Job Discussion Forums

[tingdedong]

Hi all,
I was hired a while ago to teach English at a high school in Hebei province. I was originally told that documentation required for my Z-visa application would be ready a few weeks ago, but when I asked after it recently, I got this response from the school's foreign affairs person:

"I am sorry to say the procedure for your coming is pretty slow.I am as eager as you to finish the paper work.
Because of the Olympic Games,there are a large number of people coming here.And there is much traffic and many foreigners.The most important thing is to keep safety for everyone who is coming here.So the procedure is quite slow and quite strict.
I'll go to the capital city of our province again when the Olympic games begin.I'll do my best to finish it .But as you know,it is quite special now.

I am still not sure if you can come here before the new term ... maybe a little late.The foreign teachers to other schools are the same in our province,so don't worry.I'll try my best."

That seemed fair enough to me. But today I came across this post from June 2008, which has me seriously freaked out: http://www.allroadsleadtochina.com/index.php/2008/06/08/z-visa-update-the-bigger-picture/
I was born in 1984. Neither the recruiter nor the school have told me about this. Does anyone know whether this rule is being enforced? Are there any 24-and-younger people out there who have gotten a visa for the upcoming school year, or been told that they can't have one?

Please, someone help before I die of nervous tension.

[Anda]

We had a couple of threads here on Dave's on it, but no real answer came out of it. Yes a few have been stopped for sure but I could not find the new law on Government sites. Sit tight is the best answer.




http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&q=under+25+Z+visa+restriction+China&btnG=Search

[vikuk]

[arioch36]

[Anda]

If it is a government high school then the wages are set and paid by the area education department. If private then I can't see them giving you the run round because Hebei province is generally short of foreign teachers.

[Lorean]

[Moon Over Parma]

[vikuk]

[tingdedong]

[Anda]

Then don't worry as your application will go through. What has happened is someone at the school has been given the job of processing your visa application. They probably have never had to do this before so won't be in the know what as to what to do and have probably thought that it would be a piece of cake and have left it to the last moment but it isn't so easy I can assure you. Now that they are on to it shouldn't take more than two or three weeks.

Keep in mind that your school will have a printing room where you can get photocopies done of a lesson handout. You can do a double sided handout of four A4 pages cut down and pasted I think onto what they call a B3 sheet. This is the best way to go about teaching at a high school level. Get them to read after you either on a conversational script or a story and pair work where possible and answer questions. Do a board conversation on the subject that you have had them read on. Your classes will consist of about 60 students and you will most likely be left to teach on your own. Good luck!

[Leon Purvis]

I'm inclined to agree with you, Anda. That was the case when I returned to PRC from the states. I applied to a new school and the school didn't know what to do. Apparently, the uni had never hired anyone on a Z visa before. I refused to come in on an L or an F.

It took the school a few tries before it got the paperwork straight.

[jeffinflorida]

I can tell you that several of the teachers i Worked with in Wuxi at a large uni were of the age of 21 to 23 - 24 and they all got new visas for the new term.