Job Discussion Forums

[aotearoa]

I am organizing a EFL teaching position with the Cindy Centre Dadi Kindergarten chain. I will start teaching for them at the end of June 2003 and I will teach for them until the middle of January 2004. They are saying thet there is not enough time for them to organize a working visa (a 'Z' visa) for me, and they have told me to enter China on a tourist visa (a "L" visa). They tell me that they will 'overnight' my visa (that is the term the lady I have been speaking with and emailing used)-- does anyone know what this means exactly? If I enter China on a tourist visa how difficult would it be to change the tourist "L" visa to a workign "Z" visa? The Dadi Kindergarten company has told me that I can work for 6 months or so on a tourist visa but I find this odd. Can I indeed work for this amount of time on a tourist "L" visa? The lady I've been in touch with says it is still legal and thbey seem to be a reputable company (I checked them out with one of their foreign expat teachers who gave me a good report, and the lady is going to put me in contact with other foreign teachers that they have), but I don't see why I would be able to work for any lenthy of time in a ny country on just a regular tourist visa!!! So any advice/answers would be haertily welcomed and appreciated, thanks in advance people .

[Roger]

You can go on a tourist visa, which they can seek to change into a work visa once you have arrived there, in which case they would have to take you for a medical examination followed by applying on your behalf by your employer to the PSB. The whole procedure should not take more than 2 weeks.

The term 'overnight' must be a mistranslation. I am clueless as to how this word could have been used.

Of course, working on a tourist visa is illegal, especially for such a long time! Don't buy that!
Ask them if they have a permit from the education bureau and the PSB to hire expats.

[arioch36]

In all likliehood they will not be able to get you a work visa, you would be working illegally on a tourist visa, whcih they would renew for you if THEY feel like keeping you.
Changing a z-visa to an L-visa is no problem if the school has the legal right to do so. My only true experience/knowledge is in Henan. Almost all such k/language schools don't have the legal right to hire you. Some promise to get you the Z-visa, but never do. One I know bargaings with a local college and hires them through the college to get them the z-visa.
I think overnighting your visa might refer to renewing your L-visa.

It is illegal to work even one day on a tourist visa, just like most countries. That being said, and saying I don't recommend working illegally, most people never have any problems working this way. It is quite common.