Job Discussion Forums

julie griggs · Joined: 02 Jan 2009 Posts: 4 Location: TENNESSEE

I am in an awkward position...I have been communicating with a school that says thay haven't been open long enough to sponsor me for a work visa, that I should come on either a tourist visa, or a business visa. They also are telling me that the local gov't is enthusiastic about them opening and that there will be no problem in getting me a work visa once I get there.The owners are friends (husband is former Beijing student) of a friend of mine who taught there in 2001. It's not that I don't think they are trustworthy, but that something could change/go wrong with the visa once I get there and I won't be able to financially take the hit for the ticket price if I am forced to come home. Am I being paranoid? Everything I read here says I shouldn't go without the work visa already in order.Has the gov't gotten that much stricter about changing visitor visas into work visas once you get there and fond a job? Should I quit worrying and just go?

Eyrick3 · Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 161 Location: Beijing, China

Plenty of schools over here can change a tourist visa over to a work visa.

What I suggest is that you get the longest tourist visa possible (90 days?) and have it written in your contract that the visa will be issued within the first 30. There's no reason they'd need longer than 2 weeks.

If they can't do it, you still haven plenty of time to find another school that can.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Well, IN MY OPINION, I don't care how trustworthy and friendly a school seems to be because they will lie through their teeth to get teachers. After all, without sounding too full of ourselves, sometimes a school's success depends on how many white faces they can show off and advertise in order to attract business. IF IT WERE ME, I'd ask for a Z-visa or not sign on.

But it's not important what I would do, ask yourself: What would Jesus do? Wink

vikuk · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 1842

Sounds like a great way of getting into a potential bust-up with a "friend".
By the way how many of you guys have had a "friendship" with a local suddenly evaporate when the otherside seems to realise that you're not that interested in teaching them, their kids or in their school. Within the local concept of friendship there sometimes seems to be a lot of take without too much give - beware if you're not fully certain of of the situation or the people you're dealing with Idea

By the way being friendly with the boss can also bring disadvantages in this game - you may be asked to do stuff you dont want to do (freebies and horrible PR stunts) under the guise of "friendship" Exclamation

sui jin · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 184 Location: near the yangtze

I would find out when they expect to able get you the Foreign Expert's Certificate and Residence Permit, and get their agreement that if they can't get it, they will pay your return fare home. This will test how serious they are. Rules seem to vary over time and from province to province. I came here (before the Olympics) on a tourist visa and my college (a public institute in Jiangsu) converted it without problem. If your friends have very good official connections, almost anything can be done!

xiao51 · Joined: 06 Feb 2009 Posts: 208

vikuk · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 1842

Kibbs · Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 64

Wow, another Einstein.. So are you really asking people to justify your working in China illegally? What do you think happens to those folks who work illegally? Get a clue read up on some of these visa sites who are starting to post the names of people who were deported and are getting denied entry in China for ten years because they worked illegally.

TapRed · Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 24 Location: Los Angeles, CA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkMcj4vQtRU

As for working in China:

1) You must have a Z visa and a valid sponosor.

2) See number 1.

3) REALITY IS no one gives a shit.

4) WHY? Because in 99.9% of the cases the "schools" are not "schools" and they are not licensed to operate a school, but rather a training and/or consulting company.

5) That means that when the local commies come around to inspect, what really happens is the school's owner takes a lunch with about 10,000 RMB in his pockets and he buys off the local "inspector" and that is good for YOU, the school's owner and the inspector and life is good.

6) RARELY does any foreigner ever get kicked out and usually it is not a white face teacher, but rather Filipino factory workers that get booted.

7) If you get popped for working illegally, you get an exit order, pay a fine and they show you the door. RARELY is anyone booted for more than 6-months, although I know a few guys that beat the hell out of some immigration commies and got kicked out for 2-years.

China policies on teachers are as follows:

1) Don't get to drunk and still show up for work.

2) Don't use fake degrees that are obviously fake. At least use crayons and get some color on those fakes.

3) Don't screw every Chinese woman you meet in an ex-pat bar. The 3rd, 5th and 7th are OK on rotation.

4) When your L tourist visa expires, renew it or change it to a F business visa and renew that every 6-months to 1-year, and in some cases, if you blow the right person, you an get a 2-year business visa.

5) Never pay taxes because you don't exist anyway.

That is the truth. That is the name of the game.

Now if you like BS and paperwork, do your background checks on the school, and the employers, get the right papework, get a contract you can both accept, get a medical exam, a Z visa a FEC, and al of the bells and whistles and after you do all that and get screwed over anyway...then you'll be a seasoned ex-pat in China.

Doy Buh Doy? Shocked

IT2006 · Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:34 am Post subject:

TapRed, I find your post libelous and offensive.

MODS, why can I not report this guy's unwarranted and unsubstantiated rants? I thought that there was a policy against unwarranted China-bashing.

eddy-cool · Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 1008

Kibbs · Joined: 20 Nov 2008 Posts: 64

Itsme · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 624 Location: Houston, TX

Well I think you should come anyway. Who knows why schools are unable to obtain working visas but teachers are still able to get by on a business visa.

They obviously do not care enough to fix the loophole. Just be glad that it exists and welcome the new title of "businessman/woman"

http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://www.motorbooks.com/Store/UserDirs/motorbooks.com/coverimages/143034.jpg&usg=AFQjCNHErvVzLfIWDJcdC4nR2CMTUbq7Ig

evaforsure · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 1217

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

"[S]omething could change/go wrong with the visa once I get there and I won't be able to financially take the hit for the ticket price if I am forced to come home." -- Julie Griggs

I think you've answered your own question. If you're not in a position financially to get yourself out of a potential problem you can already see coming on, you're simply not in a position to work for the "school" in question. Find yourself a good, stable government school with a decent reputation. You seem to have worked and know a few people in China, so you are in a pretty good position to know which is which. Although, even then, I think it ill-advised to come to China without having the wherewithal to get yourself out again.