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OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

Contact Travel Document Systems (TDS) to find out what procedures they know of:

https://www.traveldocs.com/

Back in 2003, I jumped through all the hoops, only to learn from the recruiter (and then the FAO) that it was all unnecessary. In fact, TDS even wondered why I was sending all of the documentation (which included an X ray) for a Z visa. Nobody else was doing it. Some were including letters of authenticity (from the Chinese consulate) with the med check and letter of invitation along with their application.

Jim Pellow casts a skeptical eye upon all of the advice given for good reason: in China the law is applied as far as it is convenient, and consular employees are often in the dark about recent changes in Chinese law.

Next time anyone buys a DVD in a Chinese DVD store, remember that China also signed on to the Dayton Accord, part of which is an agreement to respect intellectual rights. That's why you'll find interesting spelling of names on the packaging like "Shawn Conary as 007".

Contact TDS AND the Chinese consulate of your country, and the embassy of your current residence. All of the advice you get in this forum is good, depending upon the area of China you intend to work in.

bestteacher2012 · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 160

eihpos · Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 331

I think Jimpellow is right - the location is Jiangsu, and I have a feeling the highest degree is a requirement. However, maybe I could do, as best teacher suggested, omit it from my resume.

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

This is a little odd to me in the sense Jiangsu moves very quickly in step with Beijing and was one of the very first to implement the previous changes. Seems strange that they are implementing this now. I spent my five years in China scattered around Jiangsu and still keep in touch with a few people in the schools. They say they have been pressuring the Jiangsu government to lighten up on some of the requirements as their candidate pool has quickly plummeted. I guess maybe this is stemming from a new requirement from Beijing, but I doubt it as they have moved in the direction of lightening up.

Well, guess you have to deal with it for whatever the reason. The idea to just offer your Bachelors is a good one, though I wonder if they will compare it to your last one and note the discrepancy. I distinctly remember one time that a school was having a problem with one of mine as the local cog noted that I did my BA in the US and my MSc in England, which he took as fraud until the school could prove otherwise with sealed transcripts I had luckily brought with me. Sticklers for such things.

I couldn't find anything on the Internet about this change in Jiangsu. May want to follow venerable Powell's advice, and acting as a potential customer, contact some of the visa agencies that service Jiangsu.

Best of luck

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

What a hassle this is.

Why are there so many steps?

Even in the UK where things are normally quite smooth I can see that I have to do a b c hen d and e.

I can fortunately use a service [$110] to get the FCO to do it, then take it myself to the embassy [train fare plus $50 from the Chinese consulate].

That service posted earlier requests $400!!!

So, if I were to use the agency, I would be paying $400, PLUS $800 for the medical PLUS other visa fees, plus over $150 for the original visa.

So start up for the visa just to go to China is now pushing $1300....plus your flight to get over there plus your first 6 weeks of living expenses. Wow.

The bear · Joined: 16 Aug 2015 Posts: 483

I expect to see a lot more teachers on L visas.

Is it possible to fake the authentication process?

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China

I suppose it would be possible if your fake was of good enough quality. It's not like they call the university and check. I saw this coming and got notarized copies of my degree made before I came to China. My uncle notarized them. He barely even looked at the document. That said, he went to the same university as I so maybe he knew what he was looking at.

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

So the Chinese emabssy are charging $50 to just get one stamp, plus my fee to go into London and also for doing anything there. That's probably $100 just for a single stamp.

Sigh

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China

The same uncle told me that if these bureaucracies don't charge a decent amount for their documents, people aren't careful with them.

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

The positive for me with these new regulations is that they are finally cleaning up.

I.e. non degree holders, Pakistanis masquerading as English, Ghanaian pretending to be American etc.

Should mean if I want to ever get some part time work I can put the price up.

Thumbs up.

The bear · Joined: 16 Aug 2015 Posts: 483

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China

It won't stop illegal teachers from Africa or South Asia. Most of them are on the wrong visa to begin with. It might deter some native speakers without degrees from coming.

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

Damn...it's upto 155 now?

Most schools say 'we will pay for your visa costs in China'

Which is a 200 RMB fee for the visa and 300 for the medical.

Who's paying the 5000 RMB medical cost fee, the 1550 rmb visa and the 2000 rmb cost of getting everything up to scratch with certificates now.

The bear · Joined: 16 Aug 2015 Posts: 483

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China