Job Discussion Forums

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

Our salary/benefit pay package includes "a multi-entry visa is provided by our company". Does this mean that proper legal working documents will be provided (Z visa, residence permit, Alien's employment permit)?

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Ask the company direct! This is a fuzzy, spongy statement. It means a little, but nothing concrete.
It does not even mention at whose expense the visa comes; even this you should ask them (in a roundabout way!).
Thumb-of-rule: They provide a visa (possibly at their expense);
the work permit, residence permit and FE certificate are extras that you may have to prompt them into obtaining for you (at extra costs!).
You will need a FE cert in order to convert your salary into foreign currency. The residence permit is needed for legal accommodation anywhere outside of hotels (but rarely asked for).
Some claim they can issue you a FE cert only if you have a Master's. In theory, a Master's also commands a higher income - yet it is not written in stone!

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

You are right Roger, I should put my questions to the appropriate person with answers, but I have found that those people are sometimes economical with the "truth".

I mentioned to the Academic Director that I would want to be legally employed if I were to work for her wholly owned foreign entity. She said, "you will be legal, we offer an F-visa, not a Z-visa, we don't ... and temporary residency, so you will be legal".

latefordinner · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 973

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Latefordinner,

you had an interesting experience. I am glad you got past the PSB post without further hassles! The PSB have a lot of discretionary power, and if they want to stick to the rules they could have deported you and made sure you could not return for five years!
It is true, however, that many teachers are pushed into this dilemma by unscrupulous OR ignorant employers.

As for housing, the PSB have the DUTY to protect foreign lives and limbs. It is them that approve or disapprove of estates or houses for you. If they disapprove it may very well be because security is inadequate.
By law, singles are not allowed to shack up and cohabit. SOunds retro, but this is the rule from the heady days of socialist moral puriity. It goes without specialy emphasising that girlfriends could turn out to be a danger for you or your possessions. The PSB are afraid not so much for your personal security but for the nation's loss of face should anything untoward happen to you - it would be perceived as bad for the country's reputation!
That is why in many public schools female visitors are not allowed to the homes of male tenants after ten p.m. (even in many hotels) unless they are married.
That does not mean that the CHinese respect this legal provision to the dot on the i!

latefordinner · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 973

Thanks, Roger. FWIW, I suspect that the reason why we were picked up in the first place is that there was someone new at the local PSB who wanted to make himself known. He certainly must have profitted from our adventure. This is probably worth mentioning, because it is something that isn't widely advertised. As you point out, the PSB have wide ranging discretionary powers, including what might eupemistically be called powers of taxation. This perhaps goes a long way towards explaining why they can be such up-tight !@#$%^ in one jurisdiction and not seem to care in another. IF you're working on an F (nudge nudge,wink wink) and something happens, they can take the soft route and claim that you were never registered as working, so no one is responsible for you. Which affords one a certain measure of freedom.