Job Discussion Forums

[Voyage4life]

OK I would like to know the latest information with this. Is it possible to change an L tourist visa to a Z visa in Shanghai? If so, is this possible without having to leave the country? Or is a HK run or something like that expected?

I have been interviewing with a lot of places in China and nearly all the schools in Shanghai which are interested in me are insisting that converting the L visa to a Z visa is possible in Shanghai. I am interested in one school. They have a legit looking website, the people who I have added on WeChat from this school have lengthy posts on their moments about school functions showing school buildings and even the foreign teacher manager who interviewed me. They also have their regular life stuff in posts. What I am saying is that they look like real people. I have even found several foreigners from this school who are on LinkedIn. These people look real too. So I don’t think or feel this school is trying to scam me. However that being said, I thought that converting an L Tourist visa to a Z visa wasn’t possible.

Any comments from people who have done this, or who are familiar with this process are greatly appreciated.

[teenoso]

Shanghai has its own rules for work visas etc (maybe connected to the free trade zone ) and others have posted here before that they can get a z visa in-country (but only in Shanghai), so I'd be inclined to believe the school. Why not talk to the foreign HR manager there ?

[happeningthang]

We were making explicit inquiries about this a month or so back. There is an agency that says they can do it - and their website says this as well - but when you actually apply there - it's rejected out of hand.

It appears to be some kind of government office - but you can't really tell.

Asking contacts in Shanghai it seems our particular case was not possible - but then we aren't in Shanghai - we just wanted to send the guy there to get it done and save him the visa run.

Maybe it's different if the z-visa sponsor is in Shanghai?

I'd be curious to hear how your application works out.

[teenoso]

Yes the employer needs to be in Shanghai, you can't send someone to Shanghai to get a z visa for somewhere else in China