Job Discussion Forums

[bitterbuffalo25]

Excuse me if this has been asked before, but I couldn't seem to find answers on this topic specifically.

I have been offered a teaching position in eastern China to start next February, and I am currently living and working in Tokyo, Japan.

I have been told that the only place I can apply for my z visa is in either my home country or Hong Kong, but not Tokyo. However, I've read a few sources that say I CAN apply in Tokyo, as long as my invitation letter from my employer states "Tokyo".

I'll also need to authenticate my diploma via a Chinese embassy, but I'm not sure I (as a US citizen) can do this in Tokyo either rather than having to go through the rigamarole of mailing it to the US.

My question is - does anyone have any experience going through all of these visa shenanigans whilst being a resident of a third country? Any particular fiffuculties or luck? Where did you apply for your z visa? If it helps, I'll be working in Jiangsu in China.

Any advice or information would be really helpful! Thanks!

[hz88]

Regarding applying for a z visa outside of China. It seems to depend largely on where you are and which province you are applying to work in.

For my province it is Hong Kong or your own country but not a third country irrespective of your resident status there. Things got really strict a few months ago. Like many things in China it can change like the wind and what works one time won't the next so there is no real sure way of knowing.

I'm guessing though that if you have been told this by your intended employer then this is the the current state of play in that province and it seems to match with where I am too so am inclined to agree with it.

About authenticating your degree, yes that is required now also. In my province we can accept online copies to get the initial approval but we have to provide the real document at the stage where we physically apply for the FEC book. If we don't have it the application will be denied. I had to change our contracts to the effect that if you cannot provide the original copy of any document provided to us we have to terminate your employment immediately.

To save the troubles to you of obtaining apostles or verifications, I suggest you ask your intended employer if they would accept this arrangement. They will be using the same computer system and have to follow the same procedures so I see no reason why they couldn't.

[bitterbuffalo25]

[hz88]

Sorry if I didn't make it clear.

There is a two part process to applying for your invitation to come to China as a Foreign Expert.

The initial part involves an online application in which we have to upload digital copies of all your documents for initial clearance. Once this is granted your invitation letter will be issued. After your arrival in China we then begin the process for your Foreign Experts Book and certificate. It is at this point the officials will ask for verification of your original documents to see they match the uploaded ones.

It would be impractical for offices and schools to request applicants to send original documents for obvious reasons and this is why this is now happening.

Probably your school are just covering their backs. If they see something is already authenticated then it solves the problem later if something cannot be. Hence what I said about having to change our contracts.

I am not sure that the Chinese Consulate offer a verification service anyway. You would probably have to use an official apostle service for that.

However it may well be that Jiangsu have introduced this rule to prevent problems down the line. It is not the case in my province, it is as I said.

Try to reason with them and see what they say.