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Confused - need Medical for Z visa, before or after?
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ghost



Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 1693
Location: Saudi Arabia

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 11:13 am    Post subject: Confused - need Medical for Z visa, before or after? Reply with quote

I will soon receive an invitation letter to work in China, leading to the Z visa. I am confused about whether one needs to take a medical test in the home country before or after landing in China. I have read different reports on that, with some foreigners not needing one, and others needing a medical prior to landing.

I have downloaded the Chinese Visa Application form, but they only ask a couple of questions with regard to medical matters.

For those of you who did the medical for the Z visa before arriving in China, what does the medical consist of and what needs to be looked at? Is there a separate form for the medical. I could not find one on the Chinese Embassy in Riyadh website.

I am currently based in Saudi Arabia. Thank you.

Ghost in Saudi
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Bud Powell



Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 11:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you're in the States, call Travel Document Systems. They specialize in sending documents to embassies and consulates all over the world. If they don't know the answer, they'll find out because that's their business. The Washington DC office is the best.

http://www.traveldocs.com/?page=china


If all else fails, contact your recruiter or the school.

Usually, if one needs a medical, it has be be faxed/emailed to the school, then to the consulate.

In my case, the Chinese med check consisted of a urine test in which one pees into a thimble-sized specimen cup, a blood test, an ECG, a chest x-ray, an eye test, and a blood pressure test. And they checked my height.

If you will work in a small country town, be prepared to be followed through the process by locals who have never seen a round-eye before. It's a bit unnerving when they've got a bag of ducks or a goat at their sides and they stand behind the doctor and make comments as he reviews your chest X-ray. That's how my first med check went. Subsequent checks were rushed affairs with several dozen people standing in line.

YMMV


Last edited by Bud Powell on Fri Jul 04, 2014 11:51 am; edited 1 time in total
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Piper2



Joined: 13 Jun 2014
Posts: 146

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 11:50 am    Post subject: Re: Confused - need Medical for Z visa, before or after? Reply with quote

ghost wrote:
I will soon receive an invitation letter to work in China, leading to the Z visa. I am confused about whether one needs to take a medical test in the home country before or after landing in China. I have read different reports on that, with some foreigners not needing one, and others needing a medical prior to landing.

I have downloaded the Chinese Visa Application form, but they only ask a couple of questions with regard to medical matters.

For those of you who did the medical for the Z visa before arriving in China, what does the medical consist of and what needs to be looked at? Is there a separate form for the medical. I could not find one on the Chinese Embassy in Riyadh website.

I am currently based in Saudi Arabia. Thank you.

Ghost in Saudi


Whether or not you need a medical to apply for the Z visa depends on the particular requirements of the Chinese Embassy or Consulate or visa centre you will be applying to. Log on to their website and find out. If it is not clear (doubtful in my experience) call or email them.

After you enter China on your Z visa you will usually need to have a medical -irrespective of whether you had one in your home country.

You can download the form for the pre-visa medical from various Chinese Embassy, Consulate or visa centre websites.
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Alien abductee



Joined: 08 Jun 2014
Posts: 527
Location: Kuala Lumpur

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I also thought this was a consulate-specific requirement. The school or recruiter typically doesn't know anything about the process that takes place outside China. Contact the consulate or agent who is handling the visa process for info on requirements.
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Bud Powell



Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My last recruiter knew!

And yes, I think it may be a consulate-specific requirement, thus the mass confusion. That's why I suggested that one call a courier service that will deal with one's consulate. They have a better grip on what's needed than even the consulate staff. Years ago, I actually got someone at the D.C. consulate to respond to a faxed question, to which the answer was "We don't know. Send one in just in case."
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Alien abductee



Joined: 08 Jun 2014
Posts: 527
Location: Kuala Lumpur

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're right Bud, some of them will know but I wouldn't bet on it. I think it's safer to go directly to the source, in this case, the consulate or the agency getting the visa.
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Piper2



Joined: 13 Jun 2014
Posts: 146

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Powell wrote:
My last recruiter knew!


Visa requirements change over time. Recruiters may have little reason to keep up to date as they do not suffer the consequences of incorrect information.

The most up to date information is readily available online directly from the Chinese Embassies or Consulates or visa centres that process visas on their behalf. Why get the information elsewhere?
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Piper2



Joined: 13 Jun 2014
Posts: 146

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Powell wrote:
My last recruiter knew!

