Job Discussion Forums

togoornottogo · Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 5

A school wants me to come in on a L visa and then they will give me a Z visa. I'm trying to read up on this but it sounds shady to me. Any advice?

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

Read in the relevant stickies!

Short reply: Your tourist visa cannot be changed into a work visa.

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

Sounds shady to me too.

mike w · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:43 am Post subject:

Find another school!

The two main reasons for telling you come on an 'L' visa generally are 1) the school has no license for hiring foreign teachers, and 2) they will take tax from your salary and keep it for themselves. If you are hired on a Z visa, the school is obliged to register you with the local tax bureau.

Basically, working on an 'L' visa is illegal. Schools frequently tell people to come on an 'L' and it will be changed later - very few are!

Teatime of Soul · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 905

Schools that want you to work illegally will always ask you to come over on an L visa.

Can you think of any reason why SAFEA licensed school that didn't plan to exploit you would ever ask you to come over on anything other than a legal Z visa?

Teatime of Soul · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 905

Schools that want you to work illegally will always ask you to come over on an L visa.

Can you think of any reason why SAFEA licensed school that didn't plan to exploit you would ever ask you to come over on anything other than a legal Z visa?

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

evaforsure · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 1217

While Ls can and are changed to Zs, it is a gamble. On one side those willing to can advance their possibility of scoring the job as they will arrive in time to take the position. The other side of the coin is the truthfulness of those who you are trusting for employment. I am not as gallivanted to idea that you must arrive on z, as most of the people I know have achieved their work status by being able to take the job on a short notice which required coming on an L or a F. The only way you can come close to being sure, L or Z, is to try and gather as much information as possible from written accounts to possible personal FT testimony from employees both past and present.
The z visa does not guarantee you a straight up employer, and coming on a L sometimes is the defining action that insures the job placement, but as I say....it is a gamble.

togoornottogo · Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 5

anyone heard of this place?
how is it?

flutterbayou · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 244

Is it Dongshua or Gonghua?

I have heard of this new school with a similar name. They asked me to come on a tourist visa and I refused. You can pm me if you want to discuss details.