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vancanman
Joined: 10 Dec 2005
Posts: 29
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 Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:59 am Post subject: Changing a Z to an F visa in HK |
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Yes, it's a tired old subject, but a rather important one. I have read some of the old threads to get a general feeling on this point however the reason I'm posting this thread is to get the latest info. I find things can change rather quickly in China, to say the least.
So here's the story: I finished a 1 year contract with a large private language school here in SH 6 weeks ago but the visa runs to the end of December. I ASSUME I can simply go to HK a few days before this date and convert it to the F Business visa. I have contacted the school by email to let them know my visa renewal plan and that's the only time I have discussed this topic with them. (HFT 6 weeks ago said "Let sleeping dogs lie") And what happens with the Green Foreign Expert book? I still have mine.
I look forward to and appreciate your valued input!! |
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Spiderman Too
Joined: 15 Aug 2004
Posts: 732
Location: Caught in my own web
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| Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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I don't mean to sound pedantic but your terminology is confusing.
You cannot convert a 'Z' visa to anything. You can go to Hong Kong and get a new 'F' visa.
A Foreign Experts booklet is maroon. The green(ish) booklet is a Foreigners Residence Permit, which are no longer issued as a booklet; they are now a visa-like sticker in your passport.
Anyway, if you have one of the old green(ish) booklet F.R.P.s you must show it to immigration when leaving China and, unless you have a multiple-entry 'Z' visa or a re-entry permit in your passport, immigration officers will take the F.R.P. from you. This does not apply to the new, visa-like sticker style F.R.P.s which are, automatically, multiple entry permits.
Be aware that you will not be able to leave China (and may very well be arrested) if you do not present your green(ish) F.R.P. booklet to immigration officers when attempting to leave China. |
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Roger
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138
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| Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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Itoo have to take you to task for making statements that are semantically challenged and challenging.
You can NOT "convert" any visa in Hong Kong into another one - you can only buy a new one from a choice of several types.
You can let your current work visa expire, then get a new tourist visa in HK. There should be no difficulty in doing this. Getting a 'business visa' is another matter: perhaps the visa-issueing authorities will run a check on you and come up with some positive finding that would potentially be of negative value to you.
It is curious to see your visa is still running while your term is completed; what have you been doing for the past 6 weeks? |
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Voldermort
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 597
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| Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:06 am Post subject: |
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If you are already in contact with a new school, then you should simply ask them to get you an invitation letter. They would have to ask their local Foreign affairs office for this letter and can take anything up to 6 weeks to process (your new school may be able to pull some strings). Have them send this letter to you at your current city/school.
When you are ready all you need to do is go to HK, hand over your old 'Residence Permit' (FRP) booklet at the border, go to the visa office (I can't remember the address but I'm sure Roger knows), give them your invitation letter and money. They will grant you with a new Z (work) visa which will permit you to re-enter China.
After this go to your new school and have them process your new FRP at the local PSB. It's a very simple process and less of a headache running around trying to convert into a F visa.
Another point you should note. It is illegal to work in China with a F visa. Earlier this year one of my friends was caught working with this type of visa an was deported. He is now unable to work in China for some years. |
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jeffinflorida
Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 2024
Location: "I'm too proud to beg and too lazy to work" Uncle Fester, The Addams Family season two
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Spiderman Too wrote: |
Be aware that you will not be able to leave China (and may very well be arrested) if you do not present your green(ish) F.R.P. booklet to immigration officers when attempting to leave China.
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This is not true at all! I have left China maybe 5 different times - through Shenzhen, Beijing, and Xiamen airports and have never never been asked for an FRP booklet. If anything the immigration officers were nice and simply stamped my passport and took my immigration exit card. Never once was I ever questioned about anything when leaving China. Now coming into Newark over the Summer Homeland Security gave me quite a hassle, but that's another story... |
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Spiderman Too
Joined: 15 Aug 2004
Posts: 732
Location: Caught in my own web
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 1:11 am Post subject: |
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jeffinflorida
Throughout your 295 posts on this forum you have shown yourself to be an insincere, uninformed, unreliable, erratic, integrity-lacking individual. Your posts pose a danger to newbies who may be inclined to accept your advice at face value.