And yes, I think it may be a consulate-specific requirement, thus the mass confusion. That's why I suggested that one call a courier service that will deal with one's consulate. They have a better grip on what's needed than even the consulate staff. Years ago, I actually got someone at the D.C. consulate to respond to a faxed question, to which the answer was "We don't know. Send one in just in case."


You added to your post...

Yes, visa agents should also know, it is their job to know. But it is also their job to make money. So one needs to know which reputable agent to consult.

I do not know what question you asked of that Consulate, but whether a medical is currently needed in order to apply for a Z visa is a basic piece of information. I would expect a definitive answer from the website and staff.
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ghost



Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 1693
Location: Saudi Arabia

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:36 pm    Post subject: Z VISA Reply with quote

Thanks for the information. I have just printed out the Medical Form, from the Chinese Embassy website. Seems quite complex, but less exhaustive than what I went through for the Saudi visa.

One of the boxes simply asks the doctor to check No/Yes for a list of diseased (typhus, polio, diphtheria, scarlet fever, relapsing fever, bacillary dysentery, brucellosis, viral hepatitis, puerperal streptococcus infection, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis).

The second part is more checks No/Yes - for the following - Toxicomania, Paranoid psychosis, hallucinatory psychosis.

The third part deals with height, weight, blood pressure, vision, lympth nodes, tonsils, skin, color sense, ears, heart, lungs, nose, abdomen, spine, extremities, nervous system - other abnormal findings.

Then, what I assume is the big part of the medical - Chest X ray exam, ECG, Laboratory exam (HIV, Syphilis, serodiagnosis).

The last part - is to check for the following - Cholera, Yellos fever, Plague, Leprosy, Venereal disease, Opening lung tuberculosis, Aids, Psychosis

Did some of you guys go through all the above, and can this be done with your 'average' general doctor who works in a clinic?

I thought the medical was simple, but this seems quite a complete physical. What is the typical time frame to get all of this done, in your experience?

Thank you.

Ghost in Saudi
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Bud Powell



Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736

PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Piper2 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
My last recruiter knew!


Visa requirements change over time. Recruiters may have little reason to keep up to date as they do not suffer the consequences of incorrect information.

The most up to date information is readily available online directly from the Chinese Embassies or Consulates or visa centres that process visas on their behalf. Why get the information elsewhere?


1. Recruiters are in the business. It's their business to know. I'm sorry that you've had idiot recruiters. It happens.

2. Chinese consulate websites are notorious for containing outdated, inaccurate, incorrect, partially correct, and insanely vague, and often conflicting information. Case in point: the 2003 Washington, D.C. Chinese consulate's website still advised FTs who applied for a Z visa to have university degrees authenticated on the local level as well as by the U.S. State Department AND by the Chinese consulate, even though the practice had been abolished some years before. People here On Dave's said that it wasn't necessary, but I didn't want to depend upon a few opinions.

I called my congressman's aide's office. Nobody knew whether it was still required because no one had asked before. (New congressman, new aide?). The aide's office gave me the fax number for the Chinese consulate. No one at the Chinese consulate knew. No one was even aware what was on the consulate's website.

I went through all that BS anyway.

I called TDS, a company that handles literally thousands of visa applications every month. I was told by the agent that it was very old information and that the consulate's website hadn't been updated in awhile. He hadn't seen authenticated documents in a few years.

Those are two reasons why one must check and double check information before he gets involved with Chinese bureaucracy.

You must be new to China and its mysterious ways. You'll learn.
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Piper2



Joined: 13 Jun 2014
Posts: 146

PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Powell wrote:
Piper2 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
My last recruiter knew!


Visa requirements change over time. Recruiters may have little reason to keep up to date as they do not suffer the consequences of incorrect information.

The most up to date information is readily available online directly from the Chinese Embassies or Consulates or visa centres that process visas on their behalf. Why get the information elsewhere?


1. Recruiters are in the business. It's their business to know. I'm sorry that you've had idiot recruiters. It happens.

2. Chinese consulate websites are notorious for containing outdated, inaccurate, incorrect, partially correct, and insanely vague, and often conflicting information. Case in point: the 2003 Washington, D.C. Chinese consulate's website still advised FTs who applied for a Z visa to have university degrees authenticated on the local level as well as by the U.S. State Department AND by the Chinese consulate, even though the practice had been abolished some years before. People here On Dave's said that it wasn't necessary, but I didn't want to depend upon a few opinions.

I called my congressman's aide's office. Nobody knew whether it was still required because no one had asked before. (New congressman, new aide?). The aide's office gave me the fax number for the Chinese consulate. No one at the Chinese consulate knew. No one was even aware what was on the consulate's website.

