Job Discussion Forums

[nolefan]

My school just took me to the local psb to register and we were informed by the local head honcho that there would be new regulations taking effect starting April 1.
there will no longer be any need for red and green books, everything will be included in a little leaflet attached to your passport page that has the Z visa. Did anyone else hear about this?
the guy seemed to say that from now on, all z visas will be multiple entry ones so that people could travel in and out of china without a problem as long as their visa is valid....

[struelle]

[phillipl]

Just received my passport back from the Chengdu, Sichuan PSB and YES there was a slip of paper (a little bigger than the passport) which is my "Resident's Document" - for want of better words - NO MORE GREEN BOOK.
At ther same time my F Visa was changed to a Z Visa BUT NOT MULTIPLE ENTRY (Entries: 0).
Interested to hear more about what is happening in other provinces.

[Just a guy]

I�ve yet to get mine,
But the other FT at my school got his residence permit & a Foreign Expert book with his Z visa.

He was charged an extra Y 940 for his 6 month Z visa to be multiple entry, it says �M� on the entry line. He is from England & said he later went to the PSB asking why so high a charge for the M & said they told him it�s because he is from there.

This was a week ago in Guangxi.

[Kitegirl]

To quote our friends Niu Quang and Martin Wolff :

"A good deal of unnecessary confusion is created by too many Foreign Affairs Office and other responsible management personnel, both Chinese and Western, not understanding the true extent and nature of China's visa system. Much misunderstanding and harsh dialogue has ensued between many a FE and management because of this, creating mistrust and poor human relations situations. This has also resulted in FEs feeling that their school management has "lied' to them when the truth is a simple lack of understanding on both sides."

and...

""Z" visa is a single entry permit, usually issued for 30 days. This merely allows you to enter China to apply for your "Expert's Certificate" and "Green Card" or "Temporary Resident Permit." Once you have these two documents you are free to stay, work, and travel within China. If you wish to leave China you must surrender your "Expert's Certificate" and "Green Card" or "Temporary Resident Permit" and obtain an "Exit" visa. You will then need another "Z" or "F" visa to return to your teaching job in China. Vacationing outside China is really discouraged by this entangled process and is a major source of confusion and dissatisfaction with FEs."

I was in Holland trying to get a 6mth multi-entry tourist visa, handy in combi with my work visa. I thought! Anyhows, showing up with a NZ passport at the Chinese visa shop in The Hague only got me a 90 day single entry. Rotters! They told me the PSB in my town would give me a multi.
Then I saw a thread about how, because of abuse of work visas by those itinerant c0ckroaches otherwise known as backpackers (joking), it was going to proved nigh impossible to get a multi "z" visa. Well, Nancy, my sweet, dear FAO contact, busted her gut and got me a 6 mth multi "z" on condition that I pay the difference (265 - peanuts to what I would have had to pay in Holland. The school paid for the visa change and the 160 for the single entry.). This being in Gaungzhou, Guangdong.
Also, I have a paper green card, but my colleagues who have been here for years have the big hardcover ones. Appar. because I'm doing 6 mths. Makes sense to me but another new teacher who's on a year, also just got the flimsy paper one. Oh - and we had everything within two weeks of arrival. Hats off.
Now, my contract is to July 15 but my visa to August 19. Does this mean that if I hand in my Temp Res Card at the HK border, they don't let me back in China? Despite my waving my return ticket to Europe at them?
Any experience with staying past the term of your contract greatly appr'd.

[Roger]

It would appear that kitegirl's experience is clearing up most of the fog here.
Last year, we were often baffled by queries about the legality of one-month work visas accompanied by resident's permits and work permits valid for one year, with holders not, I repat: NOT experiencing any hassles when crossing the border and returning on expired work visas.

I am also waiting for my work visa; for the first time I have to pay for it myself. Initially, they quoted me a fee of RMB 160 for any length of time; the fee depends on your nationality.
But I insisted on receiving a multiple entry visa, and now it is being applied for. I don't know how much this is going to cost. It might be double, it might be the same.
Anyuway, I am supposed to be given a 4 month visa as my contract expires on 30 June. They are sure, though, that it's going to be a work visa.

Without a multiple, I can't imagine how I would perform my job and continue my private life. I need to go to Macau and Hong Kong from time to time.
An exit permit - mandatory if you want to return on a single-entry visa - takes a long time in applying.
And what if they turn you down?

[arioch36]

I can't believe Henan is more efficient then other provinces, gettin the z visa is pretty quick. But they do practice reciprocity...they even have the word posted there as I remember. Whatever your home country charge, they charge you.

Beijing Uni practices the same thing. I was going to study there for a year, and because my US school was over 100,000 RMB per year, they were going to charge me 100,000

I would worry about these

[naturegirl321]

I finally got a Z visa in my passport. And it only took 11 months and two weeks. Gotta love China.

I guess the new regulations didn't affect Jilin Province yet. So I still have two other CHinese books and my passport.

[Roger]

ah, naturegirl, when is your new visa going to expire?

[naturegirl321]

WELL, that's an interesting question, the Z visa in my passport expires in July 2003, yes 2003. And was issued in March 2004. Go figure. But my Employment and Resident books expire next March 2005

[arioch36]

Nature girl, do you have a legal residence permit...green card, good quality, has the instructions in the back in English? The PSB is suppose to check your visa before you get the residence permit. Having an expired visa shouldn't be a problem this year...they ask for the residence permit when you leave the country.


Is your foreign expert certificate legit? Does i say your school, your picture, and have english? Getting the visa is a one day thing if your school has the legal right to hire you.

Curious minds want to know

[smalldog]

A bloke I know told me that new rules will come into effect on 1 April, including:

- the green residence card will be replaced by a sticker in the passport called a 居留许可 (juliu xuke, residence permit) - no more need for re-entry / exit visas - first-time z visa holders will have to go to the psb in person to get a residence permit - spouses and children of z visa holders will have to supply a marriage/birth certificate to get a dependant's z visa or resident permit (not sure which) - moving between provinces will only require doing paperwork in either the province you are leaving or the province you are going to--you choose. Not sure how reliable all this is, especially the bit about re-entry visas, but it's detailed enough to be believable.�/forums/job/images/smiles/icon_evil.gi`�F

[naturegirl321]

[struelle]

[august03]

A guy who has just started teaching at a nearby school (in Jiangsu Province) was told that he must have a Degree (any) in order to apply for his Z visa and work permit. Apparently this is part of the new rules coming into effect in April. So perhaps they are changing the qualifications required to teach in China............. I wonder if this will affect those already here without a Degree?