Job Discussion Forums

scratchpiece27 · Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 44

I've been offered and already accepted a position in Guangdong. It's a public school position. I was told today that it will take around 35 days to process the Z visa as Guangdog is very strict about the whole process. This is fine with me as I can spend more time with my family until heading out, but I'm wondering if this is normal?

NoBillyNO · Joined: 11 Jun 2012 Posts: 1762

lengthy processing times are beginning to be normal

scratchpiece27 · Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 44

Javelin of Radiance · Joined: 01 Jul 2009 Posts: 1187 Location: The West

You can't change an L visa to a Z visa. The visa is only for entry to the country, once you're in China the visa becomes redundant. If you have a tourist visa but want a Z visa then find a job, get the proper documents, leave China (Hong Kong is a good place usually), apply for a new visa, then return.

NoBillyNO · Joined: 11 Jun 2012 Posts: 1762

No idea at the present and while an L can be converted it is by special circumstance and likely you do not fall into this category. Better to wait for the z....convert to an RP and then your golden.

scratchpiece27 · Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 44

thanks guys

Javelin of Radiance · Joined: 01 Jul 2009 Posts: 1187 Location: The West

35 days is the approximate waiting time from the day you accept a job till the day you pick up your passport with a visa. The actual visa processing time at a consulate can be as short as one day.

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

Thirty-five days isn't uncommon. The school must send a copy of your passport and other paperwork to (usually) the provincial capitol to the Ministry of Education (or whatever entity has jurisdiction in that particular place), then it goes back to the school, then it is sent to you, whereupon you submit to the Chinese consulate in your jurisdiction the required paperwork.

If you are in the States, I highly recommend that you send the letter of invitation and your passport to the Chinese Consulate via a reputable courier/visa service. The courier service will tell you if next day service is available at your particular Chinese Consulate. That'll cut the transit time by 3-4 days.

My experience is that the earlier you accept the job, the more timely the arrival of the letter of invitation. That isn't to say that if you accept a position in May for a position that begins in September that you'll get the letter of invitation in June. No school will send out a letter of invitation that soon because the visa has a time limit (as said before--- enough time to get you into the country and get your RP). If the Consulate were to issue a visa in May for a job that begins in September, unless the school wanted you there that early and had somewhere for you to live, your visa would expire.

I've known of receipt of a Z visa months before the new term begins, but it is a rarity.

Just remember: when you deal with China and anything Chinese, you are a LOOOONG way from Kansas.

roadwalker · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 1750 Location: Ch

I wouldn't advise visiting early unless you plan to return to the States to apply for a z-visa. Guangdong is very strict and your school probably isn't able to designate Hong Kong as the place to apply. And my waiting times have always been long. 35 days doesn't sound wrong to me.

22Yossarian · Joined: 20 Jan 2013 Posts: 68

My school in Beijing started my work permit on July 26th and I received all the documents in the mail today.

It took a little less than two weeks for them to get the work permit, and a little less than two weeks for them to get the letter of invitation after they got the work permit.

Also, it took them quite a bit of time to get all the documents together, we have been working on my visa since June. Mistakes have been made by myself and my school along the way.

Also, after you get all your paperwork in the mail, it will take two business days for the Embassy or Consulate office to process the visa. If you do not live near an embassy or consulate (I live 750 miles away), that turns into 5 business days. I got my paperwork today, immediately took all the paperwork to a local visa service office, they checked over all the paperwork to make sure it was in order, and they overnighted it to New York. It will get to NYC tomorrow (Friday), their office will again check my paperwork in NYC, they will take it to the New York Consulate on Monday, get it back on Tuesday and overnight it back to me and I will get my visa on Wednesday.