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The Steakinator · Joined: 13 Apr 2012 Posts: 71 Location: Oman

After a half a dozen e-mailed and several phone calls, it's confirmed on my side as well: even if you have already gotten your Z-visa (in my case), the Chinese government will not give you your residence permit until you've presented them with a marriage certificate authenticated by the Chinese embassy in the country where you were married.

What's really lame about all this is that we already got our Z-visas from the Chinese embassy in Oman and flew half the way to China from Oman (Thailand) to vacation until work started in China at the end of August. At this point, I'm sending resumes back to the Gulf, Turkey, and think we might even try Russia or Ukraine.

If the government makes arbitrary decisions like granting visas and then suddenly refusing to honor them unless a new condition is met, God knows what other problems are lurking in China. A friend of mine who taught in China said something to effect of "despite what you hear about their economy and their growth, it's all smoke and mirrors, everything is in China."

lemak · Joined: 19 Nov 2011 Posts: 368

Julli4u2 · Joined: 13 Mar 2012 Posts: 13

when I thought that i'd have to get it done in the country where we were married, i found out that i could just mail the certificate either directly to the embassy or to an agent for a fee. I was thinking of doing that instead of flying across the world. Maybe there are companies that offer this kind of service in Turkey, too?

time to teach · Joined: 03 Feb 2011 Posts: 73 Location: Bangkok

We got our Z visas earlier this week, and while there we applied to have our Thai marriage certificate notarized by the Chinese Embassy here in Bangkok for 700 baht/22USD (3-day turnaround), thanks for the heads up lemak!

The Steakinator · Joined: 13 Apr 2012 Posts: 71 Location: Oman

So, I just got an e-mail back from the recruiter saying this:

"About the marrige certificate evidence,You don't need to worry about it anymore.
I try to talked to the Immigration officers many times , they agree about this after you arrive here you need to give me your original marrige certificate and the English Translate one,then I go to the goverment office to get a prove then you can apply the residence permit togother with your wife without problems,I am really sorry about my fault before .Do you bring your original marrige certificate with you?
About the prove docuement it need about RMB 300-400(US 50 dollars)."

Not having experience with Chinese before, but tons with Arabs, I'm inclined to think this means, "Someone's husband works in the immigration office, he handles these things for us." On the other hand, for all I know it means, "we just spent a lot of money processing your papers, so we're not going to frighten you away now. Come to China, then, once we have you where we want you and you're hopefully stranded, we'll make you pay a bunch of money to fix it, far more than we said it would cost." Any opinions on what this means?

Thanks

Gringo Greg · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2012 3:16 am Post subject:

I think it means every province is different and even every city is slightly different on what they really require.

Put this in terms of your school. They want you as a teacher and don't want to have to find a new one. They don't want to get you there and then not be able to convert you over. I'd make it very clear to the school that you will be leave China if they cant get a residence permit for your wife. They will make it happen.