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| Anyway, if you have one of the old green(ish) booklet F.R.P.s you must show it to immigration when leaving China and, unless you have a multiple-entry 'Z' visa or a re-entry permit in your passport, immigration officers will take the F.R.P. from you. |
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jeffinflorida
Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 2024
Location: "I'm too proud to beg and too lazy to work" Uncle Fester, The Addams Family season two
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:17 am Post subject: |
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| Spiderman Too wrote: |
jeffinflorida
Throughout your 295 posts on this forum you have shown yourself to be an insincere, uninformed, unreliable, erratic, integrity-lacking individual. Your posts pose a danger to newbies who may be inclined to accept your advice at face value.
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Thanks for the indepth psychaitric profile - I'll skip the shink this week and save my $50...
Glad you have nothing else to do in your life except read 295 post this morning...
And like I said, I never ever got asked for anything when I left China. Including the frp book. If they asked I would have said no.
So as someone who has been in and out of China numerious times I can speak from experience.
Thanks A-hole webslinger |
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7969
Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:09 am Post subject: .... |
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| Quote: |
| Be aware that you will not be able to leave China (and may very well be arrested) if you do not present your green(ish) F.R.P. booklet to immigration officers when attempting to leave China. |
actually the last time i left china after a job (last spring), i was never asked for any FRP book either. my passport was just stamped and i was on my way. |
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vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:39 am Post subject: |
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| I think the moral of this story is - we need to know the rules (ignorance really can get you into trouble), but undue paranoia over there enforcement can also be potentialy damaging |
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Spiderman Too
Joined: 15 Aug 2004
Posts: 732
Location: Caught in my own web
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:53 am Post subject: |
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| And like I said, I never ever got asked for anything when I left China. Including the frp book. If they asked I would have said no. |
jeffinflorida,
The last time you flew out of China you did not even have an F.R.P. BOOKLET, which ceased to be issued as of January 2005.
And 7969, I have no doubt you are confusing an F.E.C. booklet with the now-defunct F.R.P. booklet.
jeffinflorida, you truly do need psychiatric help (and lessons in spelling).
How many contracts did you fail to honor in China? But, of course, you're someone who can be believed, someone who can be trusted, someone who can be relied upon aren't you?
And as for being erratic and unreliable ......
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jeffinflorida
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:48 pm Post subject: In Quanzhou now
I am at Quanzhou Normal Univeristy and I don't see any of the issues posted in this thread existing. The Univeristy is huge and a very new campus and appears to be run very well.
While the original poster of the thread may indeed of had some issues they have to be more personal than crated by QNU.
If anyone is cosidering coming here they should. I have been treated very nice and fair and given a brand new 3 bedroom apartment to live on in the campus. The staff and students are friendly and everything is going smooth. |
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jeffinflorida
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 3:42 am Post subject: QUANZHOU NORMAL UNIVERSITY
I worked at QUANZHOU NORMAL UNIVERSITY for 1 term teaching Business - Marketing to Senior and Junior students.
When I first arrived I was pretty happy with the school and the way I was treated.
By the end of the term I was highly dissatisfied with the school and many students.
The FAO is a 'Little Richard" head. He lies to you with a smile on his face. It is common belief that he taps the phone in the apartments as "clicks" are heard on the apartment phones and he keeps his own room in the teachers building. The school also spies on the teachers - on where they go and what they do. The FAO employs students to report on the teachers and rewards them with trips and better accommodations for their spying efforts. I won't discuss rape allegations but you can read them in other threads.
The school commonly cheats FTs at the end of the contract. I was no exception. At the end of the contract my pay was off by 2000 RMB. After a talk with the vice-dean he admitted it was his "mistake" by shorting me the 2000RMB. However, he argued that the books were closed for that term and he could not pay me until next term. After raising Hell with the FAO Office and making threats to complain to the president of the school I was paid promptly. The TAFE representative was with me and after the meeting he told me that they do this every term to many teachers to try and keep money. This happened to other teachers at the end also, they were cheated.
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jeffinflorida
Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 2024
Location: "I'm too proud to beg and too lazy to work" Uncle Fester, The Addams Family season two
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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="Spiderman Too]
The last time you flew out of China you did not even have an F.R.P. BOOKLET, which ceased to be issued as of January 2005.
And 7969, I have no doubt you are confusing an F.E.C. booklet with the now-defunct F.R.P. booklet.
jeffinflorida, you truly do need psychiatric help (and lessons in spelling).
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Gee that's funny, when I got my first Z visa the school gave me an F.R.P book. This was in March.
I didn't realise you were following me around so closely in China.
Need some denture cream old man? |
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