Job Discussion Forums

[michi gnome]

Hi everyone,

Has anyone heard of a change in the process for getting a Z Visa?

I have an offer from an international school in Shanghai.

I need to be there in 2 weeks, but the work visa is taking longer than anticipated to process (we submitted it a few weeks ago). I was emailed that it won't be a problem if I arrive on a tourist visa, that foreigners no longer need to go to Hong Kong or return home to finish the visa process, that I can convert it to a Z and get the residence permit once I'm there.

I know the drill...I shouldn't arrive on a tourist visa and expect a good outcome etc...

Just wondering if there are new rules and I can get actually convert the visa in Shanghai?

Thanks!

[bestteacher2012]

A few years ago I know it was possible to change from a tourist visa to residence permit in Shanghai, however in recent years the visa policy has tightened so wouldn't be surprised if they closed that route.

As long as you know you might be forking out the dough to go to HK or back home to apply for the Z visa and have no issues with it, then it should be fine.

[michi gnome]

Hi, thanks for responding.

I'm wondering if it's now possible, if the rules have changed back to how they were several years ago. At least that's what I've been told by the person handling the documents at the school.

[jimpellow]

Interesting. If it were for another jurisdiction like Beijing i would have told you that they were pulling your noodle as they need you there right away.

Yet Shanghai is fairly progressive and the government seems to generally have its sh*t together - at least for China. Their requirements post the last round of major visa changes were not as stringent as many of the other bigger and wealthier cities in China. Hence, I could see them realizing that Beijing's mandates are hurting the local economy and having the balls to do something about it in terms of liberalizing the policies, or as most would see it, rolling some back to the better old days.

(I should note that it has somewhat happened on a national and local level too in other jurisdictions. The initial final requirements were absolutely ridiculous including the interview, Chinese culture test, appostilized transcripts etc. Some fun days for Chinese z-applicants as some of the new requirements have been or are in the process of being implemented at local levels while others are peeled back.)

I did not spend too much time googling recent visa changes in Shanghai, but saw no mention on some of the better Chinese immigration websites that deal with these issues. The below article does seem to indicate though that they are in the process of liberalizing the policies at least in the FTZ.

http://www.opportunityguidesh.com/#!Shanghai-FTZ-to-ease-work-visa-requirements/c1iit/1

Funny of course how they state that many of the changes still need to be finalized.

As I am sure you know, keep asking and searching for more proof before entrusting your future to some school cog with a selfish agenda.

Please tell us how it goes. Good luck and happy hunting!

[michi gnome]

Thanks much for the information & the link.

Yes, I feel they could be pulling my noodle . I'm a little suspicious that maybe they want to get me there, give me a sort of trial period, before fully committing with the Z visa. It seems like a school with a decent reputation though...only found one negative review online, which is not bad considering they have like 40 foreign teachers and have been around for about 15 years.

I worked in Korea about 10 years ago, before the requirements became more complicated. Just takes too long to get all the documents together. I like that the process is easier in Shanghai (worked there in 2013). The first time I came over, I did the run to Hong Kong, and had no problems converting a tourist to a Z. Wanted to have the visa headache out of the way before traveling this time, and the situation just seems a little strange. Wondering if this is a new rule that hasn't been publicized much yet...

We'll see and I'll keep you posted on how things pan out.

[michi gnome]

Just searched a little more online. Interesting...if this is legit, it could be great news for a lot of people.

http://www.visainchina.com/visa2.htm

1st July 2015, New Shanghai visa rules to be implemented.

[JamesD]

[jimpellow]

Yes, that does look like potentially great news. Makes me think of leaving my peaceful self employed existence in Medellin, Colombia to return to the polluted chaos of China.

When an important municipality like Shanghai does this it puts pressure on others to compete. Guess the biggest potential downside in this is those teachers which actually have gone out of their way to get college degrees and certification may find the field flooded with backpackers again.

But at this point, who knows how this will play out.

Now what they really need to get rid of the social tax, at least the majority of it like the pension which is really depressing salaries with the very large cost increase it places directly on Chinese employers on hiring foreign workers, and a sizable 10% direct tax on the teacher if for whatever reason they are unable to get the refundable part when they leave.

Thanks back for the links.

[JRJohn]

I am a little bit concerned. You are going to work for an international school, so really this sort of thing should not be happening. To be on the safe side, I would insist on speaking to a Western teacher who is working at your school already. If they don't put you in touch with a Western teacher be suspicious. I do know from Dave's ESL and from the experience of friends in China that some international schools are not all they're cracked up to be. Some in Beijing are run by the Chinese government, others are private. Is it really an international school, or just another language mill?
At the start of this year, when teaching in a state school with Chaoyang District in Beijing, we had a training day. I met some recent arrivals. They were pissed off, because the office we dealt with had promised them it was okay to come to China on a tourist visa and change it in Hong Kong.
Well, no. It turned out that China's Foreign Ministry had put a block on that sort of thing. So they had come to China, unable to work. Chaoyang District would pay them to go home and get a proper visa.
Are you sure your school is telling the truth and has all the facts. I wouldn't want to work for a school that decided not to change the tourist visa to a work visa. That would be awful

[wuliuchiba]

The only thing a school needs to do to call itself an international school in China is to put "International" in front of their name. Most of the "international" schools in China aren't international at all except for the name. Be careful, I got burned on a phoney "international" school in Shanghai. There are quite a few shady operations in Shanghai. What is the name of the school, BTW?