Post subject: |
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| askiptochina wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Personally I can't see why anyone would want the hassles (Definite or possible) in doing a Visa run or the uncertainty that comes with such a situation |
You would rather commit to a year with a school that you haven't visited? I dodged a few schools in China and Korea because I didn't come to the country with a work visa. I was able to scope out the area and decide if I really wanted to work there.
Like shopping, you don't have to buy the first item you see when you arrive at a store. |
Actually, Yes I would. But then my reasons are different. I couldn't afford to fly to china to view schools beforehand, so it made sense to do my research through the internet, friends etc. I wanted a job in Xi'an since I had lived there before. So I asked Chinese friends about the various schools that I had received offers about, in addition to checking with the FTs I knew who had been in Xi'an the same time as me.
If you're coming over to view school(s), and you know what you're doing in regards to the Visa run grand. no problem there. BUT. If you're a relative newbie regarding the whole thing, then I wouldn't recommend it. This forum is full of stories about how something going wrong, either resulting in working illegally or losing money in the process.
Every new school is a risk regardless of whether you view it beforehand or just pick it from the Internet. Lets be honest here... we only really know what a school is like when we've been working there after a few months, or if you're lucky enough to speak to a honest FT already working there (and even then that's based on their circumstances, not yours). |
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