I went through all that BS anyway.

I called TDS, a company that handles literally thousands of visa applications every month. I was told by the agent that it was very old information and that the consulate's website hadn't been updated in awhile. He hadn't seen authenticated documents in a few years.

Those are two reasons why one must check and double check information before he gets involved with Chinese bureaucracy.

You must be new to China and its mysterious ways. You'll learn.


Bud, you often have useful information to share but, believe it or not -and it looks like you do not believe it- you do not have the monopoly on "the truth". Why you obsessively try to force your version of "the truth" down people's throats is beyond me, rather petty, and can mislead less experienced teachers. I have seen you do this on a number of threads.

I do not know why you assume I have had "idiot recruiters" and that "[I] must be new to China". This is not so.

The Chinese Embassy/Consulate/Visa Centre websites I have used in the last few months (and years) were accurate regarding basic visa information. I do not know what they were like 11 years ago and I do not understand why you think what happened to you 11 years ago is relevant to the present discussion.

I never said that Chinese Embassy/Consulate/Visa Centre information should not be double-checked. Of course it should be, any person with common sense would check such important information. What I said is that one should start with Chinese Embassy/Consulate/Visa Centre information, not a secondary source.

I find it amusing that you have declined to discuss the last part of my latter post:

Piper2 wrote:
whether a medical is currently needed in order to apply for a Z visa is a basic piece of information. I would expect a definitive answer from the website and staff.


At the end of the day what others choose to use as their initial source of information is up to them. I prefer to use a primary source and then check it with secondary sources. You prefer to initially use a secondary source and...use other secondary or tertiary sources to double-check? I do wish you would not try to peddle your use of a secondary source as inherently the best way of getting Chinese visa information. It is not the best or only way.
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Piper2



Joined: 13 Jun 2014
Posts: 146

PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 8:51 am    Post subject: Re: Z VISA Reply with quote

ghost wrote:
Thanks for the information. I have just printed out the Medical Form, from the Chinese Embassy website. Seems quite complex, but less exhaustive than what I went through for the Saudi visa.

One of the boxes simply asks the doctor to check No/Yes for a list of diseased (typhus, polio, diphtheria, scarlet fever, relapsing fever, bacillary dysentery, brucellosis, viral hepatitis, puerperal streptococcus infection, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis).

The second part is more checks No/Yes - for the following - Toxicomania, Paranoid psychosis, hallucinatory psychosis.

The third part deals with height, weight, blood pressure, vision, lympth nodes, tonsils, skin, color sense, ears, heart, lungs, nose, abdomen, spine, extremities, nervous system - other abnormal findings.

Then, what I assume is the big part of the medical - Chest X ray exam, ECG, Laboratory exam (HIV, Syphilis, serodiagnosis).

The last part - is to check for the following - Cholera, Yellos fever, Plague, Leprosy, Venereal disease, Opening lung tuberculosis, Aids, Psychosis

Did some of you guys go through all the above, and can this be done with your 'average' general doctor who works in a clinic?

I thought the medical was simple, but this seems quite a complete physical. What is the typical time frame to get all of this done, in your experience?

Thank you.

Ghost in Saudi


Ghost, at which Chinese Embassy, Consulate or Visa Centre will you be applying? If you tell us some posters might be able to give you more relevant information.
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Bud Powell



Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736

PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 9:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Piper2 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
Piper2 wrote:
Bud Powell wrote:
My last recruiter knew!


Visa requirements change over time. Recruiters may have little reason to keep up to date as they do not suffer the consequences of incorrect information.

The most up to date information is readily available online directly from the Chinese Embassies or Consulates or visa centres that process visas on their behalf. Why get the information elsewhere?


1. Recruiters are in the business. It's their business to know. I'm sorry that you've had idiot recruiters. It happens.

2. Chinese consulate websites are notorious for containing outdated, inaccurate, incorrect, partially correct, and insanely vague, and often conflicting information. Case in point: the 2003 Washington, D.C. Chinese consulate's website still advised FTs who applied for a Z visa to have university degrees authenticated on the local level as well as by the U.S. State Department AND by the Chinese consulate, even though the practice had been abolished some years before. People here On Dave's said that it wasn't necessary, but I didn't want to depend upon a few opinions.

I called my congressman's aide's office. Nobody knew whether it was still required because no one had asked before. (New congressman, new aide?). The aide's office gave me the fax number for the Chinese consulate. No one at the Chinese consulate knew. No one was even aware what was on the consulate's website.

