Job Discussion Forums

[asia0708]

I will do a 10 week summer camp at Hechi, Guangxi province. I guess because it was a short job, the school did not offer Z visa, instead I was asked to deal with the visa myself.

I applied for my tourist L visa in Malaysia (I am UK citizen). The embassy said I can have 3 month single entry for 30usd or 6 month double-entry for 45usd, so obviously I went for the 6 months.

The lady at the counter said 'only 30 day allowed' on all tourist visa - I was confused about this - whats the point of it being a 6 month if I get only 2 entries. Surely that means it's really a 2x30day day visa (with me even having to leave the country after the first 30 days). Right??

Anyway, there was another foreigner at the embassy who said don't worry - you just go down to immigration office in the city every 30 days and they sort it out. He said 'it doesn't cost much'.

Visa says :
Enter before 1st Jan 10
Issue date 1st July 09
Entries 2
Duration of each stay 30 <<<<this is the problem!

Told the school about this problem. Solution is a visa run to say HKG every 30 days. Hmmm.
Thats an 80 dollar roundtrip train ticket or 120 dollar flight. Lets say 100 bucks.
So in 30 days I spend 100 bucks, goto HK for border run.
After another 60 days I spend another 100 bucks PLUS I then need a new visa, I suppose a single entry 30 day will suffuce @ 30 usd.

Total spend on visas/transport (incl original visa) = 275 usd
[i only earn 650 dollar a month with the job!]

questions....
A) I originally wanted a Z visa and told the school I would pay for the visa. They said No, deal with it yourself. How much does a Z visa actually cost the school, or, is it the hassle + paperwork that is the issue? This would have made everything legal.
B) Is there another type of visa that would have covered me for the 10 weeks. Should the school have known which visa was best? Isn't there a visa that you can get if you have an invitation to say, do a lecture or something. But, I'm guessing that if they weren't going to give me a Z visa, then they didn't want any contact with authorities because what I am doing is essentially illegal, right?
C) What can I do now?? I read something on the net about getting L visa extensions, once maybe even twice. But it is all unclear. Is that extending the the 6 months - which serves me absolutely no purpose at all, or exending the 30 days??? How much does an Chinese immgration official (in China) want for dealing with the 30 day thing - or is there no alternative but for me to leave the country after 30 days.

A simple & clear answer would be appreciated. Probably from someone who has been in this exact situation or knows.

I know I shouldn't be teaching on a L visa anyway so please don't reply with those comments.

[mandu]

Iam in the same situation
I decided to change jobs after being in the same job for 4 years where i had a work visa.
At the new job Iam working on an L visa.I have to stay 30 days then leave.the new job Iam in cannot get get work visas for us.they will get us a 1 year buisness visa after the 1st of october when the new visa regulations start.

[Hansen]

OP, You are getting reamed and your employer cares not a whit. Tell them to stuff their job. Either that, or do the stiff upper lip thing. That's British, isn't it?

[frank d]

I concur with Hansen wholeheartedly. Chinese ESL employers know all too well that if any improprieties occur with your L visa, then the ax falls on YOUR neck, not theirs. By remaining totally uninvolved with the visa, that gives them even more ability to claim "no knowledge" and "no repsonsibility" towards your soon-to-be-illegal visa. Trust me, after a few days wih that outfit, you'll not be willing to pay for any visa runs outta your pocket. NOT WORTH IT!

They'll make as much money off of you while they can, and then if you "suddenly disappear" they will tell the disgruntled students (and parents) that you were an untrustworthy foreigner, or some such outrageous nonsense in order to "save face" (and a**).