Job Discussion Forums

[JRJohn]

I have been offered a teaching job in a high school in Beijing. This is a government high school, and NOT an international high school, as I am not licenced to teach in high schools in the U.K. The salary is 13,000 yuan per month, which is not bad.
The first time I went to China, the Chinese Embassy in London had a form called "Physical Check For Foreigner". I looked at the website recently, and could no longer see that form. I checked all over the website, and could not see any trace of that form. Is it still official government policy for U.K. applicants to undergo the medical tests? I ask, because the NHS refused to do them in 2010.
Instead I had to go to MASTA travel clinic where it cost 400 pounds. (The price will have gone up). On top of that, I will have to pay for my flight TO China, another 500 pounds. Then there is rent and housing deposits, which could be another 500 pounds at least. So I would have hell to pay in the first month.
If the health check is no longer strictly necessary I should have to pay 500 pounds less.
Since this is a government position, would it be worthwhile for me to ask to get an F Visa in the U.K. and change to a Z vissa in Hong Kong or something like that?

[3701 W.119th]

Hi there. I got my Z visa stamped by the embassy in London last week, and I wasn't required to provide any medical checks. The body of the visa application form itself has the following 4 'Yes/No' questions:

[wangdaning]

[jimpellow]

Have to agree with the above poster that I think the salary offered is terrible without housing for Beijing. I think it is so bad in fact, that I think you are walking into a trap. Just my opinion but sounds like your salary is being skimmed by the recruiter and/or the headmaster.

The medical depends on the locality as to where you will be teaching, not your nationality. Beijing is generally considered along with Tianjin and Qingdao to now have the toughest visa requirements, although Beijing made the criminal background check less strenuous a few months back. I would definitely say you will be needing a pre medical before arriving unless Beijing did a very odd about face.

Love this site so I will paste it again:

www.lawandborder.com

With tougher enforcement of improper visas, and some F to Z applicants being turned down in Hong Kong, I would strongly suggest coming on the proper visa or not coming at all.

Best of luck!

[Piper2]

[jimpellow]

"Jim, the OP is asking about a pre-z visa medical that is sometimes required in order to apply for a z-visa (in a foreign country, not China). The information I have clearly points to Chinese Embassies/Consulates in each country having their own regulations on the matter. I have never heard that these Embassy regulations were influenced by visa(?) requirements in different regions in China. (I am not saying it is not so, just that I have never heard of it.) Are you perhaps referring to RP requirements?"

Hmm...interesting point. Perhaps I am wrong, wouldn't be the first time.

Personally, I know when I accepted and never took a position in Tianjin last year they stated that I could apply for the z-visa in any country (incorrectly), but needed a pre medical for Tianjin. Six months later I accepted but never took a position in Guanxi and they said no pre-med was necessary wherever I got it. Problem was living in Southeast Asia I still couldn't find a place last fall that would issue the z-visa without traveling back to the US.

As of May 15th this is what Gary says. Who I think is the leading expert. Though he is always stating that localities have the ability to strengthen and reinterpret the State regulations, the regulations are very vague, and some of the laws are not disclosed to the public. What a mess.

"Under prior rules, foreigners coming to China for residence one year or longer should, when applying for visas at the Chinese embassy or other visa issuing agency abroad, get a medical exam. (2010 Implementing Rules, art. 6). Under the new regulations, this is no longer a requirement. Now, a visa-issuing agency will require a medical exam only if the officer has particular concerns about the applicant’s health condition."

It seems that the pre-med requirement had been originating from the State, doesn't it? What is interesting though is he does seem to be saying that under the latest revisions a pre-med is no longer required unless there is a concern. Maybe that is what the OP is experiencing. Wonder how many foreigners coming to China will still have to go through this hassle and expense as the FAO or other involved parties don't know this latest twist?

[Piper2]

[jimpellow]

I am not in disagreement, in fact I have changed my opinion here to see it more from your view as being at the embassy level rather than the provincial. I do think though that some people had been getting seemingly bad information from the FAO, as seems to have happened in my case. If their information had been provided by the provincial authorities, and if this was also erroneous, or somehow having been required at that level as an augmentation of the State law I cannot tell.

It seems in the past that some of the confusion may have stemmed from vagueness of the word "should".

I think it is rather exciting news that they have lightened up on the pre-med requirement, as it should save a lot of foreigners from this rather needless and potentially expensive hurdle. I think it is another indication that they are scaling back on what has been becoming a very difficult and expensive process to work here.

No disagreement on getting as much advice as you can, and not just relying on the FAO. I learned the hard way like some others of the pitfalls in believing the FAO knows all.

[Shroob]

I'm in the middle of getting a Z visa, submitted the documents and waiting to collect. At no stage did the consulate (I didn't go to the embassy in my country) request a health check. Just scans of the invitation letter and work permit (I had the originals but they handed them back to me). The job I'm going to though did request a health check, but they accepted the one I did back in 2011.

In 2011 when I first applied for a visa I took the health check with me, but I was told at the consulate they didn't need it then. They said it was the employer that needed it. So I'm guessing either it's part of the application to get the work permit/invitation letter or it's not actually required just recommended.

[Listerine]

There was a thread about this a few months ago and the general consensus was that the London embassy does not require the medical check. Having been said some FAOs in China can be wary about the time and expense involved at their end getting your invitation letter without seeing first that you will pass the medical check. The embassy may not require it in advance, but the individual school might.

[Piper2]

[jimpellow]

I am not being argumentative, but for the sake of discussion find the belief that a school itself would ask for the pre-med as implausible.

For one, that would be saying that it is Chinese nature to think of possibilities far out. It is rarely their nature to do so.

In addition, they are in competition for half sane teachers. Asking for a pre-med would put them at a competitive disadvantage with other schools.

When I came to China I was not required to have one for my first job in Jiangsu. I liked the FAO as he had integrity and cared about the welfare of the teachers. We remained friends after I left and would visit him whenever I visited my first city, which was very close to the second one. I distinctly remember him bemoaning how he was losing teaching candidates due to the new pre-med requirement. I never asked for details, but certainly felt and still do that it was outside his realm of control.

I am leaning that the requirement for the pre-med had more to do with how an issuing visa entity and/or provincial authorities interpreted a vaguely worded State requirement, or had the motivation and ability to require one for their own reasons.

[Piper2]