Job Discussion Forums

[Badboy Blue]

Hi all,

I am hearing all sorts from the school to the a friend in china right now.

The embassy and my friend are saying that I need to get a medical exam documented before coming to China while the school said that it can be waived and done in China.

Which is true?
What is your experience on the matter?

[Ruth]

I arrived in China in November 2003 with a letter of invitation and a Z visa. My school (employer) here arranged for a medical check-up within 30 days of my arrival. They paid. No problem getting into the country. Unless the rules have changed in the past few months, wait until you get here. Last year when I was researching this topic some people were getting discrepant information depending upon which embassy they talked to. I went through Houston, Texas. Not sure if that makes a difference, but it shouldn't. Others on this forum at that time said they got one before coming and had to go through it all again once they arrived in China. Save your money.

[davis]

Save your money and wait to get the physical. No one checks to see if you have it when you come into the country. Your school will hook you up with a physical when you get here. Chances are if you get one before you come you'll have to take another one when you get here anyhow. If the Chinese Embassy is issuing your visa and they want the physical done before they issue it then just get an L visa and have the school change it when you get here.

[randyj]

In 2000 I had the same experience as Ruth. Also check the sticky. Experiences may vary. Surprise! Actually I believe the schools that insist on some kind of physical before coming do so to avoid the awkward situation where a teacher fails the exam after arrival in China.

[ChinaLady]

I spent all day getting a physical for the embassy in Korea (the Chinese embassy), cost me about 200 USD. the med people in Shanghai would not accept it. did it all again. school paid this time. if the Chinese embassy/consulate is being up tight get a brief physical done in whatever country you are in - the main thing they are looking for is STD and HIV. you'll get to have another one over here in China.
watch the needles. they are getting better about using sterile packs for the blood draw. the 1950's suction cups for my ekg were exciting. let your university worry about the arrangements for the whole thing.

[James_T_Kirk]

The school that just hired me has asked that I go and get a physical examination here in the states. Considering I have health insurance and sick days to burn (one physical exam is at least worth two or three sick days, right?), I don't mind doing it, but I question whether it is necessary to do this before my arrival. However, if doing it here gets me out of a physical examination in China, I'm all for it!

[bukowski1234]

Confusion abounds here.

And no wonder. Everyone gets different answers from the people who should be dispensing reliable information.

Info from the university for whom I will be working in China indicated that I could have the physical performed when I arrive in China.

Information on the PRC consulate website indicates that you MUST submit: your passport, an extra photo for the visa, a health examination with your application for the visa, your letter of invitation and that yellow form which comes from the Bureau of Foreign Experts, along with your degrees. Everything must be authenticated on all of the applicable governmental levels in the states.

The website also says that everything must be authenticated by the PRC consulate, and then the visa application is processed.

I faxed questions to the consulate before I sent off my paperwork to the courier-- JUST TO BE SURE. Their response indicated that I didn't need to send anything except: my passport, and extra photo, the two pieces of paper which the school and the provincial government issued me, and the application for the visa. That and the money for their fees, shipping, etc.. I didn't have to put my paperwork through another round of authentication, and i didn't need to send a health examination.

I called the courier service and asked, "WTF?"

The courier service told me to send the papers from the Bureau of Foreign experts, my authenticated degrees, authenticated health exam and a check to cover all fees, and they'll take care of the rest.

The guy at the courier service indicated that 1. things change regularly and people in the bureaucratic maze often don't have current info and
2. China's signature on the Hague Convention in late 2003 changed procedures. The consulates have not changed their websites.

If you are in the states and cannot go to the PRC consulate in your jurisdiction, you'll have to use a courier service to process your paperwork for you. Call the courier for information. He'll have the latest info. If you need the name and contact number for a courier service in Washington, DC, PM me and I'll send it along.

My courier service won't charge me if more paperwork is required than he told me is required.

I just went through all the gyrations, and i will be happy to discuss it off the board if you just pm me. I won't guarantee that what i tell you is the absolute truth until my visa arrives, but I can tell you my experiences.