I went through all that BS anyway.

I called TDS, a company that handles literally thousands of visa applications every month. I was told by the agent that it was very old information and that the consulate's website hadn't been updated in awhile. He hadn't seen authenticated documents in a few years.

Those are two reasons why one must check and double check information before he gets involved with Chinese bureaucracy.

You must be new to China and its mysterious ways. You'll learn.


Bud, you often have useful information to share but, believe it or not -and it looks like you do not believe it- you do not have the monopoly on "the truth". Why you obsessively try to force your version of "the truth" down people's throats is beyond me, rather petty, and can mislead less experienced teachers. I have seen you do this on a number of threads.

I do not know why you assume I have had "idiot recruiters" and that "[I] must be new to China". This is not so.

The Chinese Embassy/Consulate/Visa Centre websites I have used in the last few months (and years) were accurate regarding basic visa information. I do not know what they were like 11 years ago and I do not understand why you think what happened to you 11 years ago is relevant to the present discussion.

I never said that Chinese Embassy/Consulate/Visa Centre information should not be double-checked. Of course it should be, any person with common sense would check such important information. What I said is that one should start with Chinese Embassy/Consulate/Visa Centre information, not a secondary source.

I find it amusing that you have declined to discuss the last part of my latter post:

Piper2 wrote:
whether a medical is currently needed in order to apply for a Z visa is a basic piece of information. I would expect a definitive answer from the website and staff.


At the end of the day what others choose to use as their initial source of information is up to them. I prefer to use a primary source and then check it with secondary sources. You prefer to initially use a secondary source and...use other secondary or tertiary sources to double-check? I do wish you would not try to peddle your use of a secondary source as inherently the best way of getting Chinese visa information. It is not the best or only way.



"...Bud, you often have useful information to share but, believe it or not -and it looks like you do not believe it- you do not have the monopoly on "the truth"..."

I don't pretend to have the monopoly on truth. If it I did and if I thought I did, I wouldn't advise people to seek several sources of information. Perhaps you missed that one. You'll learn.

Argumentation for the sake of argumentation...

It's time to move on, Piper.

Happy Every Day, Okay? Smile
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Piper2



Joined: 13 Jun 2014
Posts: 146

PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Powell wrote:
"...Bud, you often have useful information to share but, believe it or not -and it looks like you do not believe it- you do not have the monopoly on "the truth"..."

I don't pretend to have the monopoly on truth. If it I did and if I thought I did, I wouldn't advise people to seek several sources of information. Perhaps you missed that one. You'll learn.

Argumentation for the sake of argumentation...

It's time to move on, Piper.

Happy Every Day, Okay? Smile


Your first version had only the last three lines. I thought ok, I'll let you have the last word.

Then you added the rest which I would not have responded to either, except that you included "You'll learn".

What could you possibly mean by that?
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ghost



Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 1693
Location: Saudi Arabia

PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 10:05 am    Post subject: Re: Z VISA Reply with quote

Piper2 wrote:
ghost wrote:
Thanks for the information. I have just printed out the Medical Form, from the Chinese Embassy website. Seems quite complex, but less exhaustive than what I went through for the Saudi visa.

One of the boxes simply asks the doctor to check No/Yes for a list of diseased (typhus, polio, diphtheria, scarlet fever, relapsing fever, bacillary dysentery, brucellosis, viral hepatitis, puerperal streptococcus infection, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis).

The second part is more checks No/Yes - for the following - Toxicomania, Paranoid psychosis, hallucinatory psychosis.

The third part deals with height, weight, blood pressure, vision, lympth nodes, tonsils, skin, color sense, ears, heart, lungs, nose, abdomen, spine, extremities, nervous system - other abnormal findings.

Then, what I assume is the big part of the medical - Chest X ray exam, ECG, Laboratory exam (HIV, Syphilis, serodiagnosis).

The last part - is to check for the following - Cholera, Yellos fever, Plague, Leprosy, Venereal disease, Opening lung tuberculosis, Aids, Psychosis

Did some of you guys go through all the above, and can this be done with your 'average' general doctor who works in a clinic?

I thought the medical was simple, but this seems quite a complete physical. What is the typical time frame to get all of this done, in your experience?

Thank you.

Ghost in Saudi


Ghost, at which Chinese Embassy, Consulate or Visa Centre will you be applying? If you tell us some posters might be able to give you more relevant information.


I will be appying at the Chinese Embassy in Riyadh, or failing that, at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Thank you.

Ghost in Saudi
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