Job Discussion Forums

[jds1337]

I acquired a Z-visa a few years ago when all that was required was a few chinese pieces of paper and my passport + z-visa application.

Now it seems the entire process has changed specifically in regards to apostillations/notarizations/verifications of the documents required for the Z-visa.

It is all very confusing as different countries have different ways to verify the authenticity of documents and I'm really not sure what I should be gathering as a resident of Texas.

Also, the criminal background check is confusing as posts/experiences differ from it being attained by a local police station versus all the way up to a national FBI background check.

Can someone help me understand this? What exactly should I be looking to get, after-all I don't want to get a local police check only to find out it isn't accepted, and I don't want to spring for a 3 month FBI background check only to find it's unnecessary.

In regards to the notarization, what documents need to be verified? And how many steps are included? Some posts say 2 places then delivery to the consulate, some other places say only one notarization and then delivery to the consulate, and some posts say they were able to authenticate solely by the consulate.

Add to this that the Houston consulate doesn't actually have any of this information listed on their website.

Color me confused af.

[GreatApe]

jds1337,

T.I.C. ... Confusion Abounds!

My understanding, and I'm from California and going through this process right now, is that you need: 1) a notarized/verified/certified/authenticated/apostilled diploma; 2) a Criminal Background Check from the state in which you reside also notarized/verified/certified/authenticated/apostilled; and 3) a medical check.

At least those are the documents that I NEED and I've been living and working in China since 2010 and have obtained several Z visas /FECs/ Residency/Work Permits in the past.

1) I'm having my diploma authenticated by the Secretary of State in the state from which I received my diploma (not in California, as I went to school out-of-state). This involved sending my actual diploma to the Secretary of State in Colorado and a $10 check for the fee for the authentication/certification/ etc.

2) I did a local (state-wide) Criminal Background Check from California (called LiveScan) at the Sheriff's Department in the city in which I live. That background check goes through the DOJ here in California and once I receive that document, I will go to Sacramento (to the Secretary of State) and have it authenticated/notarized/verified, etc.

3) The medical check does not need to be notarized/certified/authenticated (at least that's what the company I am working for has told me), and I know some ESL teachers in China who were able to do the medical check in China (but that's another issue). My company needs a medical check in order to file for the Work Permit Notification, which is the document I am waiting to receive so that I can file for my Z visa at the Chinese consulate.

It's a very tedious and more-difficult-than-it-has-to-be process, but hopefully they will iron out the "bumps" in the coming years and it will get easier (the optimist in me hopes so). Part of the difficulty is a lack of information updates on websites, inconsistencies from consulate-to-consulate and general Red Tape and bureaucracy .

Back to T.I.C.

Good Luck!, and I hope this helps shed some light on what I'm currently going through (at least) and helps you in your quest to return to the PRC.

--GA

[Dream_Seller]

- A reference letter from the last teaching job
- A brand new shinny diploma. It cant be one from a previous tour of duty.

Maybe some of the recruiters embedded in this forum can help.

[jds1337]

[Dream_Seller]

so a brand new printed diploma. You cant use your diploma that was previously authenticated for another country. I have several original transcripts but not several original diplomas. If China sees a big red stamp of Egypt on your American diploma they will reject it so order a new one.

[tin man]

Some provinces no longer require the medical check in the USA. Good idea to check. I needed an authenticated degree and authenticated police check plus my cv. That was pretty much it for the Z. My school paid an agent to deal wit the red tape and it was well worth it.

[nimadecaomei]

You do not need the original diploma to get it authenticated. A copy which is notarized and then legalized by the Sec of State is enough. This, an authenticated criminal check, and a medical check is all they need to get the work permit form. When you actually apply for the visa none of this is needed, just passport, work permit letter, and application form. Went through this process over the summer and got my Z visa a couple weeks ago in HK.

All my documents except the medical were from California, but they were sent through NY to get authenticated. NY apparently will legalize documents from other states. This is not always true, California will only legalize documents from California (I am talking about the state government, not the Chinese Consulate).

[Kalkstein]

Here's the best advice you could be given. This changes depending on the province/city. Getting advice from foreigners who are working in different cities, for different schools is not going to help you much. So what should you do? Work with the school/recruiter they should know best, if it turns out they are incompetent then contact the SAFEA/Bureau for foreign employment, i.e. the people who issue your alien work permit for the specific region you are applying to. They are the ones who essentially make the rules and send letters to the schools detailing the exact requirements.

The letter we got stated all work related documents must be verified, we called them to expand upon this and for our region it was the degree and background check. Other documentation that was needed but didn't need to be verified were medical check, TEFL certificate and a letter from the employee's previous employer. However... I have heard from reputable people that their TEFL certificate needed to be authenticated and from others that they needed an FBI background check. This is why I'm telling you to work with your school/recruiter, it definitely varies by province.

Also the fact that the FBI background check is valid for only 3 months doesn't mean much because China does not accept authentications that are older than 6 months. Which means you will have you get another one no matter what if you can't transfer your WP/RP to another company and need to obtain a new Z visa. I've seen a lot of people affected by this and expect more people to be in the future.

[nimadecaomei]

I would agree with you, but the whole point of the new changes was to normalize the situation. I think that is what has happened. What that means is what previously could be done in a city might not be possible anymore. The system has went online and is a bit more standardized. Many of the people working on paperwork are now out of touch, mostly because they refuse to read relevant laws about the process.

[Kalkstein]

[22Yossarian]

The authentication process is a bit of a joke, right? Years ago, when I was applying for work in Korea (I got a better offer in China, so here I am), I went through that, and it is just meaningless stamps. They will notarize and apostille fake documents, just as much as real ones.

I would hope that they would accept apostille copies, because it would be a bit ridiculous if they require a stamp be placed on an original degree. Some more ridiculous universities print their degrees on sheepskin, I can’t imagine that is cheap to replace.

And at the end of the day, everything is undermined by the required background check. Being able to get one at a local police station is joke, my background check said that I was never arrested in a single county in Ohio. I had a 4 month old FBI check, but China rejected that.

Like so many things here, it is all theater that makes things much more difficult, but there is little actual efficacy.